| Program | Description | Funding Amount | Deadline | Eligibility |
Three grant programs target systems biology research collaborations with a focus on the technologies of proteomics, informatics, or imaging:
| Catalyst - Target collaborations working on high risk/reward work that might not be funded elsewhere.
Spark - Intended to advance multi-institutional collaborations of exceptional creativity. Proposals must have the potential to produce a major impact in the area of biomedical research and new high-end technologies.
Lever - Applicants must be preparing a large-scale, multi-institutional proposal for submission to an external funding agency which can be strengthened by a commitment for exceptional institutional support. | Catalyst - Up to $200,000 for 1-2 years.
Spark - Typically $300,000 for one year; max of $400,000 over two years.
Lever - Max of $1 million per year for three years. | Catalyst - Fall and spring deadlines; next submission deadline is projected for spring, 2009.
Spark - One page pre-proposals can be submitted at any time.
Lever - Ongoing review | Catalyst - Tenure or tenure eligible faculty at NU, U of C, or UIC. PIs from at least two institutions in each application.
Spark - Tenure or tenure eligible faculty at NU, U of C, or UIC. PIs from at least two institutions in each application. PIs must not already be funded for similar work.
Lever - Tenure or tenure eligible faculty at NU, U of C, or UIC. PIs from at least two institutions in each application; funding contingent on external funding. |
| Cells to Society (C2S): The Center on Social Disparities and Health at the Institute for Policy Research recently announced a new Biomarker Seed Grant Program, supported by a Developmental Infrastructure for Population Research award from the National Institute of Child Health & Human Development (NICHD). The purpose of the grant program is to promote the use of biomarker and other innovative methods in community- and population-based research projects. | Up to $2,000 for rapid
response projects; Up to $5,000 for pilot projects. | Rapid response: rolling 2 page applications. Pilot projects: Last deadline
was Oct. 15th, 2007. | All C2S faculty and research faculty are eligible. |
| Exploratory interdisciplinary research in the area of technology and social behavior. | Undefined "small grants." | Rolling applications. | CTSB faculty members who involve undergraduates in the research project. |
| The Center for Advanced Magnetic Resonance Imaging (CAMRI) was created by the Department of Radiology to promote imaging research at the Feinberg School of Medicine at Northwestern University. The primary research focus at CAMRI is cardiovascular and neuroimaging. CAMRI utilizes a 4,500 square foot space in the basement of the Olson building that houses state-of-the-art 3-Tesla and 1.5 Tesla Siemens Medical Solutions MR scanners. There is also a Siemens C-ARM angiographic system and an MR simulator system that can be used to train or acclimate subjects to the magnet environment. Free pilot time on the magnets is available. | N/A | Pilot time is allocated by the CAMRI steering committee on a monthly basis according to strength of proposed study and amount of pilot time available. | Projects must have IRB approval; PIs must complete training program. |
| The Alzheimer's Disease Core Center (ADCC) of the Cognitive Neurology and Alzheimer's Disease Center (CNADC) is supported by funding from the National Institute of Aging (NIA). The Center funds an annual Alzheimer's Disease Pilot Grant program as part of its activities. | Up to $28,800 of support for one year; 2 awards per year. | Currently closed. Last deadline was March 14th, 2008. | All faculty, research faculty and postdocs at NU are eligible. |
| The Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center solicits cancer-related research proposals. Proposals are funded by an American Cancer Society Institutional Research Grant awarded to the Cancer Center in October, 2005. | Up to $20,000 for one year of funding. | Last deadline
was Nov. 12th, 2007. | Junior faculty and research faculty who are within 6 years of their first independent faculty appointment, and who do not presently have a national research grant (K award recipients are eligible); Must be Cancer Center Member. |
| The MRSEC is an interdisciplinary group of scientists and engineers at Northwestern whose collaborative research pursues a broad range of materials research areas including conducting oxides, polymers, photonics, molecular electronics, nanoscience and biomaterials.
The Center invites proposals for Seed project funding in materials-related research. | Seed funding typically provides full support for one graduate student for two years starting in the fall. | Closed, last deadline was February 4, 2008. | Junior faculty members are strongly encouraged to apply. |
| The Institute for BioNanotechnology in Medicine (IBNAM) promotes research dedicated to accelerating medical discovery and to breeding scientific collaboration in clinical medicine, engineering, physical sciences, and life sciences. Aiming to seed interdisciplinary and innovative research, the IBNAM-Baxter Research Incubator Program advances the Institute’s mission by supporting early discovery projects in bionanomedicine at Northwestern University. | Up to $50,000 in total costs; 4 awards. | Closed, last deadline was May 15th, 2008. | Any NU faculty member is eligible but must have at least one collaborator; Particularly interested in proposals utilizing IBNAM space in Lurie Research Center. |
| Proposals must be directly relevant to women's health research; applications from those who wish to initiate a new women’s health research program are encouraged. These awards are not designed to provide ongoing support for a long-term project, they are intended to assist in obtaining pilot data required for larger grant applications in women's health. | Up to $25,000 | Closed, award process is yearly; up to 4 per year. Last deadline was May 16, 2008. | Applicants must hold a faculty-level appointment at Northwestern University or be postdoctoral fellows in laboratories of tenure-line faculty members. |
| Northwestern Memorial Foundation, the philanthropic arm of Northwestern Memorial HealthCare, has annual competitions for Dixon Translational Research Grants. | Multiple award types, ranging from large, multi-year awards at up to $200,000 per year, to smaller $25,000-50,000 one year awards. | Closed, award process is yearly. Last deadline was in August, 2008. Next projected date is mid-2009. | Criteria vary according to award type, but generally all medical faculty or NMH research staff are eligible; PhDs may be able to apply as co-PI with medical faculty affiliated with NMH. |
| The NU-CCNE funds pilot research projects that integrate the basic and clinical sciences to develop and apply nanotechnology to cancer research to accelerate the application of this science to the clinic. This initiative will supports development of nanomaterials and nanoscale devices for molecular imaging and early detection, in vivo imaging, reporters of efficacy, multifunctional therapeutics, prevention and control, and research enablers. | 2 awards, up to $50,000 in direct costs for a project period of 1 year. | Closed, last Submission deadline was Sept., 2008. | Restricted to CCNE members. |
