Dear Colleagues,

All members of our community at the Boston University School of Public Health contribute in different ways toward advancing our core purpose to Think. Teach. Do. for the Health of All. The projects led by our faculty, staff, and students are inspiring, and we want others to share in our excitement. We want the world to see the creative and impactful work being conducted at our School toward advancing research, education, and practice.

To that end, I recently announced my Dean’s Innovation Challenge, which is meant to stimulate quick-start, short-term, creative collaborative projects that are especially well-positioned to capture attention outside the University. Today, I am pleased to share additional details about the Challenge and how to apply, below. 

We will select up to four projects by end of February for funding in the amount of $10,000 per award to cover project-related expenses. At the end of the six-month award period, the project that has received the most visibility outside the University will receive a prize of $5,000 to be divided among team members as overbase payments.

I welcome and encourage proposals from faculty, staff, or students, activities that must be led by members of at least two of these categories. Applications should be submitted to the Dean’s Office (sphdeansoffice@bu.edu) by Tuesday, February 18, 2025.

I hope this initiative will generate new ideas or promote off-shoots from ongoing work and I look forward to reviewing your proposals.

Warm regards,

Michael Stein, MD
Interim Dean
Boston University School of Public Health

Dean’s Innovation Challenge

The Dean’s Innovation Challenge is meant to stimulate quick-start, short-term, creative collaborative projects that are especially well-positioned to capture attention outside the University. We hope the Challenge will generate new ideas or promote off-shoots from ongoing work. Examples of increased visibility could include the translation of research for non-scientific audiences, the real-world impact of collaborations with communities, the effects of practice-based teaching activities, or advocacy around specific policy initiatives.  Projects or activities may focus on any aspect of research, education, and/or practice.

We welcome and encourage proposals from faculty, staff, or students, led by members of at least two of these categories. We will select up to four for funding in the amount of $10,000 per award to cover project-related expenses. At the end of the six-month award period, the project that has received the most visibility outside the University will receive a prize of $5,000 to be divided among team members as overbase payments.

Submission Details

Applications should be submitted to the Dean’s Office (sphdeansoffice@bu.edu) by COB on Tuesday February 18, 2025.

The application is limited to a maximum of one page and should include a summary of the proposed activities, a description of the anticipated benefits, a dissemination of outcomes vision (i.e. visibility), and a brief budget justification explaining how the funds will be used. Funds may not be used for publication fees, travel to conferences, faculty salaries, or indirect costs at other institutions. Individuals/teams can submit more than one application.

Award Period

The award period will be from March 1 to August 31, 2025. The assessment of project visibility will occur during the month of September and the winner will be announced in October.

Review Committee and Evaluation Rubric

The Chair and Vice-Chair of the faculty, staff, and student senates have been asked to serve on selection and review committee with the Dean. Each panelist will individually score projects using the criteria below. Scores will then be averaged across all seven panelists to determine final rankings. To ensure alignment, a calibration meeting will be held before scoring begins to discuss expectations and scoring standards.

Criteria and Scoring

1. Alignment with Purpose (40%)
Does the project strongly align with the core purpose of advancing research, education, and/or practice in public health while achieving visibility beyond the University?

2. Innovation and Creativity (30%)
Does the project demonstrate originality and creativity in its approach to addressing public health challenges?

    3. Anticipated Benefits and Real-World Impact (15%)
    Does the project have high potential for real-world impact or benefit?

      4. Feasibility and Budget Justification (10%)
      Is the project realistic within the given timeframe and budget, with expenses clearly justified?

        5. Collaboration and Team Composition (5%)
        Does the team include members from at least two categories (faculty, staff, students), with evidence of collaboration?

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