Institutional Program Unifying Population and Laboratory Based Sciences

Application Submission
Application Sections
Application Format

Are the BWF application deadlines firm?

Yes. The Letter of Intent (LOI) must be received electronically through proposalCENTRAL, a web-based grant application system, no later than 4 p.m. Eastern Time, on the published LOI deadline. Full Applications are by invitation only and must be received electronically by 4 p.m. Eastern Time, on the published application deadline.

Can I submit a paper application?

No. BWF requires that all applications for this program be submitted electronically. Paper applications will not be accepted.

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

Yes. BWF requires the submission of an electronic Letter of Intent through proposalCENTRAL, a web-based grant application system, due no later than the published LOI deadline. Links to proposalCENTRAL are available on the BWF web site. LOIs must be submitted by an applicant from a degree-granting institution in order to apply.

How many letters of intent (LOIs) may an institution submit?

An institution may submit multiple letters of intent.

Is an institution allowed to submit multiple full applications?

Yes, if invited to do so. Full applications are by invitation only.

Is this award a planning grant?

No, the Institutional Program Unifying Population and Laboratory Based Sciences is a training grant.

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).

What constitutes the Letter of Intent (LOI)?

The Letter of Intent consists of the Grant Application/Signature Page, the Abstract Proposal (400 words or less and on the appropriate form), and Biosketches of the population sciences director and the laboratory based sciences director. The Letter of Intent must be submitted electronically through proposalCENTRAL.

Can support (recommendation, reference) letters be sent separately?

No. Letters of support (recommendation, reference) must be converted to .pdf files and uploaded for electronic submission by the deadline date. Letters of support are required in full application only.

How many letters of support are required to be uploaded?

Letters are required from chairs of each department involved in the collaboration. Multi-institutional proposals should also include letters from dean-level authorities at each member institution.

Are the page limits on the institutional proposal and other attachments firm?

Yes. All applicants must firmly adhere to the specified page limits for all attachments. Non-compliance will cause a delay in application processing and possibly elimination for review.

Do figures, tables, graphs, diagrams, and pictures included in my proposal count toward the seven-page maximum, or can they be counted as separate pages?

All figures, tables, graphs, diagrams, pictures, etc. count toward the maximum page limit.

What do you mean by an “imaginary biosketch” of a typical trainee?

An “imaginary biosketch” is a mock biosketch or a curriculum vita that describes what you imagine the background, training, and future career pathways would be of a typical trainee from the proposed program.

Do I have to submit the Scientific Abstract for both the LOI and the Full Application?

Yes, but you may submit the same Scientific Abstract for both the LOI and the Full Application.

Does an institution have to create a new program or can the base of the new program be on a developed program?

An institution may create a program based on a developed program. It would be expected that the program would be operational in a shorter amount of time than a newly created program.

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

The Signature Page is labeled "Grant Application" and summarizes the information from all the sections of the application and provides signature lines for the Applicant, the Institutional Signing Official and the Co-director of the program. The Signature Page must be printed, signatures obtained, the page scanned in electronically, and uploaded as a required attachment of the LOI and the full application.

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

Can I print the Signature Page Form prior to completing my application in order to obtain the required signatures on 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
   Nomination Institution and Contacts
   Supporters/Recommendors

As long as all data has been entered correctly in these sections, the Signature Page Form will contain all required information.

Who needs to sign the Signature Form?

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

• The Applicant (Co-Director whose institution will administer the award) – in the signature box marked “Signature of Applicant.”
• The second Co-Director– in the signature box marked “Signature of Co-Director .”
• The Official responsible for sponsored programs at the institution administering the award – 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 and Contacts screen.

Can I fax the Signature Page by the application deadline?

No. Faxed documents will not be accepted. The Signature Page with signatures must be received electronically by BWF via proposalCENTRAL by 4:00 p.m. Eastern Time, on March 2, 2009.

Is it acceptable/required that a hard copy with original signatures be sent to BWF?

No. Do not send a hard copy of the Signature Page to BWF. Electronic signatures are required.

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

The Signature Page is automatically populated with data 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.).

Do I have to submit the Signature Page for both the LOI and the Full Application?

Yes, you will need to include the Signature Page for both the LOI and the Full Application, with the same three signatures required for both.

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.

If you have Adobe Acrobat on your system, you can complete the form online, save the form to your system, and upload it to proposalCENTRAL. If you ONLY have Adobe Reader (free software) on your system, complete the form, print the pages, scan them back in, and upload them to proposalCENTRAL. You can also complete the MS Word version of the forms, convert to PDF and upload.

Note that the Signature Page Form must be signed, and therefore must be printed out, signed, scanned back in, and uploaded as a PDF.

For complete instructions on converting documents to PDF files, refer to the Prepare and Submit a Proposal below (PDF).

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. For instructions on how to un-submit a proposal, refer to the Prepare and Submit a Proposal (PDF).

Are there font or margin requirements for the institutional proposals?

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

Do I have to use the templates provided on the proposalCENTRAL site?

Yes, use of the templates is required. If you have Adobe Acrobat on your system, you can complete the forms online, save them to your system, and upload them to proposalCENTRAL. If you ONLY have Adobe Reader (free software) on your system, complete the forms, print the pages, scan them back in, and upload them to proposalCENTRAL. You can also complete the MS Word version of the forms, convert to PDF, and upload them.

For complete instructions on converting documents to PDF files, refer to the Prepare and Submit a Proposal (PDF).