Can I contact BWF to determine my eligibility?
It is the responsibility of applicants to read 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 those questions that are 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.

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 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 an accredited, degree-granting institution in the U.S. or Canada.

I’m currently a postdoc. Am I eligible for this award?
Maybe. 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). 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, 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(c3) or equivalent] in the U.S. or Canada, and hold a faculty appointment, or adjunct faculty appointment, at an accredited, degree-granting institution in the U.S. or Canada. If you hold 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’m a past BWF grantee. Am I eligible for this award?
Yes, as long as you meet all the eligibility requirements for the program. Current or active BWF Preterm Birth grant or Next Generation Pregnancy award recipients are not eligible to reapply.

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.

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 not requesting a preproposal for the Next Gen Pregnancy Initiative 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 submitted?
Changes may be made up until the deadline date.  After that time, changes may not be made to the proposal.

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.

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 high amount, like 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 more solid basis of evidence to be 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 main PI?
No, only one person per team is allowed to interview, and it should be the primary PI.