Eligibility

What are the updated priority areas for the 2025-2026 application cycle?

The updated priority areas BWF aims to support include underlying mechanisms of normal pregnancy, preeclampsia, preterm birth, and late term pregnancy loss (projects focused on miscarriage at 10 weeks or less and infertility related loss are beyond the scope of this mechanism). These conditions remain both pervasive challenges in reproductive medicine and persistently underexplored in reproductive biology. We especially welcome applications focused on subtyping adverse pregnancy outcomes, investigating maternal–fetal interactions, and integrating animal models with clinical outcomes.

Can I contact BWF to determine my eligibility?

It is the responsibility of applicants to read the published guidelines and FAQs to determine eligibility before contacting BWF staff. If you have questions, a unique training path, or experiences that are not fully addressed, you may contact the NGP team (ngp@bwfund.org) for guidance.

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 request an exception to clearly stated guidelines. 

I do not have a tenure-track position. Am I eligible for this award?

Possibly. If you hold a faculty appointment, or adjunct faculty appointment, at a public or private non-profit research institution in the U.S. or Canada, you may be eligible. Please contact the NGP team (ngp@bwfund.org) for guidance.

I’m currently a postdoc. Am I eligible for this award?

Possibly. Postdoctoral fellows nearing transition to independent investigator status are welcome to contact program staff directly at ngp@bwfund.org about their planned proposal, competitiveness for the award, transfer to a new institution, and other questions that may arise.

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 public or private non-profit institution in the U.S. or Canada, and the application requires an IRS Determination Letter indicating the institution is recognized as a 501(c)(3) or equivalent. 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. You will need to check with your institutional officials, typically referred to as the grants and contracts office or the sponsored programs office, to confirm your institution’s classification. BWF cannot make this determination on your behalf.

I am at an independent research institute. Am I eligible for this award?

Possibly. You must be based at a non-profit institution [501(c3) or equivalent] in the U.S. or Canada, and hold a faculty appointment or adjunct faculty appointment. 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.

I am a past BWF grantee. Am I eligible for this award?

Yes, as long as you meet all the program's eligibility requirements. Current or active BWF Preterm Birth grant or Next Generation Pregnancy award recipients are not eligible to reapply. If you currently hold another BWF award, assuming all eligibility criteria are met, you may apply, but you will not be allowed to hold more than one BWF competitive award concurrently.

Former BWF Preterm Birth or Next Generation Pregnancy Initiative award recipients whose grant has been completed may reapply for another award provided the proposal submitted is a substantially different proposal (must not be a continuation or slight modification of previous work). The principal investigator must demonstrate successful outcomes and highlight significant achievements from the earlier award.

Application Submission

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.

ProposalCentral

Can I modify my application after it has been submitted?

Changes may be made up until the deadline date.  After that time, changes may not be made to the proposal.

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.

Are indirect costs allowable?

Indirect costs may not be charged against the awards. Institutional overhead may not be charged against BWF grants.

How much preliminary data should applicants have? Does this award require a substantial amount, similar to an R01?

BWF does not have a particular threshold requirement for being competitive for this award. BWF is very flexible and specifically aim to take on less developed and/or riskier projects than would be competitive for an R01. This award targets projects that have a solid basis for expanded study and could leverage NGPI award funds to build a stronger foundation of evidence, making them more competitive for an R01 or other larger grant mechanism.

I have multiple collaborators as part of my proposal. If we are invited to the interview stage of the application process, do I need to have those collaborators available during the interview or only me as the primary PI?

No, only one person per team is allowed to interview, and it should be the primary PI.

I would like to include support for a collaboration(s) with an investigator or data collection outside the US or Canada in my proposal. Is this allowed?

Possibly. If the primary PI is based at and applying through their home institution, which is a public or private non-profit institution in the U.S. or Canada recognized as a 501(c)(3) or equivalent, support for an international collaboration and/or data collection can be considered.

Updated: 30 September 2025