Research and Innovation Office

Extramural Coordinated Funding


UM Submission Instructions: Individual Biomedical Research Award 2019

Sponsor: Hartwell Foundation
Award Title: Individual Biomedical Research Award
Amount: $300,000
$100,000/year for three years
UM Deadline: 08/09/2019
Sponsor Deadline: 09/15/2019
Description: All Nominees must submit a detailed research proposal that is consistent with the mission of the Foundation to fund early-stage, cutting-edge applied biomedical research that has the potential to benefit children of the United States. Proposals must address either a specific unmet clinical need or a strategic problem in biomedical research. Translational biomedical research targets unmet medical need by exploiting insight, discovery, or innovation derived from applied research and clinical observations; providing a guide for diagnosis, intervention, or prevention, including clinical trials. Translational research success often has the potential to impact directly healthcare outcomes. By contrast, strategic research addresses an unmet need in medicine or technology by targeting an enabling approach, which if successful will lead to essential advances and benefits that make it possible for others to broaden the systematic examination of an uncharted area of applied science or facilitate focused development of innovation. Strategic research success has the potential to reshape a complex technical problem that may also accelerate clinical and translational research.

The Foundation will not fund basic research motivated by a desire to extend fundamental knowledge, with long-delayed or unpredictable benefits, including research in public health, epidemiology, social science, psychology, ecology, environmental impacts, botany, or anthropology. The Foundation will not consider research in areas of medicine generally associated with adult health unless there is a particularly compelling benefit to children of the United States.
Number of Applicants University is Allowed to submit: 2
Additional Requirements: None
Sponsor Guidelines: https://drive.google.com/open?id=1Z9tfeVuymjHtCQw_vCxqZSxKTgT-ZOl3
UM Nominations Process: The UMN can submit up to two nominees (one of whom must hold an MD degree). Anyone interested in applying should submit the following preproposal items as a single pdf document to povo0006@umn.edu no later than 4pm on August 9th:

1) Brief cover letter describing your credentials and stage of career development that make you competitive for this program.
2) Updated NIH biosketch.
3) One page description of the proposed research project; paying strict attention to the HF expectations for the type of research considered for support (see pages 1 and 2 in the attached guidelines document from the HF), and clearly describing the difference between the current proposal and projects supported by federal/national funding.

Decisions will be made by August 15th. Questions can be sent to Scottie Povolny, povo0006@umn.edu.
Peer Review Coordination: Academic Health Center contact email
Status: The internal deadline has passed but no applicants were selected. Please contact the office coordinating the peer review for more information.
Please note: To be considered for peer review and internal selection, faculty must follow the above submission guidelines and meet the UM deadline as set by the office coordinating the peer review for this opportunity.



General Information

  • Each posting has information about the external sponsor and opportunity as well as the internal application instructions.
  • Opportunities can be sorted by column headings; just click on the heading to re-sort by that column.
  • When a link redirects you to another site, it opens in a new browser window.
  • If you know of an opportunity that is not on the list, please contact Robyn Kennedy.
Column Descriptions

  • Sponsor: redirects you to the sponsor's main website
  • Title/Guidelines: redirects you to sponsor specific information regarding the opportunity which may include description, eligibility, budget instructions, forms and other requirements
  • Amount: Maximum dollar amount awarded.
  • Add’l Req: Identifies special requirements such as cost sharing, partners, etc.
  • Sponsor Deadline: External deadline identified by the sponsor.
  • UM Submission Instructions: Contains specific internal submission requirements including internal proposal instructions, deadline, eligibility, internal nomination process, contact information.
  • # Apps: The maximum number of applications the sponsor will allow the university to submit.
  • UM Deadline: Submission deadline for internal proposal as determined by the coordinating office.
  • Status:
    • Open: UM deadline has not passed and the opportunity is open for application.
    • In Review: Peer review process is in progress for the opportunity.
    • PI Selected: The PI has been selected as the official UM nominee.
    • Closed: Sponsor deadline has passed and the opportunity is closed for application.
U of M Submission Instructions (Required)

This link includes summary sponsor information, specific instructions for internal submission and contact information for the university office coordinating the nomination process.

  • Follow the directions in the submission instructions and submit required materials by the UM deadline to the contact indicated.
  • Instructions vary according to the requirements of the sponsor and the university office coordinating the nomination process.
Registration (optional)

Registration is an optional but highly recommended feature. Perhaps you are looking for a wider audience for your proposal idea, or for potential collaborators to work with to create a stronger application. Registration allows applicants to share proposal ideas and post contact information.

Registration also provides information that helps the university office overseeing the nomination to determine the level of coordination needed and guide the review process.

To register (or view registrants), click on the UM Submission Instructions for a specific opportunity, then click on the Register Interest link.

Selection Process

  • Once the internal deadline has passed, the status will change to “In Review” and proposals will undergo review.
  • If there are multiple applicants, the office managing the nomination will determine the review criteria and coordinate the review process.
  • Once review has been completed all parties will be notified via email.
  • Nominees will be provided with a letter addressed to the sponsor from the RIO indicating that they are the university's nominee. This letter should accompany the nominee's proposal.
  • SPA is notified of the university's nominee(s) and the status is updated to “PI Selected”.


*If you have questions about the University's process related to extramural funding opportunities requiring nomination or if you have any technical issues with the site, contact collabor8@umn.edu.

For questions, please contact RIO's Research Advancement group.