Printable Version: Eligibility and Application Process

Project Eligibility
Applicant Eligibility
The Application Procedure
Review Criteria and Schedule
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Additional Resources

I. About the HMS Fund for Women's Health Grants

The HMS Fund for Women's Health provides one-year grants for $30,000 each to help eligible Harvard faculty initiate new, collaborative, inter-institutional projects in basic research, clinical research, health services research, population sciences research, or educational program development in any area of women's health or understanding the advancement of women in academic medicine. The HMS Center of Excellence in Women's Health will provide awardees with the opportunity for additional career mentorship and support in women's health research.

Grant funds can be used for salary and fringe benefit support, as well as essential supplies and equipment. The Fund does not support salary and fringe benefits for secretarial and clerical staff, travel, publication costs, or indirect costs.

Awardees must provide evidence of submission of IRB and/or IACUC approval applications by September 6, 2005. Funds will not be disbursed until the HMS Center of Excellence in Women's Health office receives documentation of IRB and/or IACUC approval.

The awardees are expected to showcase their projects at site visits by the HMS Center of Excellence in Women's Health sponsor, the Office on Women's Health/Department of Health and Human Services, and/or at the HMS Center of Excellence in Women's Health events and conferences. A final report including all abstracts and/or manuscripts resulting from the grant will be required within 3 months of the end of the granting period.

II. Project Eligibility

1. Applications must be novel and focus on women's health issues including studies in any area of research that are unique to women, studies in which it is critical to include women in the study population, and gender biology research or educational programs that have the potential to advance women's health education for students, residents, or faculty. Applications that focus on issues of particular concern to minority and disadvantaged groups are encouraged.

2. Applications must include collaboration between investigators at two systems or institutions that are a part of Harvard Medical School's Center of Excellence in Women's Health. The Principal Investigator and Principal Co-Investigator must come from institutions indicated in separate columns below (e.g., column A must collaborate with column B, C, D, E, F, G, H, or I).

Junior faculty, minority, and women investigators are especially encouraged to apply.

If you are looking for researchers from other Harvard Institutions to partner with, please visit Harvard Medical School's Center of Excellence in Women's Health's "Women's Health Research Community" and search the database for faculty leads.

III. Applicant Eligibility

The Principal Investigator and Principal Co-Investigator must each have a doctoral degree (M.D. or Ph.D., or equivalent) and must have completed their postdoctoral training by the award date. They both must have a Harvard faculty appointment at the time of the award, ranging from the level of Instructor through Assistant Professor. Investigators currently finishing their postdoctoral training are eligible only if they include a letter from their prospective Department Chairs that confirms their faculty appointment offer and departmental support for the project by the time of the award period. The PI and Co-PI must each provide evidence that at least 5% of his/her professional time is available for the proposed project and this must be confirmed by the Department Chair or Division Chief. Previous grantees may apply provided that they still meet the aforementioned eligibility requirements and submit a proposal for a new research project.

IV. Application and Submission Procedure

A. Letter of Intent
A letter of intent is required for each project. The letter of intent must be submitted via an electronic form on the HMS Center of Excellence in Women's Health website by 3pm on April 11, 2005. View Letter of Intent

B. The Completed Application
The Application must be emailed to Lindsay Giorgi, Program Coordinator at the HMS Center of Excellence in Women's Health by 3pm on May 2, 2005. Email Address: Lindsay_Giorgi@hms.harvard.edu.

The Department Chair/Division Chief Letter must be received by Lindsay Giorgi by 3pm on May 2, 2005 as well.
Fax Number: (617) 525-7756
Mailing Address:
Lindsay Giorgi
Harvard Medical School's Center of Excellence in Women's Health
c/o Brigham and Women's Hospital
1620 Tremont Street
Boston, MA 02120
Email Address: Lindsay_Giorgi@hms.harvard.edu

View HMS Fund Application

A completed application must include the following:

1. A descriptive title of the proposed project; names of PI, Principal Co-Investigator and other co-investigators; academic ranks; and primary institutional affiliations of all investigators. As per NIH guidelines, it is assumed that the appointment at the primary institutional affiliation indicated is full-time; if this is not the case the percent effort should be provided. If there are multiple institutional affiliations, percent effort should be provided for each affiliation.

2. Abstract of 250 words or less.

3. Project plan.

A. For Research Projects (5 single-spaced page limit for parts a-e)
a. Specific Aims.
b. Background and Significance.
c. Preliminary Studies.
d. Project Design and Methods.
e. Limitations and Alternatives.
f. References.

-or-

B. For Educational Projects (5 single-spaced page limit for parts a-e)
a. Objectives.
b. Background and Significance.
c. Preliminary Work; Pilot Curricula.
d. Project Design and Methods.
e. Evaluation Plan.
f. References.

Maximum 3 single-spaced page limit for items 4 through 6.

4. Description of how the project will fulfill the criteria outlined in section II.1.

5. Description of collaboration with other Harvard Medical School's Center of Excellence in Women's Health institutions as indicated in section II.2.

6. Strategy planned for expanding this project to a larger effort.

7. Information about current mentors including extent of contact and support, extent to which current work is independent of mentor, ways in which the project will facilitate independence in future research grants, and expectation of mentor's ongoing support and supervision with this and other projects. This information should be provided for both the Principal Investigator and Co-Principal Investigator.

8. Budget and justification - please indicate how the funds will be allocated - institution, % effort, salary, fringe rate.

9. Biographical sketches of the principal investigator and key personnel (NIH biosketch format).

10. List of all sources of other major support (current and pending) for research and/or project development activities for the Principal Investigator. Provide name of funding source (federal, non-profit, commercial and/or other), title of project, role of applicant, percent time devoted to each project, inclusive dates of funding, and annual award total.

11. Letter of support from Department Chair or Division Chief for both the Principal Investigator and Co-Principal Investigator. These letters must address the academic commitment to the applicant, the availability of adequate space and facilities necessary to conduct the proposed project, and the commitment of the Department/Division to provide protected time for the applicant to conduct the proposed project at the level of effort proposed.

Applicants currently finishing their postdoctoral training are eligible only if they include a letter from their prospective Department Chairs that confirms their faculty appointment offer and departmental support for the project by the time of the award period.

12. Other letters of support to indicate that necessary collaborations are in place for reagents, access to patient populations, etc. to complete this project.

13. Voluntary Submission of Personal Data for Principal Investigator and Co-Principal Investigator. View NIH Personal Data form

V. Review Criteria and Schedule

Applications will be judged by the Harvard Medical School Fund for Women's Health Review Board and the results announced by mid-July 2005. The project start date is September 6, 2005, though awardees may begin immediately after award notification if no IRB or IACUC approvals are needed. Awardees must provide evidence of submission of IRB and/or IACUC approval applications by September 6, 2005. Funds will not be disbursed until the HMS Center of Excellence in Women's Health office receives documentation of IRB and/or IACUC approval.

Applications will be judged according to the following criteria:

1. Soundness and feasibility of project design/evaluation plan.
2. Promotion of collaboration among Harvard institutions.
3. Focus on issues of particular concern to minority and disadvantaged groups.
4. Focus on important issues in women's health that are not routinely supported by other funding mechanisms.
5. Likelihood that this award will help lead to an expanded effort.
6. Evidence of mentorship and supportive environment.
7. Academic career enhancement for women and minority faculty.

Apply Now!
Letter of Intent Form
Application Materials

Additional Resources:
HMS Center of Excellence in Women's Health Fact Sheet
Women's Health Research Community (to help identify faculty partner)
Previous HMS Fund Awardees