Research Awards
Application Guidelines
A single PDF file containing all the required information detailed below must be directly uploaded to the JSMF server via on or before 15:59 PM CDT on Wednesday March 17, 2010. Electronic submission as a PDF file is the only acceptable format. Additional information on the upload process including the upload link can be found here.
It is the responsibility of the applicant institution to assure that proposals conform to the guidelines below. Please keep in mind that proposal guidelines are not arbitrary. Rather, guidelines are designed for your benefit. The intent of JSMF is to create a simple, fair, straightforward application process. Applications to JSMF that fail to meet both the spirit and the letter of the guidelines will be considered an inappropriate response to the posted request for applications and eliminated from funding consideration.
- Do not include any documents other than those requested below. Documents not specifically requested in the guidelines (i.e. preprints, reprints, extra data) will be deleted. Cluttering applications with extraneous attachments will result in JSMF rejecting the entire proposal prior to scientific review.
- Application materials must be submitted in English.
- Word limits are set for your benefit. Please follow them carefully to avoid disqualification. Captions and references are not included in the word limit. Please refrain from using lengthy captions, footnotes, endnotes, etc as an end-run around the proposal word-limit.
- Representatives of the Foundation will not advise individuals on the scientific merits or fit of their projects with JSMF grant programs. Applicants should consult the program descriptions provided and determine for themselves whether their work is appropriate to the RFP.
- Before emailing the Foundation with questions, please be sure that you have thoroughly read all the information on the RFP-related webpages. This may require scrolling, as important information may not all appear in a single screen. Please do not email us for clarification about the finer details of the application (i.e. word limits, font size, margins, format of short-form CV). Follow the guidelines and use your best judgment.
- Proposals can name only one individual as the Researcher for application purposes. A co-Researcher or collaborators may be designated in the application but such individuals will not be considered as an official applicant for Foundation purposes. Of course, multiple researchers may be associated with the research and supported by the grant and they should be identified as appropriate (see below).
Proposals must contain in the order listed:
______ 1. A JSMF cover page (download coversheet here: PDF or Word). Save the cover page to your computer or to disk, complete it with your information, and then insert it electronically as the first page of your proposal file.
______ 2.) An essay (1500 word maximum) describing the scientific substance and significance of the applicant’s research in language suitable for a general, science-interested audience. PLEASE NOTE: Due to the diversity of subject matter expertise on JSMF review panels, these essays are carefully read by the reviewers and are an important component of the application. There is no need to duplicate information contained in the essay in the research plan (#3 below). The Foundation intends to post essays from funded projects on its web site.
______ 3.) A description of the applicant’s research plan (2500 word maximum). The applicant should describe the overall objectives of the research and the various ways the applicant intends to pursue those objectives. NOTE: The research should be described in sufficient detail to allow the Foundation and its subject matter expert reviewers to make judgments about the originality, importance, and feasibility of the applicant’s proposed research project.
- The narrative should explicitly describe the research question, why this question is important, how the applicant plans to go about answering it.
- Please use your best judgment regarding the inclusion of charts, graphs, and other images. These should be kept to the absolute minimum needed to effectively support your proposal.
______ 4.) A brief budget (table form) and budget justification (1000 words maximum) explaining how the requested funds will be expended. A budget justification is not a narrative translation of the budget table, rather, it explains why the funds are being requested and how they are to be used to support the proposed project. The budget table must provide annual and total expenditures summarized for general categories. Suggested budget table formats can be found here.
______ 5.) Short-form curriculum vitae for all Researchers. (We recommend following the NIH biosketch format. Examples can be found on the NIH website.) Applications must include a list of ALL current and pending research funding. Additionally, the budget narrative (#4 above) must include short biographies for any individual for whom salaries are being requested.
______ 6.) Any proposal requesting stipend support for trainees must provide a listing of current and recent trainees mentored by the principle investigator(s). The list should include the current status of trainees.
______ 7.) A letter from the appropriate administrative official at the applicant’s sponsoring institution stating that the institution, as the official grantee, (a) will administer the award, if made, and agree to waive all administrative charges and indirect costs, and (b) understands and agrees that the award payments may be paid in stock [More information].
Important Note: If your proposal is selected for funding from James S. McDonnell Foundation, you will need to submit documentation that your sponsoring institution is a nonprofit institution in accordance with Section 501(c) 3 of the United States Internal Revenue Tax Code or its equivalent for non-US institutions, an Affidavit of Grantee Form. Please check to see whether or not your sponsoring institution’s documentation of tax status is already on file with JSMF (check the list). If it is, your sponsoring institution will only need to submit a letter verifying that this documentation has not changed. If it is not, you may wish to begin the process of obtaining such documentation. This is especially true if your sponsoring institution is not in the United States since it can be especially time-consuming for foreign institutions to gather, prepare and translate the appropriate documentation. Any delays in providing this documentation after a grant has been approved will delay the start date of the grant accordingly.