Contact us...

• Email LSO@vanderbilt.edu if you are interested in an opportunity not listed below or have questions regarding the LSO submission process.

 

Have you been awarded a Limited Submission recognition?

Please let us know at LSO@vanderbilt.edu

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Special Research Focus: COVID-19 Funding Opportunities

Curated collections of funding opportunities

Edge for Scholars offers curated list of COVID-19 funding opportunities

Updated regularly. Check the site often for updates about research funding opportunities, including to special calls & announcements, in response to the coronavirus pandemic. 

GrantForward funding database provides list of COVID-19 funding opportunities

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Active Internal Calls for Limited Submission Nominations 

Internal review process required to choose institutional nominees

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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.

 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 investigator

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Stanley Cohen Innovation Fund

Applications due July 31, 2021

The Vanderbilt University School of Medicine is pleased to solicit applications for research awards from the Stanley Cohen Innovation Fund. The Cohen Fund supports high-risk, ground-breaking research with the potential to open new fields of scientific inquiry and biomedical impact. Initial awards of up to $100,000 (direct costs) will be made from the Fund. Awardees can receive a second year of funding, pending adequate progress. 

The awards honor and are in memory of Professor of Biochemistry and 1986 Nobel Laureate Stanley Cohen, whose discovery of epidermal growth factor and its mechanism of action revolutionized our understanding of cellular signaling in fields of biomedical research such as development, wound healing, and cancer and led to high impact therapies across a range of diseases. Professor Cohen’s work will serve as the prototype for research that will be supported by the Fund.

Nomination process: 

Applicants should be tenured or tenure-track faculty with their primary appointment in a School of Medicine department. They must be nominated by their Department Chair and only one nomination will be accepted from each department. The following nomination materials must be submitted as a PDF document to LSO@vanderbilt.edu by July 31:

• Two-page description of the research plan including figures (references can be separate)
• Budget with justification (travel and entertainment costs are not allowed)
• NIH Biosketch
• Brief letter of nomination by the Department Chair

Given the intent of the Fund, emphasis should be placed on the novelty of the proposed research and the potential for future discovery and impact. Research that is a continuation or incremental extension of ongoing research programs will not be considered.

All applications will be peer reviewed by a committee that will select final nominees. Finalists will be asked to give a presentation on their proposed research project to the committee in August, 2021. Funds will be available September 2021.

Any questions about this opportunity can be directed to chuck.sanders@vanderbilt.edu or s.meyn@vumc.org

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2021 Greenwall Faculty Scholars

Applications due August 5, 2021

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

Vanderbilt (VU + VUMC, collaboratively) may select 1 nominee for the Greenwall Faculty Scholars Program in Bioethics. These three-year career development awards enable junior faculty members to carry out innovative bioethics research that goes beyond current work in bioethics and whose research will have an impact on public policy, biomedical research, or clinical practice. Priority will be given to applicants whose research addresses innovative and emerging topics. The award supports 50% of a Scholar’s salary plus benefits for 3 years. See a list of previous scholars here.

Eligibility Requirements:

• Applicants must hold a faculty appointment that allows at least 50 percent of their effort to perform research.
• Priority will be given to applicants who have not yet been considered for tenure, who have not received a comparable career development award, and whose work will have an impact on public policy, biomedical research, or clinical practice.
• Priority will be given to research addressing innovative ideas and/or emerging topics. Lower priority will be given to educational reform or theoretical work. See full list of activities not funded by Greenwall.

Greenwall Faculty Scholars will be selected on

• their achievements
• the strength of their research project
• commitment to the field of bioethics
• support from Vanderbilt

The Greenwall Foundation particularly welcomes applicants from backgrounds that are under-represented in bioethics and academia.

Internal Application Process:

Anyone interested in being considered as Vanderbilt’s nominee must submit the following (in PDF format) to LSO@vanderbilt.edu  by 5 p.m. on August 5, 2021:

1. A two-page letter of intent that includes:
   1. A description of the research proposal, particularly its significance
   2. How the research will be carried out and how it is likely to have an impact on public policy, clinical practice, or biomedical research
   3. A personal statement describing the applicant's goals in the field of bioethics
2. Statement of support from department chair/center director;
3. CV or NIH Biosketch (5 page maximum)

Submissions should reference the program name in the subject line of the email.  If you have any questions about the sponsor or the application process, please contact LSO@vanderbilt.edu.

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2022 Rita Allen Foundation Scholars Award

Applications due Aug. 9, 2021

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

Vanderbilt (VU and VUMC collaboratively) may nominate one candidate for the Rita Allen Foundation Scholars Award Program. The foundation supports early-career biomedical scholars doing pioneering research. This award typically provides $550,000 over five years for young investigators involved in research in the cure and treatment of diseases in the fields of cancer, immunology, and neuroscience.

The foundation seeks candidates that show persuasive evidence of distinguished achievement or extraordinary promise in research in one of the relevant fields. The program embraces innovative research with above-average risk and groundbreaking possibilities. Rita Allen Foundation Scholars are distinguished by their bold approaches to basic scientific questions that address problems of global concern, as well as their potential for learning, leadership and collaboration.

Eligibility Criteria:

• Candidates should be independent investigators in the early stages (preferably in the first 3 years) of a tenure track faculty appointment.
• Candidates must have received committed startup funds and lab space from their respective institutions.
• Scholars may not accept an award from the Beckman Young Investigator Program, Pew Scholars Program in the Biomedical Sciences, Searle Scholars Program or Vallee Scholars Program that would take effect beginning in year one of the RAF award.
• The Foundation encourages a diverse pool of applicants that includes candidates from backgrounds that are underrepresented in the biomedical research field
• The Foundation discourages repeat nominations of candidates not chosen in previous years.
• U.S. citizenship is not a requirement

Visit the foundation’s website for full eligibility and application guidelines.

Internal Application Process:

Anyone interested in being considered as Vanderbilt’s nominee must submit the following (in a single PDF) to LSO@vanderbilt.edu by 5 p.m. on August 9, 2021.

1. Brief research plan including summary budget; 2 pages max, references may be included on a separate page
   1. Budget guidelines: Up to 50% may be used for Scholar compensation. No indirect costs are allowed.
2. Statement of support from department chair/center director;
   1. Letter must acknowledge that this grant does not allow indirect costs.** This statement can be used/modified: “The Department recognizes that this grant does not allow indirect costs and will commit to covering any associated indirect costs per applicable institutional policy.”
3. NIH Biosketch or Brief CV (5 page max)

Submissions should reference the program name in the subject line of the email.

Application Timeline

The selected Vanderbilt nominee will submit a letter of inquiry to the Foundation by the September 8, 2021 deadline, and a full application is due to the sponsor by October 20, 2021.

**Process for cost-sharing typically coordinated at the departmental level and approved by department chair and/or dean. Please consult LSO@vanderbilt.edu for further guidance.

Any questions about this opportunity or the LSO process may be directed to LSO@vanderbilt.edu.

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Active Calls for NON-Limited External Opportunities 

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.