External Project Grants
The NSF-Simons National Institute for Theory and Mathematics in Biology requests proposals for research projects concordant with its scientific mission based at institutional partners external to Northwestern University and the University of Chicago.
The 2024 call for proposals closed on April 2, 2024. Awardees will be notified June 1, 2024.
The next round of proposals will be due April 2025. Portal will be available early 2025.
Background
Northwestern University and the University of Chicago have been awarded funds from the National Science Foundation and the Simons Foundation to establish the National Institute for Theory and Mathematics in Biology, or NITMB, based in downtown Chicago. The institute is the first of its kind in the U.S.
Together, the two universities aspire to create a nationwide collaborative research community that will generate new mathematics inspired by biology and new biological discoveries driven by the application of mathematics. Foundational advances at the NITMB will have broad biological impacts across the spectrum of the life sciences. Discoveries in biology will also motivate foundational advances in mathematics. The current NITMB research themes are Fidelity & Variation, Fitness & Optimization, Information Processing, Learning & Adaptation, Prediction & Anticipation.
Policies
-
Funds can be used to support the stipend/salary/fringe of graduate and undergraduate RAs and postdoctoral scholars. Funds cannot be used to support faculty, research staff, or administrative staff. See the table below for more details. Funds cannot be used to purchase capital equipment. No more than $10,000 (direct costs) may be spent on experimental supplies and services. Funds cannot be used to purchase computer equipment or purchase/lease software. No more than $1,500 (total costs) in travel funds are allowed. The grants will be funded through the Simons Foundation award which limits F&A to 20%.
-
The term of funding is 24 months, contingent upon adequate progress in the first 12 months. A progress report must be submitted to NITMB, which will determine if funding is continued for the final 12 months. Continuation will depend on the Merit Review Criteria evaluated above as well as progress made towards project goals, and the engagement of the project’s investigators in NITMB activities.
-
No-Cost-Extensions are not permitted for the funding of the project. At the end of the 24-month funding period, a final written progress report is required from the investigators, documenting research progress, key findings, new mathematical results and their impact on biology, any grant applications made as a consequence of the project, and future directions. This report must also provide information (level of support, research tasks, and additional information requested by the NSF or Simons Foundation) about any trainees supported by the funds for the NITMB evaluation process. Any software, datasets, or models resulting from supported research must be made publically available, well-documented, and easily accessible when published as preprint or paper; such materials will be posted on the NITMB web page, Github, Datajoint, Dryad, etc. Each team must also produce a publicly accessible blog, social media post and/or video abstract for each publication resulting from the proposed research.
-
The principal investigators are required to present their project research at an NITMB convening activity (e.g., a workshop or conference).
-
If the project involves experiments on animals, all NSF protocols must be followed and appropriate forms must be submitted to the NITMB.
-
Proposals may only be submitted by the following: Institutions of Higher Education (IHEs) - Two- and four-year IHEs (including community colleges) accredited in, and having a campus located in the US, acting on behalf of their faculty members. Special Instructions for International Branch Campuses of US IHEs: If the proposal includes funding to be provided to an international branch campus of a US institution of higher education (including through use of subawards and consultant arrangements), the proposer must explain the benefit(s) to the project of performance at the international branch campus, and justify why the project activities cannot be performed at the US campus. Non-profit, non-academic organizations: Independent museums, observatories, research labs, professional societies and similar organizations in the U.S. associated with educational or research activities. This is the same as the criteria laid out by the NSF at https://new.nsf.gov/funding/opportunities/nsf-simons-collaboration-national-institute-theory/nsf21-607/solicitation#elig.
Funding: Allowable Types of Research Positions
Role | Allowable Years | Restrictions | Mentoring Plan |
|---|---|---|---|
Undergraduate Research Assistant | Years 01-05 | Required | |
Post-baccalaureate Research Assistant | the first 01-03 years post-graduation | Limited teaching assistant work and coursework | Required |
Masters Student | Years 02-03 | Limited teaching assistant work and coursework | Required |
PhD Student/Candidate | Years 02-06 | Limited teaching assistant work and coursework | Required |
Postdoctoral Scholar | the first 01-05 years of 1st Postdoc | 1st Postdoc position | Required |
Postdoctoral Scholar | the first 01-05 years of 2nd postdoc | 2nd Postdoc position in a new field, with the intention to apply for faculty positions | Required |
Funding: Unallowable Types of Research Positions
-
Tenure-track faculty
-
Staff research positions: Research Assistants and Associates, Senior Research Assistants and Associates, Clinical Research Assistants and Associates, Senior Clinical Research Assistants and Associates, Research Specialists, Research Technicians
-
Non-tenure track research faculty: Research Professor, Research Associate Professor, Research Assistant Professor, Senior Research Investigator, Research Scientist-Professor, Research Scientist-Associate Professor, Research Scientist-Assistant Professor
-
Administrative staff
Proposals
Proposals must only be submitted from faculty working at U.S. academic institutions. All investigators that will be funded by the External Pilot Project Grants must work at U.S. academic institutions. No more than two academic institutions can receive funds from a single Project Grant, although the research can involve investigators at more than two academic institutions if desired. Investigators may not be key personnel in more than one proposal. Northwestern and UChicago investigators may partner with external pilot projects but are ineligible to receive funds through this program.
Proposals may be submitted for funds for 24 months of support of no more than $150,000 (direct + 20% indirect costs). The grants will be funded through the Simons Foundation award which limits F&A to 20%. Details about submission requirements are listed under “Procedures” below.
The research proposal must include the following:
-
A statement defining the problem or phenomenon (mathematical or biological) that the research will address.
-
A description of how the research will advance understanding of the biological phenomenon.
-
A description of how the research will advance the development of new mathematics.
-
A statement of which NITMB research themes are touched upon by the proposed research and why.
-
A detailed description of the approaches that will be taken, methods used, anticipated outcomes, and contingency plans for all thrusts of the proposed research.
-
A description of the participants in the research and how they will work together to achieve the project goals.
Proposals should directly address the Merit Review Criteria and conform to the funding policies detailed below. Investigators may not be key personnel in more than one proposal. Northwestern and UChicago investigators may partner with external pilot projects but are ineligible to receive funds through this program.
Merit Review Criteria:
-
Advancement of the NITMB mission to create a nationwide collaborative research community that will generate new mathematics inspired by biology and new biological discoveries driven by the application of mathematics.
-
Alignment with the research themes of the NITMB:
-
Fidelity & Variation
-
Fitness & Optimization
-
Information Processing
-
Learning & Adaptation
-
Prediction & Anticipation
-
-
The extent to which the research will develop new mathematics.
-
How well the research integrates theory and mathematics with biology, with investigators providing complementary expertise.
-
Collaborations between theorists or mathematicians and experimentalists are preferred, but projects are not required to have an experimental component and may use pre-existing datasets.
-
The quality of the mentoring plan for trainees.
Procedures
-
Timeline:
-
Release call for applications Feb. 6, 2024
-
Application deadline April 2, 2024
-
Awards notification June 1, 2024
-
Work start date Sept. 1, 2024 (or 1-2 months thereafter)
-
-
Proposals should include:
-
4-page Research Proposal, citations can be included as additional pages. The proposal should address all the merit review criteria described below and list the names of the personnel to be supported (if known at the time of application).
-
1-page Mentoring Plan
-
DEI Statement (limit of 1-page). There is a lot of flexibility in crafting your DEI statement. In addition to the commonly shared personal commitment that includes professional skills, experience and/or willingness to engage in activities that enhance diversity, equity and inclusion efforts, we are also looking for an Action Plan. This action plan directly addresses what DEI activities will be organized by the investigators. Some activities that we’ve seen to foster diversity, equity, and inclusion have included 1) descriptions of how investigators will recruit students to be funded and ensure they have a diverse applicant pool, 2) investigator plans to conduct outreach activities designed to broaden participation, or 3) plans for seminars or workshops that will provide an opportunity to broaden participation. We welcome alternative ideas as well.
-
Budget using the provided template and a Budget Justification. If supplies are requested, please include a short itemized budget in the justification.
-
Biosketches in NIH or NSF format for all investigators.
-
-
Pre-screening of applications will occur to ensure that they are complete and conform to eligibility requirements.
-
Each application will be reviewed initially by at least two NITMB Research Committee members. A common rubric/scoring system will be used for all applications. The full committee will then meet to consider and rank the applications based on the merit criteria. The committee will include one member whose task is to ensure DEI best practices are carried out in the ranking process.
-
The committee recommends applications to be funded to the Deputy Director for Research. Once approved, the awarded applicants will be notified.
-
The awarded applicants must coordinate with their respective university administrations to execute the sub-contracts between the NITMB and their home institutions during the summer months, in order to have a Sept 1 start date.
-
Funding recipients must otherwise contribute to NITMB training and/or programming efforts, such as attending NITMB workshops or conferences or participating in educational activities.
-
Any changes in the project budget must be requested by the principal investigators for approval by the NITMB before changes are made.
-
We anticipate making 4-6 awards per year, subject to the availability of funds.