W. M. Keck Foundation Distinguished Young Scholars in Medical Research Program
Please distribute this information to your faculty to determine if they have an interest in submitting a proposal to this program.
WHAT: Limited Submission Proposal for the W. M. Keck Foundation Distinguished Young Scholars in Medical Research Program
WHO: Texas A&M University faculty, including Agriculture, Engineering, and TTI personnel, who are holding their first full-time, tenure-track faculty appointment (or equivalent) position for at least one year and for no more than four years as of December 1, 2008.
WHY: The W. M. Keck Foundation anticipates awarding five Research Excellence awards of $25,000 each and five awards of $1 million dollars each to be paid over a five-year period, according to an approved budget.
WHEN: Internal proposal deadline of October 27, 2008.
HOW: Faculty should submit internal proposal to via email for review by the internal selection committee.
THE FINE PRINT:
The funding agency below has limited the number of proposals to one for Texas A&M University. If the number of faculty wishing to submit a proposal exceeds the number allowed by the agency, we will conduct an internal selection process. Below are due dates for the program, including the due date of the internal proposal for review by the internal selection committee, the date for announcement of the internal selection and the due date for submission to the agency.
AGENCY: The W. M. Keck Foundation
AGENCY PROGRAM TITLE: Distinguished Young Scholars in Medical Research Program
BRIEF PROGRAM DESCRIPTION: The W. M. Keck Foundation Distinguished Young Scholars in Medical Research Program seeks to support groundbreaking and creative research that addresses the fundamentals mechanisms of human disease in pioneering or emerging fields of science. The Foundation’s goals are to provide top young scientists with an opportunity to investigate promising and unproven new ideas which would be difficult to fund through traditional sources, and to enable these scientists to make a significant impact in their field at a time in their career when they are ready to engage in some of their most creative and innovative work.
Nominees selected by each institution must exhibit extraordinary promise for independent basic medical research and the potential for academic leadership. The institution should maximally protect the candidate’s time for research, and should provide sufficient institutional resources and support to ensure the success of the investigator’s program of research.
Nominees are encouraged to apply to other career development awards, including the HHMI Early Career Scientist award, as well as for NIH support. Once funded, the Keck Scholar is encouraged to seek additional, outside competitive research funding.
More information can be found here.
AGENCIES ELIGIBLE TO SUBMIT: The Distinguished Young Scholars in Medical Research Program is open to 30 invited institutions, including Texas A&M University. Nominees must be holding their first full-time, tenure-track faculty appointment (or equivalent) for at least one year and for no more than four years.
AWARD INFORMATION: The W. M. Keck Foundation anticipates awarding five Research Excellence awards of $25,000 each and five awards of $1 million dollars each to be paid over a five-year period, according to an approved budget.
ELIGIBLE PROJECT COSTS: Indirect Cost (F&A) Limitations: No indirect or institutional overhead costs are allowed. Up to 70% of the Scholar’s base salary may be paid from the grant. No fringe benefits for the Scholar will be covered by funds from the W. M. Keck Foundation. Funds are to be used at the discretion of the Keck Scholar following appropriate institutional procedures and may be spent on personnel, supplies, equipment and travel to scientific meetings related to the Keck Scholar’s area of research. Major alterations or additions to the original budget, including equipment items that cost in excess of $25,000, require prior approval from the Foundation.
COST SHARING: NONE.
Internal Selection Procedures and Deadlines
October 24, 2008: Deadline for an email of intent, including the names of the PI and co-PIs, title of internal proposal and a 1-3 sentence description of the project. Send email of intent.
October 27, 2008: Deadline to obtain signatures of approval from your department head and college dean and to submit an internal proposal to the Research Policy and Development Support Office for review by the internal selection committee. The internal proposal should include:
(1) An executive summary, up to three pages, based on the proposal description as outlined in the W. M. Keck Foundation program announcement;
(2) Summary budget;
(3) Project and Management Plans (including team members);
The form for completing the internal proposal is here.
This completed form should be submitted electronically for review by the internal selection committee.
*Once your internal proposal has been received with all of the necessary signatures, you will receive an email indicating it will be reviewed by the internal selection committee. If you do not receive the confirmation email, please call 5-1812.*
Please read the RFP carefully for specific requirements of the program here.
Selection of a proposal will be based on Keck Foundation guidelines. The needs of the university’s reinvestment plan will also be taken into account.
During the selection process, the internal selection committee may contact departments and colleges for their opinions and comments. They may also request additional information from PIs.
November 7, 2008: The Internal Selection Committee will notify PIs of the result of the internal competition.
December 1, 2008: Keck Foundation deadline: Preliminary Proposal
deadline (due by 4:30 p.m. PST).
The final 10 nominees will be invited to an interview session on April 27, 2009 at
the W. M. Keck Foundation offices for a presentation of their research.
