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 Translational Research Clinical Scientist Awards in Translational Research Frequently Asked Questions
My institution does not have tenure. Am I eligible for this award? Possibly. Applications from institutions that do not offer tenure must demonstrate an extremely strong institutional commitment, congruent to the level of commitment that is traditionally dedicated to tenure-track hires. This institutional commitment should be stated in the Sponsor's Letter of Nomination. I do not have a tenure track position. Am I eligible for this award? Possibly. Exceptions are made for departments/institutions that do not offer tenure to anyone at any level, a common situation in clinical departments at many universities. Applications from institutions that do not offer tenure must demonstrate an extremely strong institutional commitment, congruent to the level of commitment that is traditionally dedicated to tenure-track hires. This institutional commitment should be stated in the Sponsor's Letter of Nomination. I am at an independent research institute. Am I eligible for this award? Possibly. You must be nominated by a degree-granting institution, so you must apply through a university affiliated with your research institute. Also, if you receive an award, the university affiliated with the research institute must agree to administer the award. Nominations will not be accepted from federal facilities or research institutes that are not affiliated with a degree-granting institution. This policy is non-negotiable. I am in the process of applying for permanent residency in the United States. Am I eligible for this award? No. The application candidate must either have a Permanent Resident Card (green card) in hand or a current passport stamped with a red I-551 stamp. I have applied for permanent residency in the United States and have not received my Permanent Resident Card. Am I eligible for this award? Only if your current passport was stamped with a red I-551 stamp would you be eligible for this award. I am a temporary U.S./Canadian resident. Am I eligible for this award? No. I have been an associate professor for four years. Is that considered the "early associate professor" level? No. Someone is considered at the early associate professor level when they are no more than two years past their promotion. What is meant by "candidates must present evidence of having established an independent research career"? Candidates who have established an independent research career will have an R01 and a number of senior-author publications in peer-reviewed journals. I have a Ph.D. degree. Am I eligible for this award? No. Candidates must have a medical degree and hold a current license to practice medicine in the U.S. or Canada. I hold a current license to practice medicine in a country other than the U.S. or Canada. Am I eligible for this award? No. Candidates must hold a current license to practice medicine in the U.S. or Canada. Must grantees devote at least 75% of their time to the project proposed with this application? No. Grantees are required to spend at least 75% of their time in research-related activities in general. Time spent can be spread over multiple projects. Are awardees permitted to have other simultaneous funding, for example, from the National Institutes of Health (e.g. R01) or another foundation? Yes If I have a question about my eligibility for this program, whom can I contact for help? For answers to eligibility issues not covered in the program guidelines or the FAQs, please contact Debi Vought, senior program associate, by email or by phone 919/991-5116. Questions regarding whether your work falls within the scope of the program may be directed to the senior program officer, Nancy Sung, Ph.D., by email or by phone 919/991-5120. How do I go about getting a nomination from my University/Institution? Each university selects its nominees differently. Usually it is through the dean's office or the grants office. In addition, your department chair may be an integral part of the nominating process at your institution. You must secure your university's nomination before submitting an application. I am not a U.S. or Canadian citizen. How does my institution “verify my current residency status”? If you are a permanent resident of the U.S. or Canada, your current residency status must be verified by your nominating institution. To verify your current residency status, the Institutional Nomination form must be printed, completed and signed by the nominating institution’s grants office, then sent in hard copy form to BWF for receipt by the application deadline. The Institutional Nomination form can be found on proposalCENTRAL in the “Download Templates and Instructions” section or in the “Research Plan and Other Attachments” section. 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. Both forms, with the original signatures, are due to BWF for receipt 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 propsalCENTRAL 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 support letters be sent separately? No. All recommendation letters (three are required) must be uploaded and attached to your application in time for the application to be submitted electronically by the application deadline. Faxed or emailed letters will not be accepted. 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, M.D., Ph.D. Can letters of collaboration be included in the application? Yes. Candidates can include up to three documents – one document for a coinvestigator and one document for each collaborator (up to two). Each document should include a one-page statement or letter and a four-page NIH-style biosketch for each person. These documents do not need to be confidential, and therefore, should be uploaded by the candidate. One document for the coinvestigator (if named) and one document for each of the collaborators may be attached to the application as a PDF file—each document should contain both the letter and the biosketch for that person. If such documents are included, the relevant collaborative situations should be described in the research plan. How serious are you about the page limit on the research plan? All applicants must stay within the 10-page limit. 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. What about figures, tables, graphs, diagrams, pictures included in my research plan? Are they included in the 10-page limit or can they be included separately? All figures, tables, graphs, diagrams, pictures, etc., included in your research plan count toward the 10-page limit for the plan. For tips on including these items in your electronic document, refer to the Tips for Formatting Text and Images. If I attach a bibliography to my application, does it count toward the ten-page limit of the research plan? No, it is considered part of the supporting materials and should be submitted as a separate document. However, graphs, charts, diagrams, and pictures do count toward the ten-page maximum. Are indirect costs allowed? No indirect costs may be charged against the grant. What is the two-page Signature Page form? The two-page Signature Page form summarizes the information from all the data entry sections of the application and provides signature lines for the Applicant and the Dean or Department Chair who wrote your Letter of Nomination. 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 the application deadline. BWF strongly recommends using a courier service to send the Signature Page form. Faxed and electronic Signature Pages 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:
Can I print the Signature Page 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:
As long as all data has been entered correctly in these sections, the two-page 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 is incorrect. How do I correct it? All of the data that prints on the Signature Page was entered in the various proposal sections found in the grey 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. 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 form. What is the Institutional Nomination form? The Institutional Nomination form 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 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. 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 the application deadline. Two people must sign the Signature Page form:
One person must sign the Institutional Nomination form:
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 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) For delivery by U.S. Postal Service 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. Iinstructions on converting documents to PDF files are available in the Prepare and Submit a Proposal document on the BWF website and on proporalCENTRAL. 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, make changes and resubmit it at any time prior to the application deadline (4:00 p.m., Eastern Time, on the application deadline). After that time, an application cannot be changed. If you have any problems, please contact propsalCENTRAL customer support by email or by phone 1-800-875-2562 (toll free). When will I be notified as to whether I have been selected as a finalist? All applicants will be notified by early February. Finalist interviews will be conducted in early March. What are my chances of receiving a Clinical Scientist Award in Translational Research? Over its nine-year history, the success rate for this award is 8%, which makes this program quite competitive. Who were the successful applicants in past competitions? See a list of “Grant Recipients.” If I’m having trouble with the electronic application, whom can I contact for help? For problems with the electronic application, contact propsalCENTRAL customer support by email at pcsupport@altum.com or phone 1-800-875-2562 (toll free). If I have questions about a particular program guideline, whom do I contact for help? For questions regarding eligibility, nomination, or application content, contact Debi Vought, senior program associate, at 919/991-5116. |
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