Multi-Investigator Seed Grants

The Feinberg School of Medicine provides seed funding up to $50,000 for application preparation to initiate new multi-investigator program project or center grant applications involving Feinberg faculty. The funds are intended to support new applications, preferably to the National Institutes of Health. There is an expectation of casting a wide net, such that research projects ought to involve at least two faculty members from outside the home department of the principal investigator, which may include Evanston.

This funding can be used to cover reasonable expenses for a retreat to bring together key faculty, staff and students, then to provide reagents for key preliminary experiments, costs for preparing the application and other reasonable expenses. The Sponsored Project & Research Catalysts (SPARC) central team or Research Analysis team can assist with staff support for the retreat and proposal preparation, if the principal investigator wishes.

To be considered for this seed funding, take the following steps.

Request On-Campus Retreat

Complete the On-Campus Retreat Form to hold an on-campus retreat on a topic suitable for a multi-investigator application. In planning the retreat, keep in mind that one of the expectations of the final application is to include those investigators across departments, including the Evanston campus, that best fit thematically and will produce the most compelling application.

Submit Application

Based on the discussions at the retreat, provide the date for submission of an application, an abstract describing the application and the most coherent group of potential projects. Then, apply for remaining seed funding and begin assembling the application.

Funds are paid against expense receipts provided by the awardee to the Dean’s office.

Download the Seed Funding Form. Instructions for completion and submission of each document are listed on the form.

Questions About Approval?

Please contact Rex Chisholm, vice dean for Scientific Affairs, with any questions regarding approval.