Only two applications per departmnet (or division within the Department of Medicine) will be accepted. Please coordinate with your Chair or Cheif prior to submitting an internal application to be nominated by BWH.

Please review the full guidlines from the foundation here: https://hria.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/2020-Smith-Odyssey-Guidelines.pdf

Amount

$300,000 Awards over two years ($150,000 per year), inclusive of 5% overhead - Please note that the BRI will provide funds to cover the Partners 15% IDC minimuim.

Overview

The Award supports the pursuit of high impact ideas to generate breakthroughs and drive new directions in biomedical research. The awards will fund high-risk, high-reward pilot projects, conceptualized as either a novel research line or a distinct and novel off-shoot from the applicant’s current research. The review committee weighs this criterion heavily in making final funding decisions. Both the applicants as well as any institutional review committees should bear this in mind in preparing/vetting applications.

Junior investigators that are beyond 4 years from their first independent faculty appointment and have not yet received tenure are eligible to apply for this award. There is also an upper eligibility limit at 9 years past their first independent faculty appointment. Those investigators with tenure, or who are beyond the 9-year limit, are ineligible to apply for this award. 

Research Focus

The two-year Award supports established junior faculty engaged in basic biomedical research. Investigators in the physical sciences (physics, chemistry and engineering) whose projects focus on biomedical science are also encouraged to apply. Clinical research is beyond the scope of this Program. In recognition of the importance of research collaboration within the scientific community, collaboration is an additional, but not required, positive ancillary factor. These projects may involve researchers within and/or outside the applicant’s institution.

Eligibility Requirements

United States citizenship is not required.

Applications will be accepted from full-time, independent faculty at academic research institutions who have not yet achieved tenure or its equivalent by the funding start date of July 1, 2020. Furthermore, they must have received their first independent faculty appointment on or between July 1, 2011 and July 1, 2016.

For the purpose of this Award, the first independent faculty appointment is the first faculty appointment after completing either postdoctoral fellowship training (for PhDs) or an ACGMEcertified subspecialty training program, or equivalent (for MDs and MD, PhDs).

If an Applicant has been on medical or family leave, or if research was interrupted for other reasons, this period of absence does not count towards eligibility. Please address any gaps in work history in the Personal Statement on the Biosketch. The Department or Division Chair’s letter must also confirm the leave of absence as well as applicant eligibility.

Applicants are ineligible if, at the time of application, they have combined federal and non-federal funding totaling $750,000 or more in annual direct costs. This figure refers to external funding only and not an Applicant’s start-up package, other intramural support or the Smith Award.

Pending Federal and Non-Federal Support:

Applicants who have pending R01s or other large applications to the NIH and other agencies are encouraged to submit proposals to the Smith Family Foundation.

Investigators are ineligible to receive this Award if they have secured a combined total of $750,000 or more in direct costs from combined federal or non-federal grant sources, including any funds they receive notification of securing on or prior to May 1, 2020. Notification of funding after May 1, 2020 will not impact eligibility for a Smith Family Award. It is the responsibility of all applicants to contact LCarver@hria.org as soon as any new funding is received.

Award Selection Criteria 

 Impact potential of the research for generating breakthroughs and driving new directions in biomedical research

 A clearly stated hypothesis, based on sound precedents, rationale and supported by relevant literature

 Preliminary data may be minimal

 Objectives that are technically feasible and personnel who are qualified to carry out the proposed research

 Applicant’s potential to successfully carry out innovative research

 Institutional commitment to her/him