Career Awards at the Scientific Interface

Is the BWF application deadline firm?

Yes.

Can I submit a paper application?

No. BWF requires that all applications for this program be submitted electronically. Paper applications will not be accepted. The only paper required to be sent to BWF is (1) the two-page Signature Page Form and (2) the Institutional Nomination Form (see below). Both forms, with original signatures, are due to BWF for receipt by 4:00 p.m. Eastern Time on the application deadline.

Do I need a commitment from a university for a faculty appointment to apply for the award?

No. The purpose of the award is to help postdoctoral scientists obtain a faculty appointment at an institution of their choosing. Candidates may be applying for faculty positions at the time of application, but if you currently hold or have accepted, either verbally or in writing, a tenure-track faculty appointment, you are not eligible.

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.

I'm a temporary resident.  What documentation is required to verify my residency status?

BWF doesn't require documentation of your visa paperwork.  Instead, there is a form that must be printed, completed by the nominating institution's grants office, and sent in hard copy to BWF to verify your nomination and visa status.  This form is called the Institutional Nomination Form and can be found on this web site (see below) and on proposalCENTRAL in the "Download Templates and Instructions" section or in the "Research Plan and Other Attachments" section. 

My visa is not valid for more than one year but I need a new "position offer" to get a new visa.  Do you ask for a valid two-year visa (for the postdoc period) at the moment of the application?

We understand that not all U.S. visas will cover the full two years of postdoc for the award.  For this reason, BWF requires the nominating institution to certify that you hold a current valid U.S. visa and that the institution will manage your residency status during the postdocoral period of the award (perform all necessary paperwork to extend visa status.)  This certification is accomplished by completing and submitting the InstitutionalNomination Formwhich can be found on this web site (see below) and on proposalCENTRAL in the "Download Templates and Instructions" section or in the "Research Plan and Other Attachments" section.  As long as the institution completes, signs, and submits this form with your application, your temporary residency status will not prevent you from being eligible to apply.

Can letters of collaboration be included in the application?

Yes. A one-page letter and a two-page CV may be included for up to two proposed collaborators. One document for each collaborator, containing both the collaborator's letter and CV, may be attached to the application as a PDF file. If such documents are included, the relevant collaborative situations should be described in the six-page research plan.

What is a “signature block”?

A signature block is found at the end of a letter and includes the letter writer’s name, title(s), department(s), and institution. It is usually found just after the closing of the letter (e.g., just after the word ‘Sincerely,’ or ‘Yours truly,’) and just under the letter writer’s signature. Here is an example of a signature block:

Jane Smith, Ph.D.
Chair and Professor, Department of Physics
ABC University

Can support letters be sent separately?

No. All support letters (faculty sponsor letter, graduate advisor letter, and up to two recommendation letters) must be uploaded and attached to your application, then submitted electronically by the application deadline. Faxed or emailed letters will not be accepted.

One faculty sponsor letter is required for submission with the application. I have two faculty sponsors/mentors for the postdoctoral portion of the proposed project. How can I submit two faculty sponsor letters?

You can either submit one jointly written faculty sponsor letter with the signatures and signature blocks of both of your sponsors/mentors—or— you can submit two separate faculty sponsor letters. Since the faculty sponsor letter doesn’t need to remain confidential, you upload the document as a PDF file in the “Research Plan and Other Attachments” section of the application. If you decide to upload two separate faculty sponsor letters, be sure to select “Faculty Sponsor Letter” as the ‘attachment type’ for each document.

How can I submit my graduate advisor letter?

The graduate advisor letter must be submitted as a confidential document. For this reason, the graduate advisor must upload his/her own letter, as a PDF file, directly into proposalCENTRAL before the application deadline. To request a confidential letter from your graduate advisor, follow these steps:

1. Go to the “Request Recommender/Graduate Advisor Letters ” section and enter the email address of your graduate advisor.
2. Click the “Send Email” button. An email will be sent to the graduate advisor. This email requests a support letter for you and provides instructions for submission of the letter.

One graduate advisor letter is required for submission with the application. I had two graduate advisors during my doctoral training. How can I submit two graduate advisor letters?

Either one jointly written graduate advisor letter can be submitted with the signatures and signature blocks of both advisors — or — two separate letters can be submitted. Since the graduate advisor letter(s) must remain confidential, the graduate advisor(s) must upload his/her own letter(s), as a PDF file, directly into proposalCENTRAL before the application deadline. A maximum number of three confidential support letters can be submitted with an application; therefore, two of these letters can be from your graduate advisors and one can be from your recommender. To request two separate confidential letters from two graduate advisors, follow these steps for each letter:

1. Go the the “Request Recommender/Graduate Advisor Letters” section and enter the email address of one of the graduate advisors.
2. Click the “Send Email” button. An email will be sent to this graduate advisor. This email requests a recommendation letter for you and provides instructions for submission of the letter.

How can I submit my recommendation letter(s)?

At least one recommendation letter must be submitted as a confidential document. (A second letter can be submitted confidentially in addition to the first.) Since the letter(s) must remain confidential, the recommender must upload his/her own letter, as a PDF file, directly into proposalCENTRAL before the application deadline. To request a confidential letter from a recommender, follow these steps:

1. Go the the “Request Recommender/Graduate Advisor Letters” section and enter the email address of the recommender.
2. Click the “Send Email” button. An email will be sent to the recommender. This email requests a recommendation letter for you and provides instructions for submission of the letter.
   

Do I need to submit a proposed budget with my application?

No, a budget is not required at the time of application.

Is there a template for the research plan?

No.

Are there font or margin requirements for the research plan?

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

If I want to include a bibliography with my research plan, does it count toward the six-page maximum?

No. However, graphs, charts, diagrams, and images do count toward the six-page maximum. Abbreviations should be limited in the text. However, glossaries of technical abbreviations and terms are acceptable and encouraged if they clarify the proposal to the general reader. Glossaries do not count toward the page limit.

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

All figures, tables, graphs, diagrams, pictures, etc., included in your research plan count toward the six-page limit for the plan.

What is the Signature Page Form?

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

How do I access the Signature Page Form?

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.

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 sponsoring Dean or Department Chair. This should be the same person you entered as the “Dean/Department Chair” on the Nominating Institution & Contacts screen.

Note: There are two additional signature boxes on the Signature Page Form, which are not used for the Career Awards at the Scientific Interface application. Only two signatures are required on the Signature Page Form for this program.

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
 

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.

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 Form. As a result, there will be several blank fields on the form.

What is the Institutional Nomination Form?

The Institutional Nomination Form (see below) officially nominates a candidate for the award. An original, signed hard copy of this form must be submitted to BWF by the application deadline. The Official responsible for sponsored programs at your institution must sign this form. This should be the same person you entered as the “Signing Official” on the Nominating Institution & Contacts screen.

How do I access the Institutional Nomination Form?

The Institutional Nomination Form can be downloaded and printed at any time during the application process. You can access the Institutional Nomination Form on this web site (see below) or by clicking either “Download Templates & Instructions” or “Research Plan and Other Attachments” in the gray Navigation Menu on the left of the screen.

Who needs to sign the Institutional Nomination Form?

The Official responsible for sponsored programs at your institution must sign the Institutional Nomination Form. This should be the same person you entered as the “Signing Official” on the Nominating Institution & Contacts screen.

Can I print the Institutional Nomination Form prior to completing my application – in order to obtain the required signature in time?

Yes. The Institutional Nomination Form can be downloaded and printed at any time during the application process. It is not necessary to complete any of the data entry sections or to have any PDF files uploaded and attached to your application prior to printing the Institutional Nomination Form. The form can also be printed from this website to expedite the process.

How many signatures do I need and who needs to sign which form?

A total of three signatures are required on the hard copy forms sent to BWF for receipt by 4:00 p.m. Eastern Time on the application deadline.

Two people must sign the Signature Page Form:

• You, as the Applicant
• The sponsoring dean or department chair entered into the system in the “Nominating Institution & Contacts” section

One person must sign the Institutional Nomination Form:

• the institutional official responsible for sponsored programs (or grants and contracts, or sponsored research, etc.) at the nominating institution. (This should be the same person entered into the system as the “Signing Official” in the “Nominating Institution & Contacts” section.)

How do I submit the Signature Page and Institutional Nomination Forms?

After printing and obtaining the relevant signatures on both forms, send one original hard copy of both forms to BWF for receipt by 4:00 p.m. Eastern Time on the application deadline. Faxed and electronic copies of the forms will not be accepted. Send both forms in one package to:

For delivery by express courier service (recommended)
Burroughs Wellcome Fund
Career Awards at the Scientific Interface
21 T.W. Alexander Drive
Research Triangle Park, NC 27709
919-991-5100

For delivery by U.S. Postal Service
Burroughs Wellcome Fund
Career Awards at the Scientific Interface
P.O. Box 13901
Research Triangle Park, NC 27709-3901

Can I fax the two-page Signature Page Form or the Institutional Nomination Form by the application deadline?

No. Faxed documents will not be accepted. Hard copies of the two-page Signature Page Form and the Institutional Nomination Form, with original signatures, must be received by BWF by the application deadline. Using a courier service to send both forms is strongly recommended.

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

No. Neither the Signature Page Form nor the Institutional Nomination Form will be accepted in electronic format. Hard copies of the two-page Signature Page Form and the Institutional Nomination Form, with original signatures, must be received by BWF by the application deadline. Using a courier service to send these forms is strongly recommended.

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 the portable document format (PDF) prior to uploading and attaching them to your application. Instructions on converting documents to PDF files are available in the "Prepare and Submit a Proposal" document on this site and on proposalCENTRAL's site.

If you have any questions or difficulty with the conversion process, please contact proposalCENTRAL  customer support by email or 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, make changes and resubmit it at any time prior to the application deadline. After that time, an application cannot be changed.

After submitting my application, I found a mistake. How do I unsubmit my application to correct the error?

You can only unsubmit your application prior to the application deadline. On the opening screen of proposalCENTRAL, there are four menu tabs near the top of the screen that are used to navigate the main parts of the system. One of these is a blue tab titled “Manage Proposals.” Click on this tab to display the Manage Proposals submenu in the horizontal bar just below the tab. Click on the “Submitted” submenu item. All of your submitted applications are listed here. Find the application you wish to unsubmit and click on the unsubmit button in the row for this application. This application will now move to the “In Progress” submenu, allowing you to edit any section and resubmit the application.

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