The goal of the voucher program is to assist investigators in developing resources and/or preliminary data to facilitate hypothesis-driven research initiatives. The fund is intended for projects involving critical steps in the device and drug development pathway and projects that address a critical need in translational science that are too small to be suitable for conventional internal or external funding mechanisms. Voucher applications are accepted on a rolling basis, and funding decisions are typically communicated to applicants within 10 business days .
You will have the option of saving and returning to your voucher application if needed. Please retain your unique "survey return code" to return to a partially completed application.
Voucher priorities:
Proposals that address a specific translational barrier and have a high probability of external federal funding if the barrier is addressed are most likely to receive funding. Due to limited voucher funding, hypothesis generation projects are unlikely to reach the significance level for funding. PI eligibility criteria:
Eligibility is limited to Northwestern University full-time faculty, who may or may not also hold appointments in one of the NUCATS Institute’s clinical affiliate institutions (Northwestern Memorial HealthCare, Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago, or Shirley Ryan AbilityLab). Faculty applicants must be engaged in research and be eligible to apply for follow-on external grant funding as a PI or MPI. Students and postdoctoral trainees are not eligible. Voucher expectations:
Funds requested must be equal to or less than $2,500. Funds may not be requested to supplement support for an already grant-funded project. Awarded funds must be fully expended within 4 months of voucher award date. Awarded projects must be intended to lead to a grant application in the near term (< 12 months from award) . Example allowable expenses include:
Biostatistics Collaboration Center (BCC) consultation Enterprise Data Warehouse (EDW) analyst consultation Computational Cluster CPU time to run specific analyses Office for Research (OR) or Feinberg School of Medicine Research Core services Laboratory or hospital tests (e.g., CBC) Design/printing of materials Technology development Example unallowable expenses include:
Salary (faculty, staff, and/or students) Event expenses Travel Research participant compensation/stipends Statistical analyses solely for a publication for an already grant-funded project Is your proposed budget equal to or less than $2,500?
* must provide value
Yes
No*
Are you requesting voucher funding to supplement support for an already grant-funded project ?
* must provide value
Yes*
No
Is it feasible for you to complete your proposed project within 4 months of voucher award date ?
* must provide value
Yes
No*
Have you identified a specific funding mechanism (e.g., federal, industry, foundation) to target for downstream funding within the next 12 months?
* must provide value
Yes
No*
Are you requesting funding solely for Northwestern Medicine Enterprise Data Warehouse (NMEDW) analyst support?
* must provide value
No
Yes (If yes, please reach out to the NMEDW Pilot Data Program before submitting a NUCATS voucher application. The NMEDW Pilot Data Program supports prep-to-research only.) No
Are you requesting support for any of the following types of expenses?
salary (faculty, staff, and/or students) event expenses travel research participant compensation/stipends statistical analyses solely for a publication for an already grant-funded project * must provide value
Yes*
No
*Not eligible for NUCATS voucher
Submitting PI's full name:
* must provide value
(e.g., nuw2923)
Submitting PI's department:
* must provide value
Anesthesiology Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics Cell and Molecular Biology Dermatology Emergency Medicine Family and Community Medicine Medical Education Medical Social Sciences Medicine Microbiology-Immunology Neurological Surgery Neurology Obstetrics and Gynecology Ophthalmology Orthopaedic Surgery Otolaryngology Pathology Pediatrics Pharmacology Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Physical Therapy and Human Movement Sciences Physiology Preventive Medicine Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences Radiation Oncology Radiology Surgery Urology Other
Professor
Associate Professor
Assistant Professor
Postdoctoral Fellow (*Not eligible)
Instructor (*Not eligible)
Graduate Student (*Not eligible)
Professor
Associate Professor
Assistant Professor
Postdoctoral Fellow (*Not eligible)
Instructor (*Not eligible)
Graduate Student (*Not eligible)
Please describe your proposed project in 3 - 5 sentences using layfriendly language :
(Note: We may include this layfriendly description in our NUCATS newsletter and in our annual NUCATS voucher report for FSM leadership.)
* must provide value
(Limit: 3-5 sentences)
In 1,000 words or less, describe: (1) the activities and deliverables for this voucher project; (2) how this voucher funding will enable a follow-on proposal for external funding; (3) the hypothesis(es) and/or draft aims for the follow-on proposal; and (4) why this work cannot be funded from other sources.
* must provide value
(Limit: 1,000 words)
Biostatistics Collaboration Center (BCC) consultation:
* must provide value
$0 - $2,500
Enterprise Data Warehouse (EDW) analyst consultation:
* must provide value
$0 - $2,500
Note: If this is your sole expense, consider applying for a
NMEDW Pilot Data Program grant instead of a NUCATS voucher. The NMEDW Pilot Data Program supports prep-to-research only.
Upload NMEDW quote (or email) verifying that (1) the NMEDW agreed to facilitate your request and (2) the total expected cost for the NMEDW's work on your project:
* must provide value
Computational Cluster CPU time to run specific analyses:
* must provide value
$0 - $2,500
Upload Computational Cluster CPU quote (or email) verifying that (1) the Computational Cluster CPU team agreed to facilitate your request and (2) the total expected cost for the Computational Cluster CPU's work on your project:
* must provide value
Office for Research (OR) or Feinberg School of Medicine Research Core services (upload estimate below):
* must provide value
$0 - $2,500
Office for Research (OR) or Feinberg School of Medicine Research Core Estimate - Please indicate which core(s) you intend to engage:
* must provide value
Office for Research (OR) or Feinberg School of Medicine Research Core Estimate - Upload quote(s):
Laboratory or hospital tests (e.g., CBC):
* must provide value
$0 - $2,500
Other expense (describe below; enter "0" if not applicable):
* must provide value
$0 - $2,500 Note: Voucher funds are not available to support: salary (faculty, staff, and/or students; event expenses; travel; design/printing of materials; technology development)
Other expense (describe below; enter "0" if not applicable):
* must provide value
$0 - $2,500 Note: Voucher funds are not available to support: salary (faculty, staff, and/or students; event expenses; travel; design/printing of materials; technology development)
View equation
Your proposed budget exceeds the $2,500 maximum available through the NUCATS voucher program. Please reduce your budget prior to submitting your application.
Submitted applications with budgets exceeding $2,500 will not be reviewed.
Please provide a comprehensive and detailed NIH-style budget justification:
* must provide value
Please indicate your proposed timeline for submitting a proposal for downstream (subsequent) funding:
* must provide value
Today M-D-Y
Please indicate the funding agency to which you intend to submit a proposal for downstream (subsequent) funding within 12 months of voucher award date :
* must provide value
(e.g., NHLBI, NINDS, PCORI, American Heart Association)
Please provide a link to the FOA/RFA/PAR to which you intend to submit a proposal for downstream (subsequent) funding within 12 months of voucher award date :
(This field is optional, but is highly recommended to increase priority for limited available funding.)
(e.g., https://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/pa-files/PAR-18-940.html)
(Optional) Additional information on downstream funding plans:
Primary applicant's NIH-style biosketch:
* must provide value
Please use the following filename convention: [Last name]-Biosketch-Voucher.docx e.g., Smith-Biosketch-Voucher.docx
Co-applicant's NIH-style biosketch:
* must provide value
Please use the following filename convention: [Last name]-Biosketch-Voucher.docx e.g., Smith-Biosketch-Voucher.docx
Supplemental Materials (optional) :
Additional information (optional):
Voucher proposals will be reviewed for potential conflicts of interest. Please click below to indicate your agreement with the following statement:
* must provide value
Please click below to indicate your agreement with the following statement:
* must provide value
Please click below to indicate your agreement with the following statement:
* must provide value
Please provide contact information for the staff member in your unit who handles institutional transactions/transfers for you:
Please feel free to provide feedback on the application process.
This is the end of the NUCATS Voucher application. Please click the submit button below once you are finished with your application and reach out to NUCATS-funding@northwestern.edu with any questions.
Please do not submit blank or test applications.
Do you have a co-applicant (e.g., your project mentor, if you are an instructor, postdoctoral fellow, or graduate student)?
Yes
No
Co-applicant's full name:
Co-applicant's department:
Anesthesiology Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics Cell and Molecular Biology Dermatology Emergency Medicine Family and Community Medicine Medical Education Medical Social Sciences Medicine Microbiology-Immunology Neurological Surgery Neurology Obstetrics and Gynecology Ophthalmology Orthopaedic Surgery Otolaryngology Pathology Pediatrics Pharmacology Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Physical Therapy and Human Movement Sciences Physiology Preventive Medicine Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences Radiation Oncology Radiology Surgery Urology Other
Professor
Associate Professor
Assistant Professor
Postdoctoral Fellow*
Instructor*
Graduate Student*
Professor
Associate Professor
Assistant Professor
Postdoctoral Fellow*
Instructor*
Graduate Student*
*Must submit with a co-applicant
(Word limit: 500 words)
(Word limit: 400 words)
(Word limit: 400 words)
Research plan, including data analysis plan:
(Note: When appropriate, please provide your power calculation to justify sample size.)
(Word limit: 400 words)
Proposed project impact and deliverables:
(Word limit: 400 words)
Submit
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