Request for Proposals: “What If… Awards for Creative Medical Research”
RFP from Science Philanthropy Alliance - UIC Internal Deadline 1/8/25
The Science Philanthropy Alliance represents a consortium of foundation funders committed to making impactful investments in science to ensure a brighter future for all. Through a new request for proposals, the What If… Awards for Creative Medical Research will provide pilot funding for medical research projects addressing novel questions that have the potential to open new frontiers. The Alliance is looking for projects in biomedical or health research that, if successful, could ultimately lead to significant advances in the prevention, detection, treatment, cure, care delivery, or survivorship of cancer, especially brain, pancreatic, or lung cancer, neurological disease, cardiovascular disease, metabolic disease, or rare diseases. Interdisciplinary or convergent, collaborative projects -- including community-engaged projects are highly encouraged. Platforms and systems-level approaches that are relevant to multiple disease areas are within scope. No preliminary data is required. Tenure-track faculty at all career levels are eligible to apply.
This highly-competitive awards program will provide pilot funds of $125,000 per year for two years. Funds can be used for any reasonable research expenditure to support the conduct of the proposed research project, including salary support for the principal investigator, co-investigators, and lab personnel, including fringe benefits, salary off-sets for release time from teaching or clinic, small and large equipment, supplies, graduate student support, travel, publication fees, research subject and community advisory board compensation, and fees for consultants, vendors, sub-awardees and use of institutional core facilities and other shared resources.
All proposals must be submitted through the Office of the Vice Chancellor for Advancement and the college’s relevant Corporate & Foundation Relations (CFR) officer.
Therefore, the CFR team in partnership with the OVCR is offering open office hours to faculty if they have questions and want to discuss anything or pitch potential ideas with.
- Thursday, December 12, 2024, 2:30 PM-3:30 PM - Join Zoom
- Thursday, December 19, 2024, 2:00 PM-3:00 PM - Join Zoom
- Friday, January 3, 2025, 1:00 PM-2:00 PM - Join Zoom
The internal solicitation for the “What If... Awards for Creative Medical Research” is here and the InfoReady portal for internal applications (due 1/8/2025) is here.
Contact Swapna Naidu (smunir2@uic.edu) with any questions