Please note, only TWO applications from each BWH department (and TWO applications from each division within the Department of Medicine) will be accepted for this limited submission, invitational funding opportunity. Please seek approval from you department chair or division chief before submiting your application.

The W.M. Keck Foundation Medical Research Awards support projects that are distinctive and novel in their approach, question the prevailing paradigm, or have the potential to break open new territory in their field. The program prioritizes projects that:

• Focus on important and emerging areas of research
• Have the potential to develop breakthrough technologies, instrumentation or methodologies
• Are innovative, distinctive and interdisciplinary
• Demonstrate a high level of risk due to unconventional approaches, or by challenging the prevailing paradigm
• Have the potential for transformative impact, such as the founding of a new field of research, the enabling of observations not previously possible, or the altered perception of a previously intractable problem
• Does not focus on clinical or translational research, treatment trials or research for the sole purpose of drug development
• Fall outside the mission of public funding agencies
• Demonstrate that private philanthropy generally, and the W. M. Keck Foundation in particular, is essential to the project’s success

Grant abastracts for successfully funded projects in the past can be found here: http://www.wmkeck.org/grant-programs/research/medical-research-grant-abstracts

To be considered for this award mechanism, you will need to submit a single paged research concept paper in 12 point font with 1 inch margins that includes:

• an overview of the proposed project emphasizing any unique aspects and pilot studies (for Research Program concepts, indicate area of emphasis for project - medical research or science and engineering research)
• a description of the methodologies and key personnel
• a brief justification of the need for Keck support
• an estimated budget broken down, if possible, by major areas, e.g., personnel, equipment, consumable supplies, etc. (budgets can be rough approximations at this stage)

Details and formating for required concept paper:

Single-paged concept papers should be in 12 point font with 1 inch margins and should include:

1. An overview of the proposed project emphasizing any unique aspects and pilot studies (indicate area of emphasis for project - medical research or science and engineering research);
2. A description of the methodologies and key personnel;
3. A brief justification of the need for Keck Foundation support; and
4. An estimated budget broken down, if possible, by major areas, e.g., personnel, equipment, consumable supplies, etc. (budgets can be rough approximations at this stage).
5. If possible, within the 1-page limit, the authors may add other details (e.g., background to put the research into perspective, description of the institution’s prominence in the field). Avoid illustrations in these single-pagers – the researchers will need all the room for text. If a reference is necessary, abbreviate it as (Science, 323, 45, ‘11). DO NOT USE (Jones et al., 2011).