Investigators in the Pathogenesis of Infectious Disease

Is the BWF application deadline firm?

Yes.

Can I submit a paper application?

No. BWF now requires that all applications for this program be submitted electronically. Paper applications will not be accepted. The only piece of paper required to be sent to BWF is the Signature Page Form (two pages), with the original signatures, which is due to BWF by the application deadline.

If I’m having trouble with the electronic application, whom can I contact for help?

For problems with the electronic application, please contact proposalCENTRAL  customer support by email or by phone, 1-800-875-2562 (toll free).

Do I need to submit a Letter of Intent prior to beginning an application?

No. BWF does not require a letter of intent prior to beginning an application. However, you MUST be nominated by a degree-granting institution in order to apply to this program. An “institution” includes its medical school, graduate schools, and all affiliated hospitals or research institutes. You should contact the appropriate officials (generally the grants office, office of research, or office of sponsored programs) for information about the nomination process at your institution.

Can recommendation letters be sent separately?

No. Letters of recommendation (three are required) must be converted to PDF files and uploaded to the application for electronic submission by the Recommender and by the deadline date. It is highly recommended that all letters of recommendation be uploaded to the application a week before the deadline date. Faxed or emailed letters will not be accepted.

Are there font or margin requirements for the research plan?

Use standard 11- or 12-point type for the text, and no smaller than 9 to 10-point type for figures, legends, tables, and diagrams. Text must be single-spaced, with one-inch or larger margins on all sides.

How serious are you about the page limit on the research plan?

All applicants must stay within the set seven-page limits.

Does the bibliography to my research plan count toward the seven-page maximum plan?

No it is considered part of the supporting materials. However, graphs, charts, and diagrams do count toward the seven-page maximum. Abbreviations should be limited in the text.

What about figures, tables, graphs, diagrams, pictures included in my research plan? Are they included in the seven-page limit or can they be included separately?

All figures, tables, graphs, diagrams, pictures, etc., included in your research plan count toward the seven-page limit for the plan. For tips on including these items in your electronic document, refer to Formatting Text and Images (below).

What is the Signature Page Form? How do I access it? How do I submit it?

The two-page Signature Page Form summarizes the information from all the sections of the application and provides signature lines for the Applicant, the Institutional Signing Official and the Dean or Department Chair who wrote your Statement of Nomination. An application is not considered complete without the Signature Page Form. You must send a paper copy of the Signature Page Form with the required original signatures to BWF by 4:00 p.m., Eastern Time on the application deadline day. BWF strongly recommends using a courier service to send the Signature Page. Faxed and electronic Signature Pages will not be accepted.

The two-page Signature Page Form can be printed once you complete all the data entry proposal sections of the online application in proposalCENTRAL. You can access the Signature Page Form by clicking “Print Signature Page” in the gray Navigation Menu on the left of the screen. Do not print the Signature Page Form until you have completed all data entry screens of the application.

For delivery by express courier service (recommended)
Burroughs Wellcome Fund
Investigators in the Pathogenesis of Infectious Disease
21 T.W. Alexander Drive
Research Triangle Park, NC 27709
919-991-5100

For delivery by U.S. Postal Service
Burroughs Wellcome Fund
Investigators in the Pathogenesis of Infectious Disease
P.O. Box 13901
Research Triangle Park, NC 27709-3901

Can I print the signature page form prior to completing my application – in order to obtain the required signatures in time?

If you have correctly completed the data entry for all fields in the following sections of your application, you may print the signature page form to obtain the required signatures:

Section Name
   Title Page
   Applicant Information
   Nominating Institution and Contacts
   Recommenders
   Proposal Assurances

As long as all data has been entered correctly in these sections, the printed Signature Page Form will contain all required information. It is not necessary to have all PDF files uploaded and attached to your application prior to printing the Signature Page Form.

Who needs to sign the two-page Signature Page Form?

Each of the following people must sign the first page of the Signature Page Form:

1) The Applicant - in the signature box marked “Signature of Applicant”.
2) The Official responsible for sponsored programs at the institution - in the signature box marked “Signature of Signing Official”. This should be the same person you entered as the “Signing Official” on the Nominating Institution & Contacts screen.
3) The sponsoring Dean or Department Chair - in one of the signature boxes marked “Additional Signature”. This should be the same person you entered as the “Dean/Department Chair” on the Nominating Institution & Contacts screen.
Note: There is a fourth signature box marked “Additional Signature”, which is not used for the Investigators in Pathogenesis of Infectious Disease application. Only three signatures are required for this program.

Can I fax the Signature Page Form by the application deadline?

No. Faxed documents will not be accepted. The hard copy of the Signature Page Form with original signatures must be received by BWF by 4:00 p.m. Eastern Time on the application deadline day. Using a courier service to send your Signature Page Form is strongly recommended.

I noticed that some of the information that printed on the Signature Page Form is incorrect. How do I correct it?

All of the data that prints on the Signature Page Form was entered in the various proposal sections found in the gray Navigation Bar on the left of the screen in proposalCENTRAL. To correct an entry, you must go back to the appropriate proposal section and edit the data there (e.g., Applicant Information, Title Page, etc.).

I noticed that not all of the fields are populated with data on the Signature Page Form. Is this correct, or have I done something wrong?

This program does not require some types of data that are shown on the Signature Page. As a result, there will be several blank fields on the PDF form. The field labels will appear, but the field itself will be blank. Examples of such fields include, but are not limited to, Proposal Type, Prior Grant #, RFA?, Recombinant DNA, and Biohazards.

Can I upload and attach an electronic version of the Signature Page Form (PDF file) to my application?

No. An electronic Signature Page Form will not be accepted. The hard copy of the two-page Signature Page Form with original signatures must be received by BWF by 4:00 p.m. on the deadline date. Using a courier service to send your Signature Page Form is strongly recommended.

Can Letters of Collaboration be included in the application?

No. Collaborative situations can be described in the seven-page Research Plan - there is no need for individual collaborative letters.

How can I convert a document to a PDF file?

You can use standard word processing software (e.g., MS Word, WordPerfect) to prepare the documents for your application. However, you MUST convert ALL documents to portable document format (PDF) files prior to uploading and attaching them to your application. For help with converting documents to PDF files, refer to Prepare and Submit a Proposal.If you have any questions or difficulty with the conversion process, please contact proposalCENTRAL customer support by email or by phone 1-800-875-2562 (toll free).

Can I change my application once submitted?

Once you submit the application, the information is “locked” and cannot be changed without “un-submitting” the application. You may un-submit your application under Manage Proposals, make changes and resubmit it at any time prior to the application deadline. After that time, an application cannot be changed.

If you have any problems, please contact proposalCENTRAL customer support by email or by phone 1-800-875-2562 (toll free).