Can I contact BWF to determine my eligibility?
Applicants are responsible for reading the published guidelines and FAQs to determine eligibility. The FAQs are updated regularly in response to questions received. BWF staff will do their best to respond to every inquiry but will prioritize questions not already clearly addressed in the published guidelines. Please do not contact BWF to ask if we can make an exception to clearly stated guidelines. To ensure a timely response, please email your questions to the program contacts provided.

I do not have a tenure-track position. Am I eligible for this award?
Possibly, as long as you hold a faculty appointment or adjunct faculty appointment at a non-profit institution in the U.S. or Canada, which may include degree-granting institutions, research institutes, and teaching hospitals affiliated with academic degree-granting institutions. You do not need to hold a tenure-track position.

I’m currently a postdoc. Am I eligible for this award?
No.

I am a temporary resident of the United States. Am I eligible for this award?
Possibly. Temporary residents of the U.S. who are legally qualified to work in the U.S. are eligible. Candidates who are temporary U.S. residents must hold a valid U.S. visa (J-1, H1B, F-1 or O-1 visas). If a grant is awarded and your visa does not allow for such a stay, BWF may terminate the grant. BWF will not intercede on behalf of non-citizens whose stay in the U.S. may be limited by their visa status.

I am a temporary resident of Canada. Am I eligible for this award?
Possibly. Temporary residents of Canada who are legally qualified to work in Canada are eligible. Temporary Canadian residents must hold a valid Canadian visa (Study Permit, C-43, C44, C-10, or C-20 work permits/visas). If a grant is awarded and your visa does not allow for such a stay, BWF may terminate the grant. BWF will not intercede on behalf of non-citizens whose stay in the U.S. may be limited by their visa status.

The eligibility requirements mention that the primary investigator must be based at a non-profit institution [501(c3) or equivalent] in the U.S. or Canada. What is a 501(c)(3)?According to the U.S. Internal Revenue Code, a 501(c)(3) organization is an American tax-exempt, nonprofit organization. Almost all degree-granting institutions are classified as such, as are most research institutes and teaching hospitals. You must check with your institutional officials, usually called the grants and contracts office or the sponsored programs office, etc., to confirm your institution’s classification. BWF cannot make this determination for you.

I’m at an independent research institute. Am I eligible for this award?
Possibly. You must be based at a non-profit institution [501(c)(3) or equivalent] in the U.S. or Canada, and hold a faculty appointment, or adjunct faculty appointment, at the institution. If you have such an appointment and your research institute is a non-profit institution [501(c)(3) or equivalent] in the U.S. or Canada, you are eligible. Examples of such institutions may include but are not limited to degree-granting institutions, research institutes, and teaching hospitals affiliated with academic degree-granting institutions.

I’m a past BWF grantee. Am I eligible for this award?
Yes, as long as you meet all the eligibility requirements for the program.

Is the BWF application deadline firm?
Yes, the application deadline is firm.

Do I need to submit a preproposal prior to submitting a full application?
No. We are no longer requesting a preproposal for the Innovation in Regulatory Awards program.

Can I submit a paper application?
No. BWF requires that all applications for this program be submitted electronically. Paper applications will not be accepted.

Can I submit more than one application?
No.

Do I need to be nominated by my institution to submit a proposal?
No. You may self-nominate for the proposal. All applications must be approved by an official responsible for sponsored programs at the institution where the work will be performed (generally from the institution’s grants and contracts office, office of research, or sponsored programs office).

I am a permanent resident. What documentation is required to verify my residency status?
BWF does not require documentation of your permanent residency for the proposal. Your institution must verify your permanent residency status by certifying the eligibility of your application upon signing the proposal.

Can I include cover letters or supplemental materials with my proposal?
Do not include a cover letter or supplemental materials. If extra materials are included, your proposal will be rejected out of fairness to all applicants.

Can I change my application once it is submitted?
After a proposal has been submitted, applicants have the option to unsubmit it to make changes, if necessary, only if:  1. The application deadline hasn’t passed; 2. BWF has not already routed the application to a committee for review.

If an applicant needs to edit an application, please review the instructions on page 27 for “Unsubmitting An Application” in the “How to Create an Application Using Proposal Central” guide accessible at this link https://docs.proposalcentral.com/CreateApp.pdf.

What internet browsers are compatible with the BWF Grant Submission System?
Most internet browsers are compatible with the Grant Submission System including, Internet Explorer, Mozilla Firefox, Safari (for Mac), and Google Chrome.

I forgot my user ID/password. What should I do?
For a forgotten password or user ID, access the grant submission system log-in screen and click the forgotten password link.

Can co-investigators be located at different institutions?
Yes. However, the primary investigator must be based at a non-profit institution [501(c3)] in the U.S. or Canada, which will be the administering institution for the award. The primary investigator must meet all eligibility requirements for the program.

Do I need to complete an application in one session?
No, you can start an application and return later to complete it. When beginning a new application, you are required to establish a login and password. At any time during the application process, you may click the "save and close" button, exit the application, and return later.