Scientific Innovations Award

Sponsor: Brain Research Foundation

Program: Scientific Innovations Award (SIA)

Web site:  http://thebrf.org/Grants/SIA+Program

Funding amount: $150,000

Number of applications UW can submit: 1

Office of Research pre-proposal deadline: 5/3/12

OSP Deadline: 6/25/12

Full proposals due to sponsor: 7/2/12

Purpose: The Brain Research Foundation has invited eligible US institutions to nominate one senior faculty member to submit a Letter of Intent for the Scientific Innovations Award (SIA). The Brain Research Foundation?s Annual Scientific Innovations Award Program provides funding for innovative science in both basic and clinical neuroscience. This funding mechanism is designed to support creative, exploratory, cutting edge research in well-established research laboratories, under the direction of established investigators.

The Brain Research Foundation?s Scientific Review Committee [thebrf.org] will review the SIA proposals and make recommendations for funding to the Foundation. The Committee consists of senior scientists broadly representing the various neuroscience-related programs. Two or more representatives of the Brain Research Foundation are also present when the Committee meets.

Project Description:  The objective of the SIA is to support projects that may be too innovative and speculative for traditional funding sources but still have a high likelihood of producing important findings. It is expected that investigations supported by these grants will yield high impact findings and result in major grant applications and significant publications in high impact journals.

Eligibility: To be eligible, the nominated candidate must be a tenured/tenure-track professor or associate professor at an invited US institution, working in the area of studies of brain function in health and disease. Current major NIH or other peer-reviewed funding is preferred but evidence of such funding in the past three years is essential. Studies should be related to either normal human brain development or specifically identified disease states. This includes molecular and clinical neuroscience as well as studies of neural, sensory, motor, cognitive, behavioral and emotional functioning in health and disease. The grant proposal must detail a new research project that is not funded by other sources.  This grant is not to be used as a source of bridge funding.

Investigators at institutions that are affiliated with a medical school or university are eligible to apply only through the institution where they hold a full-time tenured or equivalent faculty position.

Scientists that have previously received a BRF Scientific Innovations Award may not receive the award for a second time until five years has elapsed since the beginning date of the prior award. Grant requirements from all previous awards must be met. Only one PI may apply per application.

Ineligibility

 *  PI is ineligible if they are not a full-time faculty member at the institution in which they are applying under.
 *  PI is ineligible if they are an assistant professor or professor emeritus.
 *  PI in ineligible if they are not tenured or tenure-track.
 *  PI is ineligible to submit more than one BRF SIA proposal in a funding period.
 *  PI is ineligible if they have BRF funding that will overlap this grant period.
 *  PI is ineligible if they have been awarded prior BRF funding, but have failed to submit scientific and financial reports at the end of their grant period.
 *  PI is ineligible if they are a member of the BRF Scientific Review Committee

Pre-Proposal Instructions:

Please submit a two-page letter of intent with a list of all anticipated investigators, description of proposed aims and approach, and Biosketch of the PI by email to research@uw.edu by 5:00 PM Thursday, May 3, 2012. Full applications are due to the sponsor 7/2/12 so you will need to have your proposal to the Office of Sponsored Programs by 6/25/12 for processing if given the go ahead by the Review Committee. The internal Proposal Review Committee review and selection process is outlined here: http://www.uw.edu/research/?page=ls [www.uw.edu]. Please feel free to email us at research@uw.edu with information on any limited submission opportunities that should be but are not already listed on this page: http://www.uw.edu/research/ls.php?status=1