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Program Highlight | Winter 2007-2008

Request for Seed Grants Proposals on Global Health

The Columbia University Global Health Research Center of Central Asia (GHRCCA) is pleased to issue a request for seed grant proposals. Seed grants support proposal development, pilot research, and other activities that address HIV, tuberculosis, sexually transmitted infections (STIs), and related issues that have relevance for the global health challenges facing Central Asia. Implementation of projects will be coordinated with the GHRCCA NY and regional office in Central Asia and there is the expectation that future projects, including externally funded projects, will also be developed in collaboration with the GHRCCA and administered through the center. Proposed studies are expected to advance research projects to the point where they can attract external funding and result in peer-reviewed publications.

To Apply

Deadline: April 11, 2008
Eligibility: All faculty and research scholars/scientists at Columbia University and its affiliated schools are eligible to apply.
Level of Funding: A total of $50,000 is available to support up to four grants.
Submission Procedure: Submit proposal materials by email to gh286@columbia.edu.
Contact: Anastasia Gornick, Public Affairs Manager for the Institute for Social and Economic Research and Policy (atg2108@columbia.edu or 1-212-854-9489) or Anne Brisson, Director of Operations for the Global Health Research Center of Central Asia (ab2677@columbia.edu or 1-212-851-2101)

Application Guidelines

Seed grant proposal materials consist of the following sections:

Cover page: Include project title, mailing address, email, telephone number, departmental affiliation.
Abstract: Outline your research in a one-paragraph abstract suitable for public reports and the centerÂ's publicity materials.
Narrative: Summarize your research question, theoretical foundations, existing literature, empirical facets of the research (if applicable), and the significance of the eventual project that the seed grant will help to develop. Be sure to distinguish between the seeded research and the eventual project for which you will obtain external funding. Excluding references, the narrative may be no more than five (5) single-spaced pages with a font size of 11 points.
Plan for Obtaining External Funding (Appendix A): Describe your plans for obtaining external funds, including: a) what government agencies or foundations you may approach, and why; b) what contact you have already had with these agencies, if any (e.g. prior applications or conversations with program officers); c) when you expect to apply for funds; d) the expected scale of the eventual project; and e) how the activities funded by the seed grant will help to attract further external support. Also, list current or pending grant applications that are related to the project, including funds requested or received from sources both internal and external to Columbia University. The maximum length for Appendix A is one (1) single-spaced page.
Relation of Proposed Activities to Existing Research (Appendix B): If the seed grant is related to ongoing, funded research, describe the relationship: both how the activities funded by the seed grant will benefit the existing project, as well as how the existing project will benefit the activities supported by the seed grant. If applicable to your proposal, the maximum length for Appendix B is also one (1) single-spaced page.
Budget and Justification: Seed grant awards are generally between $5000 and $10,000. Up to $15,000 may be awarded under special circumstances. While the review committee will be unsympathetic to proposals that request funding for faculty summer salary or computer purchases, all other expenses directly related to research activities may be included in the budget, including (with permission from your department chair) release time from teaching.
Curriculum vitae of all investigators

Review Process

Seed grant proposals are reviewed by a committee comprised of senior center staff and affiliated faculty members.

Evaluation Criteria:

Consistency with the center's research priorities
Intellectual merit and the promise of innovation
Potential for attracting further funding
Interdisciplinary collaboration (encouraged but not required)

The seed grant program is not a small grant program. Grants will not be awarded to proposals that request funding for a stand-alone project, that do not describe plans for obtaining external funding, or that poorly justify their budget. Implementation of projects will be coordinated with the GHRCCA NY and regional office in Central Asia. By accepting seed funding, researchers agree to coordinate and consult with the GHRCCA on future externally funded projects.

Requirements of Grant Recipients

Research projects involving human subjects must maintain Institutional Review Board (IRB) approval. While proposals that have not yet undergone review will be considered for funding, no funds will be disbursed until the project is approved by the IRB. ISERP's Research Development Office is available to help investigators navigate the IRB review process.

Recipients of seed grants are obliged to report on the activities to which the grant is being applied, as well as on progress toward obtaining external support for the project. The reporting schedule is biannual in the first year following the award of the grant, and on an annual basis thereafter as long as the seed grant remains active.

Investigators who receive external grants based on seeded research are expected to administer those grants through ISERP and acknowledge the support of the Global Health Research Center in any papers and publications ensuing from the research.