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Each year, the University typically is invited to nominate candidates for various external grant programs. An internal review will take place before nominations are made. Internal review deadlines will be posted on this page. An awards calendar overview is provided below. Questions? Contact Jeffrey Plank and Meg Harris.

2012-13 Awards Calendar

2012-13 Internal Review Commitee

Fall

NIH/NIHM Gut-Microbiome-Brain Interactions and Mental Health RFP

Overview: Call for internal letters of intent (LOI) for the NIH/NIHM Gut-Microbiome-Brain Interactions and Mental Health grant.  UVA may submit unlimited applications, provided that each application is scientifically distinct.  The Office of the VP for Research will review the LOIs to determine this. 

Proposal Format: Send a one page LOI (pdf) describing the proposed research to Jeffrey Plank (jplank@virginia.edu) and Meg Harris (meg@virginia.edu) by 4:00 pm on 1 August. 

Deadline: Internal deadline in 2013 is August 1.

Submission: Proposals should be sent to Jeffrey Plank and to Meg Harris.

Further Information: http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/rfa-files/RFA-MH-14-080.html

Questions: Contact Jeffrey Plank and Meg Harris.

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Searle Scholars Program

Overview: An internal competition for one institutional nominee for the Searle Scholars Program which supports candidates in their first appointment at the Assistant Professor level, on the tenure track. Awards are $300,000 over three years. Applicants are expected to be pursuing independent research careers in biochemistry, cell biology, genetics, immunology, neuroscience, pharmacology, and related areas in chemistry, medicine, and the biological sciences.

Proposal Format: Individuals who wish to be considered as a U.Va. nominee should prepare a proposal as follows:

1. Chair's nomination letter
2. 2-page nominee cv, with 1 page additional showing current and pending funding;
3. 3-page research narrative (12 pt, single spaced, 1 inch margins), that tracks the sponsor's full proposal requirement (most significant research accomplishment to date; research plan for this program; significance of problem; impact of proposed research)
4. Proposed references (per program requirements, typically at least 1 internal, 2 external)

Deadline: Internal deadline in 2012 is August 13.

Submission: Proposals should be sent to Jeffrey Plank and to Meg Harris.

Further Information: See the Searle Scholars website for a current list of scholars and other information.

Questions: Contact Jeffrey Plank and Meg Harris.

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Pew Scholars Program

Overview: The Program is designed to support young investigators of outstanding promise in basic and clinical sciences relevant to the advancement of human health. The award is intended to provide assured support, during their earlier years, for junior members of the faculty as they establish their laboratories. Strong proposals will demonstrate particularly innovative approaches.

Proposal Format: Individuals who wish to be considered as a U.Va. nominee should prepare a proposal as follows:

1. Chair's nomination letter
2. 2-page nominee cv, with 1 page additional showing current and pending funding;
3. 3-page research narrative (12 pt, single spaced, 1 inch margins), that tracks the sponsor's full proposal requirement (most significant research accomplishment to date; research plan for this program; significance of problem; impact of proposed research)
4. Proposed references (per program requirements, typically at least 1 internal, 2 external)

Further information: Applicants are encouraged to review the Pew website for program information and previous winner profiles.

Deadline: Internal deadline in 2012 is 9/4..

Submission: Proposals should be sent to Jeffrey Plank and to Meg Harris.

Questions: Contact Jeffrey Plank and Meg Harris.

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Hartwell Foundation Biomedical Research Award

Overview: The Hartwell Foundation is of enormous value to UVA:

• As one of the Hartwell Top Ten Centers of Biomedical Research, UVA investigators have special access to funds not widely available.  The funding prospects for UVA proposals also are better than most NIH RFAs. 
• Because the Hartwell program cuts across department boundaries, it provides an opportunity each year for investigators interested in children's health to promote their best research and for UVA to better understand its broad strengths in children's health research.  While the research can address basic science issues, it does need to outline a clear path to clinical applications. 
• By emphasizing rapid clinical applications, the Hartwell program helps accelerate the transfer of UVA research for social impact. 
• Since 2008 the Hartwell Foundation has provided UVA with $3,000,000 in direct costs for children's health research. 

As one of the Hartwell Foundation's Top Ten Centers of Biomedical Research, the University is invited to nominate 4 proposals for Hartwell awards of $100,000 direct costs per year for three years.  The Foundation will select winning projects through review of written proposals and invited interviews in late fall 2013.

Please see the Hartwell website for program details:  http://www.thehartwellfoundation.org/.  

Internal proposal packages should include:  

• Non-technical Lay summary (250 words): Description of proposed research suitable for a non-technical audience.  It is important that this paragraph provide a compelling reason to be interested in your proposal (e.g., by identifying the magnitude of the problem in the United States, incidence, prevalence, etc.); describe the unmet need; describe your proposed innovation; and finally, describe the benefit to children if the project is successful. Omit literature references, but provide important dates (year). Do not use jargon or acronyms, unless the lay reader is certain to be familiar with them.
• Narrative that describes the proposed research goals and research plan (4-page, singled-spaced; 12 pt font):  At the beginning of this narrative explain explicitly in separate paragraphs how the research is:
• Early-Stage:  discuss timing of discovery or recognition of the idea: provide the earliest literature citation, date of acquisition of preliminary data, or date of first disclosure of intellectual property
• Innovative:  identify or provide a succinct description of the innovation
• Cutting-Edge: describe how the research is cutting edge by justifying the uniqueness of the innovation in terms of how it meets an unmet need, leads to a new perspective, overcomes a lack of detailed knowledge or accepted consensus, or results in a new paradigm
• Impact:  if successful, how substantial the impact; if the research is not funded, why it will not proceed.
• 2-page CV;
• 1-page current/pending funding report;
• names and institutional affiliations of 3 external references (who can write in support of final proposal, if selected as one of the UVA 4 proposals);
• chair's nomination letter.

Internal Proposal Deadline: 4 June 2013; send proposal package in word format to Meg Harris (meg@virginia.edu) and Jeffrey Plank (jplank@virginia.edu).

Internal Review:  Week of 17 June 2013 by the VPR Internal Review Committee bio and biomedical science section, joined by previous UVA Hartwell winners.

Finalist selection interview: 6-8 finalists will be invited to present a short (15 minute) presentation of their proposal.  By 1 July 2013, four investigators will be selected and begin working on final proposal packages.

Final Proposal Development:  As with many other private foundations, the Hartwell Foundation proposal criteria are distinctive.  Because successful Hartwell proposals communicate research problems, goals, methods, and impacts in a clear and compelling narrative, it is important that the UVA nominees have the benefit of readers and mentors familiar with the Hartwell research community.  The 4 UVA nominees will receive assistance from former Hartwell winners and other faculty members and administrators with direct Hartwell experience.  

Submission: Email pdf package to Meg Harris and Jeffrey Plank.

Questions: Contact Jeffrey Plank and Meg Harris.

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Burroughs Wellcome Fund: Investigators in the Pathogenesis of Infectious Disease

Overview: Awards for assistant professors to study infectious disease pathogenesis, with emphasis on the intersection of human and pathogen biology.  Five-year awards of $500,000 are intended to provide recipients the freedom and flexibility to pursue new avenues of inquiry and higher-risk research projects with potential to advance significantly the biochemical, pharmacological, immunological, and molecular biological understanding of how infectious agents and the human body interact.

Eligibility:  http://www.bwfund.org/pages/99/Eligibility/  

Proposal Format: Internal pre-proposals should include (use the format/form as indicated here http://www.bwfund.org/pages/474/Proposal-Sections/):

1. Chair’s Nomination Letter
2. CV
3. Research Plan 

Deadline: Internal pre-proposal packages due by 4pm October 5, 2012.

Submission: Send in PDF format to Meg Harris and Jeffrey Plank.

Questions: Contact Jeffrey Plank and Meg Harris.

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Commonwealth Health Research Board Grant (CHRB)

Proposal Format: Use the concept paper specifications from the CHRB guidelines, pages 12-14.  Use the CHRB form for concept papers. 

Further information: http://www.chrb.org/Guidelines & Forms.htm

Deadline: Internal deadline in 2012 is August 24.

Submission: Send concept paper in PDF format to Meg Harris and Jeffrey Plank.

Questions: Contact Jeffrey Plank and Meg Harris.

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NSF Major Research Instrumentation Program

Overview: This program seeks to improve the quality and expand the scope of research and research training in science and engineering, and to foster the integration of research and education by providing instrumentation for research-intensive learning environments.  The MRI program encourages the development and acquisition of research instrumentation for shared inter- and/or intra-organizational use and in concert with private sector partners. 

The MRI program assists in the acquisition or development of major research instrumentation by organizations that is, in general, too costly for support through other NSF programs. Proposals may be for a single instrument, a large system of instruments, or multiple instruments that share a common or specific research focus.

Proposal Format: Preliminary proposal packages should include:

• A three-page narrative (12 point, with 1-inch margins);
• A 1-page budget;
• A 2-page PI CV or co-PI CVs;
• A department chair nomination.
  

Deadline: Internal deadline in 2012 is Nov 5.

Submission: Send proposals to Jeffrey Plank and to Meg Harris. Preliminary proposals will be reviewed within 2 weeks so that the three selected teams have sufficient time to submit final proposals by the NSF deadline.

Questions: Contact Jeffrey Plank and Meg Harris.

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Jeffress Trust Awards Program in Interdiciplinary Research

Overview: These $100K awards provide seed funding to support one year pilot studies that encourage the development of innovative interdisciplinary strategies that integrate computational and quantitative scientific methodologies across a broad range of scientific disciplines. The competition is open to faculty members within the first seven years of their faculty appointment, in these fields:  astronomy, biosciences, chemistry, computer sciences, engineering, environmental sciences, material science, mathematics, and physics.  

Note:  According the Jeffress Trust guidelines, Medical School faculty members may not apply as Principal Investigators; however, they are encouraged to collaborate as Co-Investigators.

See this link for details: http://www.hria.org/tmfservices/?page=Jeffress/.  Note that some portion of the award must be used to support undergraduate research.

Proposal Format: chair's nomination letter; PI CV (2 page); 300-word nontechnical summary; 3 page, single-spaced research plan; 1-page budget.

Deadline: Internal deadline in 2012 is Nov 19.

Submission: Send proposals to Jeffrey Plank and to Meg Harris.

Questions: Contact Jeffrey Plank and Meg Harris.

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Robert A. Welch Award in Chemistry

Overview: UVA has been invited to nominate one faculty member for the Robert A. Welch Award in Chemistry.  This prize ($300,000) recognizes basic chemical research and the value of chemical research contributions for the benefit of mankind.  If we have more than one internal candidate, we'll need to conduct a review

Note:  "It is intended to recognize contributions that have not previously been rewarded in a smiler manner."  For details, see: www.welch1.org.  

Proposal Format: Biographical sketch (no more than one page); CV with 25 of the nominee's most important scientific publications; Statement of research areas in chemistry on which the nomination is based; Chair's nomination letter

Deadline: The 2013 internal deadline is 4 January, at 4:00 pm.  

Submission: Send proposals to Jeffrey Plank and to Meg Harris.

Questions: Contact Jeffrey Plank and Meg Harris.

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Defense Science Study Group Nominations (DARPA)

Overview: This, to report that UVA has been asked to nominate one or two faculty members to participate in the DSSG program.  For details, see: http://dssg.ida.org/.  It's a two-year program; participants spend approximately 20 days each year on DSSG activities. UVA DSSG alumni include:  David Evans, James Howe, William Johnson, Kevin Lehmann, and Gabriel Robins.

Selection Criteria:  faculty member in science, engineering, or related field; outstanding academic accomplishments; within 15 years of PhD; US citizen.

Nomination package: nomination letter and CV in pdf format.    

Deadline: The 2013 internal deadline is 4 January, at 4:00 pm.  

Submission: Send proposals to Jeffrey Plank and to Meg Harris.

Questions: Contact Jeffrey Plank and Meg Harris.

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Dana Foundation Mahoney Neuroimaging Program

Overview: The award is for "$200K over three years for proposed studies utilizing structural/physiological or cellular/molecular imaging proposals by promising early career investigators who have not yet been awarded more than one independent research grant (R01 from the NIH or equivalent from another federal agency)."  For further details, see:  http://www.dana.org/grants/detail.aspx?id=1264. Note that Dana is explicit about "high-risk and innovative ideas with direct clinical application," and provides definitions for the kinds of imaging it will support, as well as current topics of interest.

Selection Criteria:  faculty member in science, engineering, or related field; outstanding academic accomplishments; within 15 years of PhD; US citizen.

Proposal Format: 4-page application (page 1 is a cover; use Dana format), plus 4 appendices; chair's nomination letter.  No budget required at this point.  Dana will invite further information from selected applicants.   

Deadline: The 2013 internal deadline is 29 January, at 4:00 pm.  

Submission: Send proposals to Jeffrey Plank and to Meg Harris.

Questions: Contact Jeffrey Plank and Meg Harris.

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Hartwell Foundation Fellowship (Post-doc)

Further information: http://www.thehartwellfoundation.org/ and 2012 Guidelines

Deadline: Internal deadline TBD.

Submission: Email pdf package to Meg Harris and Jeffrey Plank.

Questions: Contact Jeffrey Plank and Meg Harris.

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NSF PIRE

Overview: http://www.nsf.gov/funding/pgm_summ.jsp?pims_id=12819

Proposal Format: 1-page administrative summary; 3-page research summary; 2-page education summary (see NSF guidelines for criteria for these section; use 12-point font; 1-inch margins); 2-page PI cv; 1-page current/pending funding summary.

Deadline: Internal deadline in 2012 is TBD.

Submission: Send proposals to Jeffrey Plank and to Meg Harris.

Questions: Contact Jeffrey Plank and Meg Harris.

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Spring

Keck

Overview: Keck funds innovative, high-risk, and high-impact projects that are top
institutional priorities.  Typically Keck projects solve important science and engineering questions and also develop novel techniques and/or instruments that can be disseminated throughout the research community: "By funding the high-risk/high-impact work of leading researchers, we are laying the groundwork for new paradigms, technologies and discoveries that will save lives, provide innovative solutions, and add to our understanding of the world. Both Senior and Early Career investigators are encouraged to apply."  Keck does not, however, fund translational biomedical research.

Proposal Format: Internal package:  1-page summary; 2-page, single-spaced proposed research narrative (use the Phase 1 application form as your guide); 2-page PI/PIs
CV; dean endorsement letter (including commitment to match

Deadline: Next upcoming internal deadline is TBD.

Further Information: http://www.wmkeck.org/grant-programs/grant-programs.html.

Questions: Contact Jeffrey Plank and Meg Harris.

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NSF IGERT Competition

Overview: The Integrative Graduate Education and Research Traineeship (IGERT) program has been developed to meet the challenges of educating U.S. Ph.D. scientists and engineers who will pursue careers in research and education. The program is intended to catalyze a cultural change in graduate education, for students, faculty, and institutions, by establishing innovative new models for graduate education and training in a fertile environment for collaborative research that transcends traditional disciplinary boundaries. MORE INFO

Proposal Format: U.Va. preliminary proposals should include:

• 2-page single spaced narrative that tracks program guidelines
• 2-page PI (or PIs) CV

Deadline: Internal deadline in 2012 is TBD.

Further Information: Program guidelines can be found here.

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Packard Foundation Fellowship Program

Overview: Each spring, the University typically is invited to nominate candidates for the Packard Foundation Fellowship Program in Science and Engineering.

Proposal Format: The proposal package should include: 3-page single-spaced narrative (12 pt.) that tracks the Packard application form/guidelines criteria; a 2-page PI cv; a nomination letter from the department chair; a list of 3 potential external references; current funding (including amount).

Deadline: In 2013, internal competition packages are due by 4pm on 11 Feb.

Further Information: In advance of the formal invitation and internal review process, we recommend that eligible faculty members review the Packard website for program information and previous winner profiles.

Questions: For further information, contact Jeffrey Plank, Associate Vice President for Research.

Submission: Email pdf package to Meg Harris and Jeffrey Plank.

U.Va. former Packard Fellowship winners include: Gabe Robbins, Steve Majewski, Bob Jones, Hilary Bart-Smith and Kelsey Johnson.

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Senior Scientist Brain Research Foundation Funding Opportunity

Overview: The Brain Research Foundation has invited University of Virginia to nominate one faculty member to submit a Letter of Intent for the Scientific Innovations Award (SIA).  The objective of the program is to support projects that may be too innovative and speculative for traditional funding sources but still have a high likelihood of producing important findings. It is expected that investigations supported by these grants will yield high impact findings and result in major grant applications and significant publications in high impact journals. To be eligible, the nominee must be a professor or associate professor working in the area of studies and brain function in health and disease. Current major NIH or other peer-reviewed funding is preferred but evidence of such funding in the past three years is essential. The grant period is for one to two years in the amount of $150,000. The support focus is for new research projects of the highest scientific merit.

Proposal Format: Individuals who wish to be considered as a U.Va. nominee should prepare a proposal as follows: 2-page research project narrative (hypothesis, approach, timeline for completion, per BRF LOI form; single spaced, 12 point font, 1 inch margins); 2-page PI CV; 1-page current funding; chair's nomination letter.

Further information: Applicants are encouraged to review the SIA guidelines and letter of intent. See their website.

Deadline: TBD

Submission: Proposals should be sent to Jeffrey Plank and to Meg Harris.

Questions: Contact Jeffrey Plank and Meg Harris.

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Summer

NEH Summer Stipend Competition

Overview: Summer Stipends support individuals pursuing advanced research that contributes to scholarly knowledge or to the public's understanding of the humanities. Recipients usually produce scholarly articles, monographs on specialized subjects, books on broad topics, archaeological site reports, translations, editions, or other scholarly tools. Summer Stipends support full-time work on a humanities project for a period of two months. Applicants may be faculty or staff members of colleges, universities, or primary or secondary schools, or they may be independent scholars or writers. Note: NEH is interested in receiving applications for projects that utilize or study the impact of digital technology.

Application Materials

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