Center of Excellence - Women’s Health Research Seed Grant Program

The purpose of the Innovations in Women’s Health Research Seed Grant Program is to foster new interdisciplinary research leading to significant advances in women’s health.

These seed funds are meant to support activities necessary to advance interdisciplinary projects in women’s health and gender-based research to the level of external funding, including federal and foundation sources. The proposal must have a realistic potential for future success in attracting external support. Funds should be applied to pilot research necessary to advance such proposals. These funds are not intended to supplement ongoing NIH funded projects but rather to stimulate new research and interdisciplinary collaborations. The applicants should identify the external sponsor they intend to approach along with a description of the project for which external support will be sought, a budget estimate, and a timeline for submission. In consultation with an ad hoc committee of faculty advisors, awards of up to $20,000 will be made by the Brown University National Center of Excellence in Women’s Health (CoE). The guidelines for submitting proposals and for selecting recipients are outlined below.

Eligibility

• All proposals should be relevant to women’s health or gender-based research.
• All faculty members of The Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University are eligible to apply. The principal investigator must have an active faculty appointment (fellows, residents and students are not eligible to be the principal investigator).
• The project MUST involve faculty members from more than one Brown University department.
• The following faculty members are not eligible to apply for funding through this mechanism: the CoE Director, Department Chairs and the Dean.

Amount and Duration of Awards

• Awards can be up to $20,000.
• Awards are for one year (November 1, 2008 through October 31, 2009). Budgets should be planned according to this timeframe. Unused funds will be transferred back to the Center of Excellence in Women’s Health.
• The Awards are NOT transferable to other institutions. If the principal investigator transfers to another institution, the remaining seed grant funds will be transferred back to the Center of Excellence in Women’s Health.

Criteria for Selection
The overall merit of the research project will be considered and evaluated by the Director of the Center of Excellence and an ad hoc committee of faculty advisors. All applications will be peer reviewed and scored. The final selection will be made based on the following criteria:

• Relevance to women’s health and gender-based research.
• The potential for advancing knowledge in women’s health.
• Innovation and creativity.
• Evidence of significant interdisciplinary collaboration.
• The likelihood that the proposed project will be completed during the award period.
• The plan and potential for research support from external sponsors.
• Appropriateness of proposed budget.

Award Conditions
Award funds may be used to support reasonable and necessary costs for the collection of pilot research data. Expenditures for faculty salaries (either summer or academic year) are not permitted.

• All reports and notifications should be addressed to the Director of the Brown University National Center of Excellence in Women’s Health, Maureen Phipps, MD, MPH.
• Progress report: A progress report is due to the CoE Director on April 30, 2009. This report should include progress made on the project and use of the allocated funds.
• Any significant changes in the proposal or allocation of funds must be approved by the CoE Director in writing.
• Within 60 days of the end of the approved award period, the recipient must provide a final report to the CoE Director. The report should outline the work that was accomplished and describe the plan to submit a proposal to an external sponsor based on this award. The report should also describe any significant deviations from or extensions to the project described in the original proposal.
• The grant recipient will be invited to present the results of their research from this award at a Women’s Health Forum.

Procedure for Submitting Proposals
The proposals and supportiung documents should be submitted via email no later than September 5, 2008. Selections will be announced by October 17, 2008 and award periods will begin on November 1, 2008. Seed Grant Recipients will be recognized at the October 21st Celebration/Networking Event for the CoE. Please plan to attend.

Email submission:
dflinn@wihri.org Please put RESEARCH SEED GRANT APPLICATION in the subject line of your email.

Any questions or inquiries should be directed to the Center of Excellence in Women’s Health Project Coordinator, Denise Flinn (dflinn@wihri.org).

The proposal should include the following items presented in the following order:

1. Abstract (300 word limit) describing the proposed research project.
2. Body of the proposal (should not exceed 2,500 words (or 5 single-spaced pages) excluding supporting documents listed below)
   
   1. Specific Aims
   2. Background and Significance. A summary of the relevant background literature in the field of research that puts the proposed project into the appropriate context and explains how it will significantly extend or contribute to the field. (500 words maximum)
   3. Research methods and statistical analysis. A description of the proposed research project and analytic plan, in terms that do not require reviewers to be experts in the sub area of the proposed research, a timetable for completing these activities, and an assessment of the potential for subsequent external funding.
   4. The interdisciplinary nature of the research project should be explicitly stated. Describe how the collaboration will work.
3. Supporting documents for the proposal (bibliography/references, figures)
4. Budget with justification. The budget should have general itemized categories of expenses for which award funds will be used and a brief justification for these expenses. Funds cannot be used for indirect costs. Expenditures for faculty salaries (either summer or academic year) are not permitted
5. Strategy for seeking subsequent external support. The description should include a statement of intent to submit a proposal as one of the outcomes of the project.
6. Current biosketch for each collaborator named in the project. Each collaborator’s contribution to the project should be clearly outlined.
7. Endorsements from the proposer’s department chair(s) discussing the proposal’s importance in terms of the selection criteria. This letter of support should include a commitment from the chair for adequate time and resources to complete the project. In the event of multiple proposals from the same department, the chair may be asked to rank the proposals.
8. Names of at least two scholars qualified to review and comment upon the proposal. At least one reviewer should be a faculty member at Brown University familiar with the proposer’s research field.

Acknowledgement
The 2007-2008 Center of Excellence in Women’s Health seed grant initiative was supported by The Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University Office of the Dean, Departments of Medicine, Obstetrics and Gynecology, Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Emergency Medicinie, Family Medicine, Community Health and the Brown Program in Public Health. We anticipate continued support for the 2008-2009 Seed Grant Program with additional support from other clinical departments. Please note that award recipients must have a faculty appointment at The Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University, however, they do not need to be affiliated with the contributing academic departments.