MGH Internal Call for Pre-Proposals
Internal Deadline: Monday, May 20, 2019 – 5:00 PM
DESCRIPTION OF THE AWARD
The Pew Scholars Program in the Biomedical Sciences provides funding to young investigators of outstanding promise in science relevant to the advancement of human health. The program makes grants to selected academic institutions to support the independent research of outstanding individuals who are in their first few years of their appointment at the assistant professor level.
MGH is eligible to nominate one candidate. Pre-proposals will be reviewed and assessed by the ECOR Subcommittee on Review of Research Proposals (SRRP). ECOR must forward the name of the MGH nominee to the Pew Charitable Trusts by June 14, 2019. The MGH nominee will then be sent information directly from the Pew Scholars Program and must complete the sponsor online application by October 17, 2019.
DEADLINES
MGH Internal Pre-Proposal: Monday, May 20, 2019
Notification to MGH Candidate: Mid-June 2019
Foundation Deadline: Thursday, October 17, 2019
AWARD AMOUNT
The current grant level is $300,000 (including 8% indirect costs); $75,000 per year for a four-year period.
This funding opportunity is not exempt from the 15% indirect cost (IDC) floor minimum. However, for MGH investigators selected through a competitive process as the institutional nominee for any limited submission funding opportunities, in situations in which the grant will bring in less than 15% indirect cost (IDC), ECOR will cover the IDC gap up to a maximum of $50,000 per year. In order to optimize the distribution of limited ECOR funds across the MGH research community, it is expected that PIs and departments will work together to cover the remaining IDC shortfall. In this situation the IDC shortfall is less than $50,000, therefore ECOR will cover the deficit should the MGH nominee be selected for a Pew Scholar award
ELIGIBILITY
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Applicants must have been awarded a doctorate in biomedical sciences, medicine or a related field.
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Applicants must hold full-time appointments at the rank of Assistant Professor at the time of application, May 20, 2019. We recognize that Pew guidelines require applicants to hold a full-time appointment of Assistant Professor by October 17, 2019. However, we have chosen the earlier deadline to avoid the possibility of nominating a candidate whose Assistant Professor appointment is not approved by October 17, 2019. Individuals whose careers are sufficiently advanced to warrant appointment at the associate level will not be considered eligible.
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Applicants must have held their appointment as Assistant Professor for less than three years as of June 14, 2019 (not appointed before June 14, 2016), whether or not such an appointment was on a tenure track. Time spent in clinical internships, residencies, in work toward board certification, or on parental leave does not count as part of this three-year limit. Candidates who took parental leave should contact Pew’s program office to ensure that application reviewers are aware of their circumstances.
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Candidates may be nominated by their institution two times in total.
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If an applicant’s university has more than one eligible nominating institution or campus, that applicant may only apply from one institution; they may not reapply in a subsequent year from a different one. MGH faculty must submit their internal application through ECOR every year instead of the HMS Foundation Funds Office.
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Funding from the NIH, other government sources, and project grants from non-profit associations do not pose a conflict with the Pew Scholars Program.
TERMS OF AWARD
The awarded funds may be used at the discretion of the Pew scholar, for personnel, equipment, supplies, or travel directly related to the Scholar's research and as to best advance his or her research and career. Not more than $12,500 of the annual award may be used for the scholar's salary (including benefits). It is expected that Pew Scholars will spend at least 80 percent of their time in work related to the accomplishment of their overall research goals. Annual progress reports are required, describing research accomplishments, project status, and future directions. Funding for the second, third and fourth years is contingent upon timely submission of acceptable financial and narrative progress reports and attendance at the annual meeting in March during the four-year term.
REVIEW CRITERIA
According to the Pew call, "candidates should demonstrate outstanding promise as contributors in science relevant to human health. Strong proposals will incorporate particularly creative and pioneering approaches. Candidates whose work is based on biomedical principles, but who bring in concepts and theories from more diverse fields, are encouraged to apply. Ideas with the potential to produce an unusually high impact are encouraged. Selection of the successful candidates will be based on a detailed description of the work that the applicant proposes to undertake, evaluations of the candidate’s performance, and notable past accomplishments, including honors, awards, and publications. In evaluating the candidates, the National Advisory Committee gives considerable weight to evidence that the candidate is a successful independent investigator and has published significant work."
PRE-PROPOSAL REQUIREMENTS
The MGH pre-proposal must include the following 9 items (PDF documents only):
1. Project Title
2. Status of Previous Application(s). Indicate whether you have previously applied for this award. If yes, were you the selected nominee and when did you apply?
3. First Independent Faculty Appointment. List the month, day, and year of your first independent faculty appointment.
4. Statement of Independence (500 words) including:
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A description of the Institution’s level of commitment to the Applicant, including all department support, and the long-term plan that is in place for his/her independent, professional development.
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Number of applications received in response to the national search for this position. For candidates promoted internally, please clarify why a national search was not conducted.
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Size of the Applicant’s start-up package including any salary support.
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Amount of lab space under the applicant’s control
5. Research Proposal (A maximum of 3 pages is permitted, exclusive of references. PDF documents only) including:
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Specific aims
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Background and significance
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Preliminary data (if available)
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Research design and methods
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Potential limitations
Please also include a paragraph on the future direction of your laboratory over the next five years, which is included in the 3 page limit referenced above.
6. List three significant publications and provide a brief description for each. (1 page limit)
7. A Current Biosketch in the NIH Format. Please include the month and year of all faculty appointment(s) and completion of post doc training. Click here for the NIH format.
8. Funding Support including all current and pending support with dates and dollar amounts. The NIH formatted Other Support is required. Click here for the NIH Format.
9. One Letter of Support from Unit, Service or Department Chief. This letter should include details regarding the department’s commitment to the applicant's independent research career.
HOW TO APPLY
ECOR accepts all applications online via the ECOR Online Grant Management Portal. This user-friendly system will allow MGH researchers to submit electronic applications to ECOR. The system has been designed to allow users to:
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Create a personal profile, which will auto-populate your future ECOR applications
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Assign a delegate to submit an application to ECOR on behalf of the applicant (optional)
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View current calls and apply to open opportunities
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Save and edit current applications in progress
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Submit completed applications to ECOR
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View all your ECOR applications that have been submitted via the online grants system
Instructions for Applying Online
1. Create your account: Login using your Partners credentials and fill out the profile information.
2. Complete the application: Once your profile is complete, you will automatically progress through the online application. If you cannot complete the application at one time, “save” the application and return to it at a later time to finish. Before submitting your application, you will have the ability to make changes to the application.
3. Submit your application: Once you have completed the application click on the “submit” button at the bottom of the page. Once you submit it, you will not be able to make further changes unless you send a request to ECOR (note that once the deadline passes, requests to make changes will not be accepted).
Useful tips:
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To avoid losing your work, remember to save frequently
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You can only upload PDF documents
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If you previously created a profile, please ensure your information is current
Click 'Apply' below to begin the application.
QUESTIONS
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For further information, please refer to the Pew website here.
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Any questions regarding the internal submission and process please email ECOR.