Limited Submission Opportunity: W.M. Keck Foundation Research Program December 2024
URL: https://www.wmkeck.org/research-overview/#overview
OBJECTIVES:
The W. M. Keck Research Program seeks to benefit humanity by supporting Medical Research and Science & Engineering projects that are distinctive and novel in their approach, question the prevailing paradigm, or have the potential to break open new territory in their field. Grants support pioneering biological and physical science research and engineering, including the development of promising new technologies, instrumentation or methodologies.
Examples of funded projects can be found on the Keck Foundation’s Grant Abstracts page.
FUNDING INFORMATION:
Requests can be $1 to 1.3 million over 3 years, but larger grants will require stronger justification from applicants.
ELIGIBILITY RESTRICTIONS:
BU may select one nominee for each of the Research program areas: Medical Research, Science & Engineering Research (2 total).
Funding is awarded to projects that:
- Focus on important and emerging areas of research
- Have the potential to develop breakthrough technologies, instrumentation or methodologies
- Are innovative, distinctive, and interdisciplinary
- Demonstrate a high level of risk due to unconventional approaches, or by challenging the prevailing paradigm
- Have the potential for transformative impact, such as the founding of a new field of research, the enabling of observations not previously possible, or the altered perception of a previously intractable problem
- Fall outside the mission of public funding agencies
- Have been recently denied funding by a federal funding agency expressly because the project was judged too high risk or early stage. The foundation prefers to see the rejection in writing.
The Keck Foundation does not fund:
- clinical or translational research
- treatment trials or research for the sole purpose of drug development
- disease-specific research
- environmental conservation or monitoring
- purely theoretical projects
- follow-on funding
- device development
- Public Health-focused projects
INTERNAL SELECTION PROCESS:
Interested candidates should submit the following materials through InfoReady Review by 12/4/2024:
- Questions outlined in InfoReady Review application
- Up to date CV
- One-page single-spaced Concept Paper without images/illustrations, that includes:
- An overview of the proposed project emphasizing any unique aspects and pilot studies (indicate area of emphasis for project) and background to put the research into perspective
- A description of the methodologies
- Be specific about how the project will be conducted and how the PI will achieve their goals. Focus on the What and the How. For example, highlight project challenges and innovative ways the PI will overcome them.
- Key personnel
- Impact
- How will this project be a scientific leap forward? How is this project transformational? What makes this project distinctive?
- Brief justification of the need for Keck support
- Demonstrate a federal rejection of the project on the grounds that it is too high risk or early stage and that Keck is the funder of last resort
- Funding amount request along with breakdown – personnel, supplies, etc.
A faculty committee drawn from both campuses will review internal proposals and select nominees.
Do not contact the Foundation directly if you have questions. All inquiries must be submitted through BU’s institutional liaison: Joe Loftus, Director of Foundation Relations at joloftus@bu.edu.
For more information on drafting a compelling application, refer also to the Keck Foundation’s Application Process, or review sample materials from previous successful applications in BU’s Proposal Library.
DEADLINES:
Internal Deadline: Wednesday, December 4, 2024, by 11:59 pm ET
Concept Counseling: January – February 2025
Phase 1 Application Deadline: May 1, 2025, by 4:30 pm PT