Pilot Award Program.

idea hub at the Boston University School of Public Health is dedicated to creating an innovative space to meet our core purpose to Think. Teach. Do. for the health of all. There are multiple funding opportunities to support the varied needs of faculty members and early career researchers at SPH, all of which are available thanks to generous donations to the school. For all awards, priority will be given to applications that align with our strategic directions, as articulated on our strategy map.

Applications are typically due on March 1 and September 1 each year. Please see the latest RFA for additional award details and application instructions.

I. PRE-DOCTORAL AND POST-DOCTORAL RESEARCH AWARDS

SPH Pre-doctoral Research Ignition Award. These awards are intended to provide resources to doctoral students so that they may advance their own research initiatives that are not already funded via other mechanisms, creating an opportunity to advance innovative ideas in ways that would not otherwise be possible. The awards may be used for the collection of preliminary data, equipment, supplies, and/or research support personnel. The expectation is that the funded project will be presented at a professional meeting or conference and result in a publication, and though not a requirement, projects intended to support the development of a dissertation award are encouraged. Eligibility: students enrolled in SPH PhD or DrPH programs. Applicants are expected to work closely with their faculty mentor during all stages of the process (ie application, research compliance, conducting project, presenting and publishing results). The maximum award amount per recipient is $2,000 and the award period is one year. There is a limit of one award per student.

SPH Post-doctoral Research Ignition Award. These awards are intended to provide resources to these early career researchers so that they may advance their own innovative research initiatives, supporting preliminary research activities that will lead to the submission of a competitive grant application. The awards may be used for the collection of preliminary data, equipment, supplies, and/or research support personnel. Eligibility: post-doctoral associates at SPH. Applicants are expected to work closely with their faculty mentor during all stages of the process (ie pilot application, research compliance, conducting project, grant application). The maximum award amount per recipient is $5,000 and the award period is one year.

II. SEED GRANTS

SPH provides seed funding for faculty-initiated projects that will advance their education, research and/or practice activities.

Early Career Catalyst Award. These awards are intended to assist early career researchers as they launch their independent research careers at SPH. The awards may be used for the collection of preliminary data, equipment, or research assistance necessary to strengthen a grant application to be submitted within one year of the award. To further advance the strategic directions on our strategy map, we strongly encourage applications that address the areas of cities and health; climate, the planet, and health; health inequities; and mental and behavioral health. Eligibility: junior faculty members with primary appointments at SPH (Assistant Professor ranks, modified or unmodified titles) and research scientists, with the support of their supervisor. The maximum award amount per recipient is $20,000.

Established Investigator Innovation Award. These awards may be used for the collection of preliminary data, equipment, or research assistance necessary to prepare competitive applications for larger extramural awards. Priority will be given to pilot proposals that are interdisciplinary in nature and that cross departments within SPH. The application for extramural funding is to be submitted within one year of the award. To further advance the strategic directions on our strategy map, we strongly encourage applications that address the areas of cities and health; climate, the planet, and health; health inequities; and mental and behavioral health. Eligibilty: established investigators with primary appointments at SPH (Associate or Full Professor ranks, modified or unmodified titles). The maximum award amount per recipient is $20,000.

Educational Innovation Award. These awards are intended to strengthen the School’s equitable and competency-based educational programs through innovation and inclusive practices in teaching, assessment or evaluation.  Priority will be given to pilot proposals that are interdisciplinary in nature, have the potential for impact, and have the capacity for implementation more broadly across SPH. Awardees are required to demonstrate scholarship generated by the pilot award and are required to present at least one Boston University educational symposia (i.e. McCahan Medical Campus Education Day, the Center for Teaching and Learning Educational Innovation Conference, the Annual Assessment Symposium, or a workshop for SPH faculty and staff). Eligibility: SPH faculty who are engaged in teaching a course or managing an educational program at SPH. The maximum award amount per recipient is $20,000.

Practice Innovation Award.  This award furthers the School’s mission to think, teach, do for the health of all by translating faculty research and educational interests into action, and ideally, change. Projects should strengthen the School’s commitment to effecting change to improve the conditions that promote health in local, national, and global communities. The project can be related to faculty member’s current research, advocacy activities, and/or teaching interests. Pilot awards will be considered for projects that foster engagement of faculty in any or all aspects of advocating for policy or programmatic change at the local, state, national, or global level. Priority will be given to projects that demonstrate timely impact and encourage school-wide involvement.  Awardees are expected to present their work during a School Assembly. Eligibility: SPH faculty members engaged in advocacy around specific policy initiatives. The maximum award per recipient is $20,000.

The Carlin Foundation Pilot Award for Public Health Innovation. With generous support from the Carlin Foundation, this award supports pilot projects focused on infectious disease research. The pilot may be focused on the collection of preliminary data, equipment, or research assistance necessary to prepare competitive applications for larger extramural awards. Eligibility: Faculty members with a primary appointment at SPH. There will be one award of $20,000 annually.

CFAR Developmental Grants Award. This award supports research focused on HIV/AIDS as part of a collaboration with the Providence/Boston Center for AIDS Research (CFAR). The program provides support for three types of AIDS biomedical and behavioral research projects: (1) Initial AIDS Research Projects for applicants who have not yet received R01-type funding from NIH in the HIV/AIDS field; (2) Pilot Projects testing new or innovative ideas for applicants who have received R01-type funding from NIH, but not in the HIV/AIDS field; and (3) Collaborative Projects where at least one applicant is an HIV investigator and collaborators must not have previous NIH R01-type funding together. The application for extramural funding is to be submitted to NIH within one year of the award. Eligibility: Faculty members with a full-time primary appointment at SPH. The maximum award amount is $40,000, including up to $25,000 from SPH and up to $15,000 from the CFAR Program. Consistent with the policies of the CFAR program, faculty salary coverage is allowed on the $15,000 portion of the budget. Only one award will be given annually.

III. STRATEGIC INITIATIVE AWARDS

SPH also provides funding opportunities for the purpose of advancing strategic initiatives of the school.

Strategic Direction Spark Award. These awards are intended to catalyze new collaborations leading to a body of innovative research that aligns with one or more of our strategic directions: cities and health; climate, the planet, and health; health inequities; infectious diseases; and mental and behavioral health. Applications must be submitted by multi-PIs from different SPH departments and engage interdisciplinary research teams from across multiple SPH departments. At least one PI must be at the rank of Associate or Full and hold a primary appointment at SPH. The expectation is that this award will lead to the submission of multiple grant applications or a single application for a large multi-component grant (e.g. center grant, program project grant). The maximum amount per award is $100,000 over an award period of two years.

Training Grant Development Award. Externally-funded training programs provide critical resources for pre-doctoral and post-doctoral trainees, which also more broadly benefits our faculty and advances the mission of our School. An inherent challenge of pursuing a new externally-funded training program is that Principal Investigators must be willing to lead this non-trivial effort primarily for the benefit of the broader community. Accordingly, the purpose of this award is to provide support for the development of new training grant applications that will support doctoral students and/or post-doctoral fellows via the NIH T32 funding mechanism (or a comparable mechanism). Eligibility: Established investigators with primary appointments at SPH (associate or full professor ranks, modified or unmodified titles). Each award will include 15% salary coverage for the PI (prorated for multiple PIs) during the 12-month period prior to submitting the training grant application. The award also includes a $1,000 overbase for a member of the staff designated to support the PI in this endeavor. When the training grant is funded, the PI will receive 10% salary coverage for serving as the director (prorated for multiple PIs) for the duration of the award period.

Think. Teach. Do. Protected Time Award. Faculty at all career stages work to balance the multiple demands that are an inherent part of faculty life while also working to advance their careers. These many competing demands can make it challenging to pursue activities that are not funded via external sources or captured by the SPH rubric for faculty salary coverage. Accordingly, the purpose of this award is to provide protected time for activities that are outside the scope of an individual faculty member’s normal research, teaching, and service activities and that will advance the strategic priorities of the School, as detailed on the strategy map. Faculty are welcome to pursue specific SPH-solicited proposals as well as their own faculty-initiated proposals. These awards are not intended to support activities that are consistent with an individual faculty member’s normal responsibilities and scope of engagement. Eligibility: Faculty members with a full-time primary appointment at SPH. Each award will provide up to a maximum of 15% salary coverage for a maximum of a 12-month award period.

IV. FAST-TRACK FUNDING MECHANISM

Funds are sometimes needed to pursue time-sensitive opportunities, such that waiting for the normal submission deadlines is not possible. Accordingly, SPH offers a fast-track funding mechanism when modest resources are required to pursue (a) an opportunity to resubmit a proposal that received a competitive score (i.e., £ 30^th percentile), or (b) a ‘quick turnaround’ funding opportunity.

Submitting an Application

For further details and submission instructions, please see the Fall 2024 RFA.