Research@UIC > Funding Opportunities >Finding Funding > Limited Competitions > BWF CASI

Burroughs Wellcome Fund 2009 Career Awards at the Scientific Interface

Program Summary

These grants are intended to foster the early career development of postdoctoral scientists with backgrounds in the physical/computational sciences whose work addresses biological questions and who are dedicated to pursuing a career in academic research.  Candidates are expected to draw from their training in a scientific field other than biology to propose innovative approaches to answer important questions in the biological sciences.

Submission Limits

• UIC allowed a minimum of 2 applications.    
• A 3rd application allowed if one candidate is female. 
• A single additional application is allowed if one candidate is African-American, Hispanic, or Native American.

Awards

$500,000 over five years to support up to two years of advanced postdoctoral training and the first three years of a future faculty appointment, presumably at a different institution.

Eligibility

• Candidates must hold a Ph.D. degree in one of the fields of:

• Mathematics
• Physics,
• Chemistry, (physical, theoretical, or computational),
• Computer science
• Statistics
• Engineering  

Exceptions will be made only if the applicant can demonstrate significant expertise in one of these areas, as evidenced by publications or advanced course work.

• Candidates must have completed at least 12 months but not more than 48 months of postdoctoral research at the time of application. 

• Candidates cannot hold nor have accepted, either verbally or in writing, a faculty appointment as a tenure-track assistant professor at the time of application.

• Citizens of U.S. and Canada are eligible. 

• Non-citizen Permanent Residents of the U.S. and Canada are eligible, with certification by the nominating institution

• Temporary residents of the U.S. are eligible; however, no more than one of an institution’s nominees may be a temporary resident of the U.S.  Institution must provide documentation that applicant’s visa will allow him/her to remain in the U.S. during the postdoctoral period of the grant.  Temporary residents of Canada not eligible.

Deadlines

Letter of Intent to Apply

LOI form can be found here: http:www.research.uic.edu/funding/forms/0600.doc

• By submission of LOI applicant attests that s/he has read and meets the sponsor's eligibility criteria for this program. 
• Section 3.  Department Head signature acknowledges that if awarded, award recipients would be required to devote at least 80 percent of their time to research related activities. 
• Section 9, please indicate if nominee is: 
  • Female
  • African American, Hispanic or Native American.  
  • Citizen of U.S. or Canada
  • Non-citizen Permanent Resident of U.S. or Canada
  • Temporary Resident of U.S.  If so, please provide documentation of H1B visa. n U.S. during postdoctoral period of grant.
• Fax (312-413-0238, attn: T. Halford); email (RDS@uic.edu)

Internal Competition Instructions (If necessary)

If the Office of the Vice Chancellor for Research (OVCR) receives more letters of intent than allowed submission slots, there will be an internal competition to select UIC’s candidates.

IF REQUESTED, applicants to submit one electronic file of the following:

1. Cover page with following information:
1. Project Title
2. Your name and title/position
3. Your departmental contact information
4. Ph.D. degree(s) you hold
5. Months of postdoctoral research you will have completed as of April 15, 2008
6. Note one of the following regarding your citizenship:
1. Citizen of United States or Canada
2. Non-citizen Permanent Resident of U.S. or Canada
3. Temporary resident holding H1B visa
7. Please note if you are female, African American, Hispanic, or Native American
2. No more than three (3) pages addressing:
1. Scope and significance of your postdoctoral research
2. Work you plan for the faculty years
3. Career objectives, including how the award will help you achieve these objectives
3. One (1) page  - Scientific Abstract that is understandable to a multidisciplinary group of scientific reviewers
4. No more than three (3) page Curriculum Vitae 

Do not submit multiple attachments.  This should be submitted as one complete file.  Submit by the deadline listed above to Tony Halford at RDS@uic.edu

Please contact Tony Halford at RDS@uic.edu or 6-7036 with any questions.