C2S Student Research Grant Program

Cells to Society (C2S): The Center on Social Disparities and Health at the Institute for Policy Research is pleased to announce a Student Research Grant Program, supported by a Developmental Infrastructure for Population Research award from NICHD. Although the program is directed primarily toward graduate students, post-doctoral research fellows may also apply. In both cases, a Northwestern University faculty member associated with the Cells to Society Center (known as a “C2S faculty sponsor”) must review and endorse the application, help to oversee the project, and approve the final report when the project is complete. For a list of faculty associated with C2S, see http://www.northwestern.edu/ipr/c2s/people.html.

The purpose of the program is to provide funds to support the use of biomarker methods in graduate student and post-doctoral research projects, and to encourage the incorporation of biomarker methods into the future research programs of award recipients.

Student investigators may request up to $5,000 to support their research. Separate funds have been set aside for “rapid response” requests of $2,000 or less. Proposals will be evaluated by the C2S director as well as two members of the C2S executive committee. The deadline for grant applications is April 17, 2009. A committee of C2S faculty will review applications and award 1 or 2 grants. Notification will occur by May 18, 2009.

Any Northwestern University Graduate Student or Post-doctoral research fellow may apply, provided their application is endorsed by a C2S faculty sponsor.

Submit the following documents to apply:

Research proposal: A four-page proposal following a shortened NIH format. Include specific aims, background and significance, pilot research design and methods, and relation of this research to the student’s broader research program and future career goals. Shorter two-page proposals may be submitted for “Rapid response” requests, involving a shorter review process.

• Biosketch, in NIH format, of student and of faculty sponsor.

• Budget and justification (one page)

• Other current research support for the project.

• Letter of support from faculty sponsor endorsing the application and the project and committing to oversee the ethical and scientific conduct of the research and to review the final report prior to its submission to C2S.

Proposals will be evaluated based on their scientific merit, feasibility, relevance to the C2S Biomarker Core and C2S signature research themes, and the likelihood that seed grant support will advance the students’ core research program and move that program in the direction of biomarker-related research.

Email all documents to C2S administrator Patricia Lasley (p-lasley@northwestern.edu).