Limited and External Funding Opportunities

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• Email LSO@vanderbilt.edu if you are interested in an opportunity not listed below or have questions regarding the LSO submission process.
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Have you been awarded a Limited Submission recognition?

Please let us know at LSO@vanderbilt.edu

Internal review process required to choose institutional nominees

Limited Submission Eligibility Guidelines

The following tags serve as a guide for submission instructions.

 Vanderbilt (VU + VUMC):  

• VU and VUMC submit collaboratively to this LSO. ALL investigators should follow the guidelines posted on this site.

S-

 VUMC :

• VU and VUMC submit separately to this LSO. VUMC investigators should follow the guidelines posted on this site. VU investigators should apply through InfoReady and address any questions to VU-LSO@vanderbilt.edu.

FEATURED OPPORTUNITY

• High-profile or prestigious awards of particular interest to Vanderbilt investigators

• Click on "View Full Internal Call" at end of each LSO description to access PDF with internal submission instructions 

NSF Scholarships in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (S-STEM) Program

Applications due December 3, 2024

Vanderbilt (VU + VUMC):  This is a joint competition for VU and VUMC investigators. All investigators should follow these instructions.

Vanderbilt University may submit no more than two proposals (either as a single institution or as subawardee or a member of an inter-institutional consortia project) to the NSF Scholarships in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics Program (S-STEM). 

The main goal of the S-STEM program is to enable low-income students with academic ability, talent or potential to pursue successful careers in promising STEM fields. Recognizing that financial aid alone cannot increase retention and graduation in STEM, the program provides awards to institutions of higher education (IHEs) not only to fund scholarships, but also to adapt, implement, and study evidence-based curricular and co-curricular activities that have been shown to be effective supporting recruitment, retention, transfer (if appropriate), student success, academic/career pathways, and graduation in STEM.

CDC Epilepsy Incidence Among Children in the United States

Applications are due December 3, 2024

VUMC:  These instructions are for VUMC investigators. VU investigators should apply through InfoReady and address any questions to VU-LSO@vanderbilt.edu.

VUMC may submit one (1) application to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s 2025 Epilepsy Incidence Among Children in the United States funding opportunity. 

Children represent one of the largest populations with newly diagnosed epilepsy. Epilepsy incidence among children is highest in their first year of life and declines by the end of their first decade. In the U.S. general population, studies of pediatric epilepsy incidence and prevalence rates are scant, and less is known about pediatric epilepsy risk factors. Only a few population-based estimates of epilepsy incidence among children in the United States exist, and these are also outdated. Research on risk factors that may affect the development of pediatric epilepsy is also scant. 

The purpose of this NOFO is to use standardized definitions of epilepsies and validated methods to:  

1. Estimate overall epilepsy incidence among U.S. children 0 - 17 years of age.
2. Examine potential disparities in incidence rates of epilepsy stratified by demographic, geographical, social determinants of health, and other characteristics. 
3. Identify factors that contribute to the risk of developing epilepsy, as well as examine the association between these risk factors and incidence.

Mary Kay Ash Foundation Innovative/Translational Cancer Research Grant

Applications due December 4, 2024

Vanderbilt (VU + VUMC): This is a joint competition for VU and VUMC investigators. All investigators should follow these instructions.

VU and VUMC may each nominate one candidate for the Mary Kay Foundation Innovative/Translational Cancer Research Grant program for 2025. These awards provide $100,000 over two years to support innovative translational research for cancers affecting women, including but not limited to breast, cervical, endometrial, ovarian, uterine, or cancers predominantly affecting women.

The Foundation seeks to fund innovative research that will provide a scientific link between laboratory research and the clinic. Ultimately, such research would lead to improvement in the diagnosis, prognosis, prevention, or treatment of cancer.

Oak Ridge Associated Universities (ORAU) Innovation Partnerships Program

Applications due December 5, 2024

Vanderbilt (VU + VUMC): This is a joint competition for VU and VUMC investigators. All investigators should follow these instructions.

Overview

Vanderbilt (VU+VUMC, collaboratively) may submit 2 applications to the Oak Ridge Associated Universities (ORAU) Innovation Partnerships Program. The Innovation Partnerships Program is structured to build stronger relationships between university members and ORAU collaborators by focusing on research and education topics that align well with ORAU’s expertise and current priorities. Innovation Partnerships grants provide up to $4,000 (indirect costs not allowed) to support an in-person or virtual event that involves participants from more than one ORAU member institution, including students. 

Applications should focus on focused workshops/conferences that highlight Vanderbilt University’s strategic STEM research and education growth areas, and where collaborations with other member universities would add value.  Such events may include visits to an ORAU institution by a renowned speaker, conferences or workshops with a focused theme, or a technology transfer/business plan competition. ORAU is specifically interested in events that can bring more thought leadership in building a national strategy for STEM education and workforce capacity building. Member universities are encouraged to collaborate around this topic in anticipation of federal funding initiatives. 

Mathers Foundation Grant Program: Spring 2025

Applications due December 10, 2024

VUMC:  These instructions are for VUMC investigators. VU investigators should apply through InfoReady and address any questions to VU-LSO@vanderbilt.edu. 

VUMC may submit up to three letters of intent for the Spring 2025 cycle of the Mathers Foundation grant program. The mission of The G. Harold and Leila Y. Mathers Foundation is to advance knowledge in the life sciences by sponsoring scientific research that will benefit mankind. The Foundation’s grants program seeks to support innovative, potentially transformative basic science projects in fields including immunology, microbiome, structural biology, cellular physiology, cancer biology, genetics, genomics, microbiology and infectious disease, stem cell biology, and neuroscience. The grant duration is three years and requested budgets should be realistic for the project (consider the type of investigation, models used, supply requirements, size of the team, etc.)  Grant budgets cannot exceed $600-$750k (including indirect costs capped at 10%) over three years.

NSF Scholarships in STEM Network (S-STEM-NET) Research Hubs

Applications due January 2, 2025

VUMC:  These instructions are for VUMC investigators. VU investigators should apply through InfoReady and address any questions to VU-LSO@vanderbilt.edu.

VUMC may submit one S-STEM Hubs proposal, either as single institution, subawardee, or member of a collaborative research project, to the NSF Scholarships in STEM Network (S-STEM-Net) program.

***This competition is ONLY for Hubs track proposals. The S-STEM Resource and Evaluation Center (S-STEM-REC) category of proposals has been eliminated.***

S-STEM Research Hubs

NSF seeks collaborative proposals that will result in awards supporting up to ten S-STEM Research Hubs (S-STEM-Hub). S-STEM Research Hub awards will be made for a maximum of $3 million dollars over a maximum period of performance of 5 years.

The primary goal of each S-STEM Research Hub is to support and carry out high-quality, innovative research on the factors, structures or interventions involved in supporting and promoting the success of domestic low-income undergraduate and graduate STEM students, regardless of other demographic factors. Proposers who wish to focus on specific underrepresented demographic groups regardless of income status might consider applying for an NSF INCLUDES Alliance, or other NSF funding opportunities. Collaborations between S-STEM-Hubs and other NSF-funded initiatives, such as NSF INCLUDES, could be appropriate as long as the S-STEM Research Hub focuses their research activities on the success of low-income students. In addition, proposals aiming to investigate other STEM-related questions or issues but not focused on low-income student success, including those focused on the development of new STEM curriculum or academic programs, or specific research opportunities for undergraduates in some STEM-related topic, are not appropriate for the S-STEM-Hub funding opportunity and will be returned without review.

NSF Innovations in Graduate Education (IGE) Program

Applications due January 2, 2025

VUMC:  These instructions are for VUMC investigators. VU investigators should apply through InfoReady and address any questions to VU-LSO@vanderbilt.edu.

Overview

VUMC may submit only 2 applications to the NSF IGE program. The Innovations in Graduate Education (IGE) program is designed to encourage development and implementation of bold, new, and potentially transformative approaches to STEM graduate education training. The program seeks proposals that a) explore ways for graduate students in STEM master's and doctoral degree programs to develop the skills, knowledge, and competencies needed to pursue a range of STEM careers, or b) support research on the graduate education system and outcomes of systemic interventions and policies.

IGE projects are intended to generate the knowledge required for the customization, implementation, and broader adoption of potentially transformative approaches to graduate education. The program supports piloting, testing, and validating novel models or activities and examining systemic innovations with high potential to enrich and extend the knowledge base on effective graduate education approaches.

Ono Pharma Breakthrough Science Initiative Awards

Applications due January 7, 2025

Vanderbilt (VU + VUMC): This is a joint competition for VU and VUMC investigators. All investigators should follow these instructions.

Overview:

Vanderbilt (VU + VUMC, combined) may nominate 2 candidates to submit an LOI to the Ono Pharma Foundation's Breakthrough Science Initiative Awards Program.

Ono Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. is a leading global healthcare company committed to delivering new, innovative pharmaceutical products to patients and championing the fight against disease and pain. The Ono Pharma Foundation was established to support academic research in relevant scientific fields, which have the potential of making significant impact on therapeutic approaches to disease and pain management.

The "Ono Initiative" is the embodiment of the Foundation's commitment to focus on and accelerate researcher-driven open innovation by supporting high-risk and high-reward science research projects which have potential to lead to science discoveries/solutions and, possibly, based on further research, to breakthrough treatments for patients. The program seeks proposals for research that could ultimately transform human health.

Internal review process NOT required- Submit directly to Sponsor​

The VUMC Corporate & Foundation Relations team provides hands-on proposal development assistance for non-federal awards. Contact cfr@vumc.org for more information.