Limited and External Funding Opportunities

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Active Internal Calls for Limited Submission Nominations
Active Calls for NON-Limited External 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.

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.

2019 Oak Ridge Associated Universities (ORAU) Events Sponsorship Program

Vanderbilt (VU + VUMC)

Internal applications due June 21st

Vanderbilt may submit 1 application to the Oak Ridge Associated Universities (ORAU) Events Sponsorship Program. Applicants may request up to $4,000 to support events which involve participants from more than one ORAU institution. 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.

Eligibility Requirements:

Event must occur between October 1, 2018 and March 31, 2019.
Funding must be awarded prior to the event.
Budget may not include overhead charges or indirect costs.

Sponsor's Evaluation Criteria:

Potential impact of the event, including the number of institutions or participants
Student participation is considered a positive factor.
New events have preference over events that are on-going with an established financial model.
Preference will be given to events in STEM disciplines.

Internal Application Process:

Interested faculty should must submit the below items (in a single PDF) to LSO@vanderbilt.edu by 5:00 p.m. on June 21, 2018. Submissions should reference the program name in the subject line of the email.

Brief (2 pages max) event description including
- the date and location of the event
- other participating ORAU Member Institutions
- history of the event (if it is part of a series)
- purpose and scope of the event
- anticipated outcomes
- summary budget
NIH Biosketch or brief CV (5 pages max)

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

2018 W.M. Keck Foundation Research Program

VUMC

Internal applications due July 2nd

Overview:

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 to be presented to the Keck Foundation for feedback in a consultation phone call. 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 and abstracts from previously funded proposals can be found here.

Program Priorities for Funding:

Demonstrate a high level of risk due to unconventional approaches, or by challenging the prevailing paradigm
Does not focus on clinical or translational research, treatment trials or research for the sole purpose of drug development
Fall outside the mission of public funding agencies
Focus on important and emerging areas of research
Have the potential to develop breakthrough technologies, instrumentation or methodologies
Are innovative, distinctive and interdisciplinary
Have the potential for transformative impact, such as the founding of a new field of research, the enabling of observations not previously possible, or the altered perception of a previously intractable problem
Demonstrate that private philanthropy generally, and the W. M. Keck Foundation in particular, is essential to the project’s success

Internal Application Process:

Anyone interested in being considered as Vanderbilt University Medical Center’s nominee must submit the following (in PDF format) to LSO@vanderbilt.edu by 5 p.m. on Monday, July 2, 2018.

1-page Concept Paper (See guidelines below)
a brief statement of support from department chair/center director;
NIH Biosketch

Concept Paper Requirements:

Must be 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.
Include a description of the methodologies and key personnel
Include a brief justification of the need for Keck support (evidence that proposed research is a poor fit for federal funding opportunities, i.e. 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)

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

2019 Searle Scholars Program

VUMC

Internal applications due July 3rd

Overview:

Vanderbilt University Medical Center may nominate two candidates for the 2019 Searle Scholars Program, which supports the independent research of outstanding individuals who have recently begun their first appointments as tenure-track assistant professors. The Searle Scholars Program Scientific Advisory Board is primarily interested in the potential of applicants to make innovative and high-impact contributions to biomedical research over an extended period of time. Each year, 15 new individuals are named Searle Scholars and awarded $300,000 over three years.

Eligibility:

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.
Applicants should have begun their appointment as an independent investigator at the assistant professor level on or after July 1, 2017. The appointment must be their first tenure-track position.
The Program does not support purely clinical research but has supported research programs that include both clinical and basic components.
Applicants who were nominated for awards in the previous competition year but were not awarded may still meet the eligibility criteria for the current competition. *Contact LSO@vanderbilt.edu if this applies.

Potential applicants who are unsure if their research is appropriate for the Program are encouraged to examine the research interests of present and former Searle Scholars.

Internal Application Process:

Eligible faculty interested in being one of VUMC’s nominees must submit the following (in a single PDF) to LSO@vanderbilt.edu by 5 p.m. Tuesday, July 3, 2018:

Brief (2-page maximum) research plan including summary budget (overhead not allowed);
Brief statement of support from department chair/center director;
NIH Biosketch

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

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

NIH Bridges to the Baccalaureate (R25)

Vanderbilt (VU + VUMC)

Internal applications due July 10th

Overview:

The NIH Research Education Program (R25) supports research educational activities that complement other formal training programs in the mission areas of the NIH Institutes and Centers. The over-arching goals of the NIH R25 program are to: (1) complement and/or enhance the training of a workforce to meet the nation’s biomedical, behavioral and clinical research needs; (2) enhance the diversity of the biomedical, behavioral and clinical research workforce; (3) help recruit individuals with specific specialty or disciplinary backgrounds to research careers in biomedical, behavioral and clinical sciences; and (4) foster a better understanding of biomedical, behavioral and clinical research and its implications.

The over-arching goal of this R25 program is to support educational activities that enhance the diversity of the biomedical, behavioral and clinical research workforce through:

1. Courses for Skills Development: For example, advanced courses in a specific discipline or research area, or specialized research techniques.

2. Research Experiences: For example, for undergraduate students: to provide hands-on exposure to research, to reinforce their intent to graduate with a science degree, and/or to prepare them for graduate school admissions and/or careers in research; for college science teachers: to enhance their science teaching.

3. Curriculum or Methods Development: For example, to improve biomedical science education, or develop novel instructional approaches or computer-based educational tools; to provide supplemental instruction for gateway courses; to develop "CURE" courses in community college first and second year classrooms.

Internal Application Process:

Apply through the InfoReady competition at: https://vanderbilt.infoready4.com/#competitionDetail/1773040

NSF Innovations in Graduate Education (IGE) Program

VUMC

Internal applications due July 12th

Overview:

The NSF Innovations in Graduate Education (IGE) program is designed to encourage the development and implementation of bold, new, and potentially transformative approaches to STEM graduate education training. The program seeks proposals that explore ways for graduate students in research-based masters and doctoral degree programs to develop the skills, knowledge, and competencies needed to pursue a range of STEM careers. IGE focuses on projects aimed at piloting, testing, and validating innovative and potentially transformative approaches to graduate education. IGE projects are intended to generate the knowledge required for their customization, implementation, and broader adoption.

The program supports testing of novel models or activities with high potential to enrich and extend the knowledge base on effective graduate education approaches. The program addresses both workforce development, emphasizing broad participation, and institutional capacity building needs in graduate education. Strategic collaborations with the private sector, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), government agencies, national laboratories, field stations, teaching and learning centers, informal science centers, and academic partners are encouraged.

Internal Application Process:

Eligible faculty interested in being one of VUMC’s nominees must submit the following (in a single PDF) to LSO@vanderbilt.edu by 5 p.m. Thursday, July 12, 2018:

1 page Project Summary (1-page limit): Summarize the graduate education model or approaches that will be piloted and tested, or the existing pilot that will be adopted or expanded, as part of the IGE project. Describe the disciplinary field(s) involved, the knowledge that will be generated to inform implementation and adaptability of transformative approaches to STEM graduate education, and how the project is responsive to a need and/or opportunity.
Brief statement of support from department chair/center director;
NIH Biosketch

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

NINDS Neuroscience Development for Advancing the Careers of a Diverse Research Workforce (R25)

VUMC

Internal applications due July 10th

Overview:

The NIH Research Education Program (R25) supports research education activities in the mission areas of the NIH. The over-arching goal of this NINDS Neuroscience Development for Advancing the Careers of a Diverse Research Workforce R25 program is to support educational activities that enhance the diversity of the biomedical, behavioral and clinical research workforce by (1) increasing the pool of current and future Ph.D.-level research scientists from diverse backgrounds underrepresented in biomedical neuroscience research; and (2) facilitating the career advancement/transition of the participants to the next step of their neuroscience careers.

To accomplish the stated over-arching goal, this FOA will support creative educational activities with a primary focus on NINDS relevant research experiences, mentoring activities that enhance compentencies or leadership education and courses on skills development. Programs that target transitions and/or more than one career stage for neuroscience career advancement and progression are strongly encouraged. NINDS support for this R25 program relies equally on scientific merit and programmatic considerations. Consequently, we recommend that potential applicants contact Scientific/Research staff at NINDS before preparing an application. NINDS will not support projects if they do not fulfill current programmatic priorities at NINDS.

Internal Application Process:

Eligible faculty interested in being VUMC’s nominee must submit the following (in a single PDF) to LSO@vanderbilt.edu by 5 p.m. Tuesday, July 10, 2018: