Limited and External Funding Opportunities

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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Active Internal Calls for Limited Submission Nominations 

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.

 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

 

2024 Macy Faculty Scholars Program

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

Applications due June 7, 2023

Vanderbilt (VU + VUMC, collaboratively) may nominate one candidate each from the School of Medicine and the School of Nursing for the Josiah Macy Jr. Foundation’s Faculty Scholars Program. The goal of this career development award is to identify and nurture promising early career educators in medicine and nursing. The program will help develop the next generation of leaders in medical and nursing education by identifying outstanding educators, physicians, nurses, and role models—individuals who represent the breadth of diversity seen in learners, patient populations, and health care settings across the country.

This award typically provides up to $200,000 of salary support over two years (fringe benefits not included) to pursue a mentored education project, plus up to $50,000 over two years for project support and professional development. Other benefits include mentoring from the advisory committee and program alumni and participation in various Macy meetings, courses, and programs. Indirect costs are not allowed.

The Program aims create an educational system that better meets the health and public health needs of the diverse individuals and communities served throughout the country. Proposed educational projects should explore innovations in health professions education. The Foundation has particular interest in innovative projects that involve the learning environments where clinical care is delivered. Within these clinical learning environments, the Foundation is interested in projects that:

  • Advance equity, diversity, and belonging.
  • Enhance collaboration among health professionals, educators, and learners.
  • Prepare future health professionals to navigate and address ethical dilemmas that arise when the principles of the health professions are in conflict with barriers imposed by the health delivery system.

It is required that projects address one or more of the Foundation’s above priority areas.

Eligibility:

The eligible candidate must:

  • Be a doctorally-prepared faculty member of Vanderbilt’s School of Medicine or School of Nursing.
  • Have served approximately three to eight years as a full-time faculty member
  • Have an institutional commitment for the protection of at least 50% effort for work as a Scholar. (See internal application process.)
  • Have identified a senior faculty member who will serve as a mentor and provide advice on the candidate’s project and career development.
  • Be a US citizen or permanent resident.
  • Projects must address one of the priority areas outlined above.

See the program brochure for full details about eligibility, selection criteria, and the application process.

Internal Application Process:

Anyone interested in being considered as one of Vanderbilt’s nominees must submit the following (in PDF format) to LSO@vanderbilt.edu by 5 p.m. on June 7, 2023: 

  1. Brief (2 page maximum) description of the educational innovation project;
    1. Must address at least one priority area above.
  2. Statement of support from candidate’s mentor
    1. Must indicate a commitment to advise the candidate on project work and career development.
  3. Brief letter of support from the candidate’s department chair
    1. Must confirm that the candidate will have “at least 50% protected time to pursue a mentored educational project.”
    2. The letter must additionally acknowledge that this grant does not allow indirect costs. This statement can be used/modified within the letter: “The Department recognizes that this grant does not allow indirect costs and will commit to covering any associated indirect costs per applicable school/institutional policy.”
  4. Brief CV (5 page max) or NIH Biosketch

Submissions should reference the program name and applicant’s School (Medicine or Nursing) in the subject line of the email. 

Please contact us at LSO@vanderbilt.edu if you have any questions about the program, foundation, or internal review process.

W.M. Keck Research Program: Concept Papers (Fall 2023)

Applications due June 8, 2023

FEATURED OPPORTUNITY

 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 two proposals, one in Medical Research and one in Science and Engineering, for the W.M. Keck Foundation Research Program. We are currently soliciting concept papers, which will be considered for presentation to the Keck Foundation in summer/fall CY 2023. The goal of the program is to benefit humanity by supporting work that has a distinctive and novel approach, questions a prevailing paradigm, or has the potential to break open new territory in a field. Grants are typically awarded for roughly $1,000,000 to $1,300,000 over three years. Indirect costs are not allowed. Abstracts from previously funded proposals can be found here.

Program Priorities for Funding

Projects must be consistent with the Keck Research Program’s funding priorities:

  • Focus on important and emerging areas of research
  • Have the potential to develop breakthrough technologies, instrumentation or methodologies
  • Are innovative, distinctive and interdisciplinary
  • Demonstrate a high level of risk due to unconventional approaches, or challenge the prevailing paradigm
  • Have potential for transformative impact, such as the founding of a new field of research, enabling of new observations, or altering perception of a previously intractable problem
  • Fall outside the mission of public funding agencies
  • Demonstrate that W. M. Keck Foundation support is essential to the project’s success

The Keck Research Program does not fund medical devices, clinical or translational research, treatment trials or research for the sole purpose of drug development. See the Funding Guidelines for more information.

Concept Paper Requirements:

  • Must be a single page with 12 point font and 1 inch margins
  • Please indicate the area of emphasis for the project - Medical Research or Science and Engineering Research
  • Include an overview of the proposed project emphasizing any unique aspects and pilot studies
    • Emphasize attributes that address program priorities, e.g. high level of risk, transformative impact.
  • Include a description of the methodologies and key personnel
  • Must include a brief justification of the need for Keck support
    • Concept papers should provide evidence that the proposed research is a poor fit for federal funding, i.e. summary of reviewer comments or program officer discussion
  • Include an estimated budget broken down, if possible, by major areas, e.g., personnel, equipment, consumable supplies, etc. (budgets can be rough approximations at this stage)

Internal Application Instructions

Anyone interested in being considered as VUMC’s nominee must submit the following (in PDF format) to LSO@vanderbilt.edu by 5 p.m. on June 8.

  1. 1-page Concept Paper (See guidelines above)
  2. Statement of support from department chair/center director;
    1. Letter must additionally acknowledge that this grant does not allow indirect costs. This statement can be used/modified within the letter: “The Department recognizes that this grant does not allow indirect costs and will commit to covering any associated indirect costs per applicable school/institutional policy.”
  3. NIH Biosketch

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.

Robert A. Winn Diversity in Clinical Trials: Career Development Award

Applications due May 12

Overview: Part of the Robert A. Winn Diversity in Clinical Trials Award Program, the Robert A. Winn Diversity in Clinical Trials: Career Development Award (Winn CDA) is a 2-year program designed to support the career development of early-stage investigator physicians (as defined by NIH) who are underrepresented in medicine (URM) or who have a demonstrated commitment to increasing diversity in clinical research. The program prepares participants to become independent clinical trial investigators engaged in advancing health equity through their research and mentoring.

Description: The Winn CDA offers a comprehensive and integrated approach to increasing diversity in clinical trials through workforce development and clinical trial site development in underserved communities where underrepresented patients receive care. Additionally, the program will assist program investigators in building capacity of clinical trials sites in communities with diverse and heavily burdened patient populations.

Objectives: (1) To transform the clinical research landscape by providing training and resources to build a network of new clinical investigators with both community engagement and research skills. (2) To enhance the capacity of clinical trial sites that serve communities with diverse patient populations.

Award Details: $120K/year for 2 years; require at least 40% of Scholar’s time (Note: Awards will be made to organizations, not to individuals.) It is expected that the award will cover a percentage of the Scholar’s salary to garner 40% of their time. Additionally, funds can be used toward a portion of a research assistant/coordinator salary.

Clinical research focus areas: Oncology, Hematology-Oncology, Cardiovascular Disease, and Immunologic Disorders

Candidate profile: 

  • Eligible candidates will hold the degree of MD, MD/PhD, DO or DO/PhD
  • Eligible candidates will be Early Stage Investigators (ESIs), defined by NIH as new investigators who have completed their terminal research degrees or medical residencies—whichever date is later—within the past 10 years and have not yet competed successfully for a substantial, competing NIH research grant. (Applicants with RO1 or RO1 equivalent are ineligible.)
  • In determining eligible candidates for the Winn CDA program, the following racial/ethnic groups are designated as “underrepresented in medicine”:
    • African American or Black
    • Hispanic or Latine
    • American Indian or Alaska Native
    • Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander
    • Southeast Asian (please specify)
    • OR have a demonstrated commitment to increasing diverse patient participation in clinical trials

NYAS/Japan AMED Interstellar Initiative for Early Career Investigators

Applications due May 22

The Interstellar Initiative from the New York Academy of Sciences and the Japan Agency for Medical Research and Development is an exciting and exclusive opportunity for Early Career Investigators to join a cross-disciplinary team that tackles a basic research challenge. 

The Initiative recognizes promising Early Career Investigators (ECIs) from around the world and connects them with peers in related but distinct disciplines to build international research collaborations. Guided by mentors and supported by modest funding from AMED, the teams will then develop proposals to submit to international funding agencies to address challenges in basic science to elucidate the complex mechanisms of living organisms.

Eligibility

To be eligible, an applicant should have the following: 

  • A doctoral degree awarded no earlier than 2013 and ten years or less of active research experience.
  • Hold an independent, tenure-track position or an equivalent title at a university, private research institution, academic medical center or government laboratory.
  • Be proficient in spoken and written English for the purpose of professional science communication
  • Have never participated in the Interstellar Initiative activities/workshops of the previous rounds.
  • A background in one of the four broad categories of biomedical sciences, life sciences, physical/natural sciences and biotechnology/analytical technology

Exceptions to these requirements may be made on a case-by-case basis. If you have questions about your eligibility, please contact interstellar@nyas.org.

Proposal Guidelines

Early Career Investigators must prepare a proposal (1000 words) that addresses the following: Identify a critical research question in basic research, highlighting its importance and impact, and propose a research plan for how your expertise can address this question, including how you hope to improve this proposal through participation in the Interstellar Initiative.

Learn more about the program and application process at: https://campaign.nyas.org/interstellar2 

2023 Alzheimer’s Drug Discovery Foundation-Harrington Scholar Award

LOIs due May 29

Harrington Discovery Institute Center for Brain Health Medicines at University Hospitals and the Alzheimer's Drug Discovery Foundation (ADDF) announce a joint request for proposal for the 2023 ADDF-Harrington Scholar Award. The ADDF-Harrington Scholar Award is designed to accelerate the translation of innovative research that could treat, prevent, slow, or reverse Alzheimer's disease or related dementias.

The Request for Proposals (RFP) is open to academic investigators at accredited medical centers, research institutions, and universities in the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom. Researchers working on drug development programs that are relevant to, but not presently focused on, the Alzheimer’s field are strongly encouraged to apply. This award provides a combination of financial support and expert drug development guidance to provide optimal support for moving research beyond the bench to the bedside.

The 2023 ADDF-Harrington Scholar RFP places high priority on targets related to emerging therapeutic areas for dementia and is particularly seeking projects related to:

  • Glymphatic clearance, including aquaporin 4, clearance of interstitial solutes, sleep dynamics, and perivascular space.
  • Neurovascular health, including blood brain barrier function and integrity, cerebral hypoperfusion, nutrient supply to the brain, and endothelial interaction with pericytes and astrocytes.

Other novel targets are encouraged. These include, but are not limited to, the following:

  • Epigenetics
  • Proteostasis
  • Neuroprotection
  • Synaptic activity and neurotransmitters
  • Inflammation
  • Mitochondrial health
  • Antioxidant defense
  • Metabolic function and brain energy
  • Brain insulin resistance)
  • ApoE
  • Postnatal neurogenesis
  • Other aging targets (e.g. senescent cells)

Award recipients will receive financial support up to $600,000 over two years, dedicated drug development and project management support, and an opportunity to qualify for investment funds. Proposals should offer creative science or novel approaches to treat, prevent, or slow Alzheimer's disease or related dementias.

Letters of Intent (LOI) must be submitted online here and will be accepted through May 29, 2023 5:00 pm EDT. We encourage an interactive application process in efforts to solicit the best applications. Scientific inquiries can be directed to either:

Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Health Equity Scholars for Action

Applications due May 31

If interested in applying, please contact Adele White, Senior Director of Foundation Relations (adele.white@vumc.org) before starting an application.

The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) supports research that identifies the systemic root causes of U.S. health inequities, which have strong links to structural racism and other forms of oppression.

The goal of the Health Equity Scholars for Action (HES4A) program is to enhance the supports, resources, and community necessary for participants with historically underrepresented backgrounds (HURs) to thrive professionally and personally. In turn, researchers will be better able to contribute to and expand health equity-related research and evidence that dismantle systemic and structural barriers to health and wellbeing.

Grants of up to $260,000 over 2 years, will be awarded to address the challenges that HURs typically experience and help them overcome obstacles to earning tenure.

Learn more about the program and eligibility requirements at https://www.rwjf.org/en/grants/active-funding-opportunities/2023/health…

2023 Harrington Scholar-Innovators

LOIs due June 5

This scholar award recognizes outstanding physician-scientists whose work has potential to advance standard of care. Each year up to 12 Harrington Scholar-Innovators are chosen. The award includes:

  • Two-year grant
  • $100,000 guaranteed, opportunity to qualify for up to $1,100,000
  • Drug development expertise and project management support
  • A personalized team of drug developers and project manager for each award recipient
  • Expert business, commercialization and clinical development advice
  • Regulatory assistance
  • Intellectual property (IP) review and advice
  • Assistance identifying and securing additional financial support based on project needs

Eligibility Criteria

  • MD or MD/PhD (or equivalent)
  • Faculty position at an accredited academic medical center, university or research institution in the US or Canada, and conduct the majority of his/her/their research at that institution
  • A project must have a single Principal Investigator (PI), who is responsible for project oversight and financial management. The PI may engage collaborators, core labs or commercial CROs to execute any portion of the project.
  • Past recipients of Harrington awards may submit new and distinct proposals, but may not seek additional support for previously funded projects.

Discoveries Sought

The Harrington Scholar-Innovator award selection committee seeks breakthrough discoveries defined by innovation, creativity and potential for clinical impact, including:

  • Discoveries deemed to address unmet medical needs
  • Modulators of novel targets
  • Potential to be developed into a commercial program
  • Strong intellectual property (IP) or protection strategy
  • May be a small molecule, biologic, or other therapeutic modality
  • Diagnostics or devices only acceptable as part of a therapeutic development project

Find more information at: https://www.harringtondiscovery.org/funding/harrington-scholar-innovator

2023 Michelson Prizes: Next Generation Grants

Applications due June 11

Through a collaboration with the Human Immunome Project, Michelson Medical Research Foundation seeks to unravel the complexity of the human immune system, accelerating the development of vaccines and therapies for some of the world’s most threatening diseases.

The 2023 Michelson Prizes is looking for research proposals for human immunology and vaccine research. The committee will look for research aimed at tackling the current roadblocks that exist in human vaccine development and expanding our limited understanding of key immune processes that are fundamental to successful vaccine and immunotherapy development.

While the Michelson Prizes are focused on research in the fields of immunology, vaccine, and immunotherapy discovery, applicants from the full spectrum of related disciplines, including clinical research, biochemistry, molecular biology, protein engineering, computer science, artificial intelligence/machine learning, biophysics, nanotechnology, etc., are encouraged to apply. 

Application Criteria Details

  • $150,000 / 1-year grants to support research
  • Judged on innovation and potential impact
  • Research proposals must be on the topic of human immunology and vaccine development
  • Researchers 35 years of age and under are eligible

Deadline for submissions is June 11, 2023. For more information about the prizes, visit: www.humanimmunomeproject.org/michelsonprizes

2024 American Heart Association Merit Award

LOIs due July 13

If interested in applying, please contact Adele White, Senior Director of Foundation Relations (adele.white@vumc.org) before starting an application.

The AHA Merit award supports exceptional scientists with established track records of success, who propose novel approaches to major research challenges in the areas of cardiovascular disease and cerebrovascular disease that have the potential to produce unusually high impact. Applications are encouraged from all basic disciplines as well as epidemiological, behavioral, community and clinical investigations that bear on cardiovascular and stroke problems and must describe the capacity of the investigator’s work to transform fundamental scientific understanding, clinical practice, and/or public health policy.

Awarded investigators are expected to demonstrate a combination of the following attributes that distinguish them from other highly competent scientists in their field:

  • Likelihood of transforming and advancing the future of cardiovascular disease and cerebrovascular disease science.
  • Potential to move their research into emerging and/or difficult areas of inquiry, being consistently at its forefront.
  • Ability to develop new tools and methods that support creative experimental approaches to questions, encompassing concepts or techniques from other disciplines.
  • Capacity to forge links between disparate disciplines.
  • Strong track record of collaboration with other distinguished scientists across disciplines.
  • Consistent with AHA’s commitment to fostering growth of new and developing investigators, all applicants MUST incorporate the naming of at least one full-time fellow (predoctoral or postdoctoral) for the duration of the award term. Additionally, applicants must name at least one early-career faculty member (up to and including assistant professor) whose career should be meaningfully enhanced by their inclusion in the proposed studies.
  • Evidence of original and innovative contributions to science.
  • Demonstrated commitment to the mission of the American Heart Association and to advancing the ideals and guiding principles through volunteer service.

Learn more about the full eligibility and grant guidelines here.

Burroughs Wellcome Fund Climate and Health Interdisciplinary Awards

LOIs due August 31

The Burroughs Wellcome Fund Climate and Health Interdisciplinary Award provides support for collaborative exploratory work that opens new ground for comprehensively assessing or mitigating the impacts of climate change on human health. This program will support both individual scientists and multi-investigator teams. Early career faculty and postdoctoral fellows nearing their transition to independence are especially encouraged to apply, whether individually or within teams.

The program goal is to prime new discoveries in areas that are difficult to reach through discipline-specific, silo-driven approaches. Grants provide flexible funding for conceiving and piloting work that will grow into productive and informative collaborations among researchers approaching connected questions from fields that usually do not interact.

Climate change impacts the social determinants of health, environmental influences on health, infection biology, and more. Projects must have a significant climate-focused scholarly component: simply stating that climate change influences a chosen aspect of health is insufficient. 

Stimulating and supporting interdisciplinarity beyond frequently-connected disciplines is a key element of this grant program. For example, climate insights might make predictions that biological or epidemiological work might test, or geological thinking might lead to testable predictions about biology or public health. 

Examples of projects might include but are not limited to the following:

  • The role of climate change in exacerbating vector borne-, and non-communicable diseases (NCDs)
  • Using “big data” to predictively model aspects of health impacted by climate change
  • Engineering or architectural approaches to alleviating climate related health risks
  • Developing new research tools at the interface of health and climate-informed disciplines

Awards will be for a total of $375,000 to be distributed over 3 years. Three rounds of grants are planned. Approximately three awards will be made in each round. The Burroughs Wellcome Fund does not provide institutional overhead and indirect costs may not be charged against this award.