Preterm Birth Initiative

Application Deadlines:

Planning Grant/Letter of Intent:  June 1, 2009
Full Research Grant (by invitation only):  December 1, 2010

Accepting electronic application only.

Grant Application/Signature Page Form
Sections of the LOI Requiring Data Entry on proposalCENTRAL
Sections of the LOI Requiring upload of Attachments on proposalCENTRAL

Candidates must print the two-page Signature Page Form from the proposalCENTRAL web site.  The form is a PDF file that is populated with information you completed in various proposal sections of the online application.  Not all data fields available on the electronic form will be completed, although field labels will appear.

Information on this form is obtained from the following sections on proposalCENTRAL:

• Title Page
• Applicant Information (An applicant is the principal investigator whose institution will administer the award)
• Nominating Institution and Contacts
• Supporters Contact Information

Do not attempt to change or manually enter information directly onto the printed hard copy of the form.  To correct any data on the Signature Page Form, you must go back to the appropriate proposal section online and edit the data there.

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

• The Applicant (Principal Investigator whose institution will be administering the award) - in the signature box marked "Signature of Applicant."
• The Official responsible for sponsored programs at the institution that will administer 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 Institution & Contacts screen.
• There may be other signature boxes marked "Additional Signature," which is not used for this program.  Only two signatures are required.

Page two of the Signature Page Form contains the contact information for the PI and the partners/collaborators.  The two-page Signature Page Form must be uploaded as a PDF in the "Attachments" section of the proposal.

Title Page
Enter the project title for the principal investigator's application.  Do not exceed 120 characters.  Select the total amount requested for the Planning Grant.

Applicant Information
Contact information will be preloaded from your professional profile.  You should verify the accuracy of this information before submitting an application.

Institution and Contacts
Information for the institutional contact who will sign the Signature Page Form is required.  The contact will be either the official responsible for sponsored programs, or the signing official.  Applicants are responsible for ensuring that the institution's name and the institutional contact are correctly entered.

If your degree-granting institution is not currently registered in proposalCENTRAL, contact your sponsored programs office (or equivalent) and request that your institution be added.  Your institutional official may contact proposalCENTRAL for assistance.

Supporters Contact Information
Provide contact information only for all partners or collaborators to this proposal (maximum of 10 including PI).  At least one member of the team must have training and expertise outside the traditional areas of reproductive science.

Biosketch (template provided)
A biosketch/CV of the Principal Investigator and at least one scientist working outside the area of reproductive science, and any collaborators/partners must accompany the LOI. An NIH-style biosketch template is provided.  Each biosketch should not exceed four pages.  Do not exceed 10 biosketches. Biosketches must be uploaded as PDF files.

Scientific Abstract (template required; one page)
Using the emplate provided on proposalCENTRAL, describe the proposed work in a scientific abstract that is understandable to a multidisciplinary group of scientifc reviewers.

Research Summary (no more than five pages, including figures, tables, graphs, and images)
Your summary should describe the interdisciplinary nature of the proposal, the research plan, and the impact of the work on preterm birth or parturition.  It should be a complete, cohesive, and coherent scientific document that is easy to read and tells a story.

Use a standard 11- or 12-point font for the text, and no smaller than a 9- to 10-point font for figures, legends, and tables.  The font size requirement for the text will be strictly enforced.  Text must be single-spaced, with one-inch or larger margins on all sides.  Number the pages of the research summary.  Do not include a table of contents or appendices.  A bibliography is not considered part of the five-page limit.

Budget (template required)
Using the template provided on proposalCENTRAL, provide a budget that explains how the planning grant will be spent.  List proposed research expenses in general categories (e.g., equipment, consumable supplies, travel, etc.).  No indirect costs may be charged against this planning grant.

The two-page Grant Application/Signature Page Form, the biosketches, abstract, research summary, and budget must be electronically submitted by 4:00 p.m. Eastern Time, June 1, 2009.  All required fields in the electronic application must also be completed and submitted by 4:00 p.m. Eastern Time, June 1, 2009.  Applications not submitted electronically will be returned and not reviewed. 

A Full Research Grant application is by invitation only. If invited, you will be notified and additional instructions will be provided at that time.