Research@UIC > Funding Opportunities > Finding Funding > Limited Competitions >WMK

W. M. Keck Foundation - Phase I Competition

Program Description:

The W.M. Keck Foundation seeks to advance the frontiers of science and medicine to benefit humanity by supporting high-risk/high-impact projects that are distinctive and novel in their approach to intractable problems, push the edge of their field, or question the prevailing paradigm. Past grants have been awarded to major universities and independent research institutions to support pioneering science, engineering, or medical research, the development of promising new technologies, and to facilitate the purchase of advanced instruments where such instruments would further research ideas.

The Foundation supports basic science, engineering, and medical research.  Applied and clinical research projects are not encouraged.   Medical research conducted in hospitals is not eligible.  Keck discourages disease specific applications.

Grants range from $500,000 to $5 million.   These are highly competitive grants.

UIC is allowed to submit up to one Phase 1 proposal to both the Science & Engineering Research and the Medical Program tracks. 

Sponsor is seeking projects for which one or more of the following applies:

• Focus on emerging areas of research at the forefront of science, engineering and/or medicine
• Have the potential to lead to breakthrough technologies
• Are innovative, distinctive and interdisciplinary
• Demonstrate a high level of risk in that the research pushes the edge of its field, represents unconventional approaches to intransigent problems, or challenges the prevailing paradigm
• Have the potential for transformative impact, such as creation of a new field of research, development of new instrumentation enabling observations not previously possible, or discovery of new knowledge that challenges prevailing perspectives.
• Fall outside the mission of public funding agencies such as NSF or NIH
• Demonstrate that private philanthropy generally, and the W.M. Keck Foundation in particular, is essential to the project's success.

Projects Ineligible for Funding

• Routine institutional or general operating expenses, general endowments, deficit reduction, or general and/or administrative overhead expenses
• General and federated campaigns, including fundraising events, dinners, mass mailings or direct mail campaigns
• Clinical research or treatment trials
• Acquisition, construction or major renovation of facilities
• Conference or seminar sponsorship
• Book publication and film or theater productions
• Projects to be undertaken outside the United States
• Public policy research or activities of any kind
• Projects requesting a grant of over $5 million, other than special projects initiated by the Foundation

Additional Information 
http://www.wmkeck.org/programs/science.html

Internal Selection Process

This process deviates from the standard operating procedure used for other limited competition selections.  

Interested UIC applicants should submit both a LOI and a white paper to RDS.  The LOI information is used to assemble a peer review panel.   White papers will be peer reviewed by members of the Campus Research Board (CRB).   Following this review, an internal panel including the Vice Chancellor for Research (or his designee), CRB members, and the Office of Corporate and Foundation Relations will identify the most promising proposal(s) to be discussed with the Keck Program Officer (some UIC candidates may be invited to meet briefly with the panel to help them make this decision).  The Keck Foundation will identify which, if any, proposal UIC should submit as a Phase 1 Application.  Keck has indicated that if a project has previously failed to make it to Phase II, it should not be resubmitted.

Deadlines

Letter of Intent Instructions

1. By submitting the e-LOI form, applicant attests that s/he has read and meets the sponsor's eligibility criteria for this program. 
2. In space #10, note whether this is for the Keck Science & Technology or Medical Program track.

eLOI Form and Instructions – Adobe Acrobat Requirements

1. Download the file directly to your computer, right click on the link, then select "save link as" or "save target as" from the drop down options.
2. Open eLOI.
3. Position the hand pointer inside a form field and click.
   • To accept the field change and go to the next field, press Tab or use your mouse to click on the next form field.
   • To accept the field change and go to the previous field, press Shift + Tab or use your mouse to click on the previous form field.
4. Complete the form fields.
5. After completing the form, click “Save” to save the completed form for your records, then click “Submit to RDS@uic.edu.”

Letter of Intent (LOI): eLOI Form (Fillable PDF*)

*Please note:

• Fields highlighted in red are required to successfully submit the form.
• Do not print then submit scanned version of eLOI via email.

White Paper Instructions

Submit 1 pdf file to RDS@uic.edu attention Mr. Tony Halford by September 10, 2010

1. Cover Page One [1 page] with following information:
   1. Title of White Paper proposal
   2. PI Contact Information
   3. Sponsor and sponsor program name
   4. Name & departmental affiliation of PI, Co-PIs, senior personnel
   5. Contact info for Unit Business Manager or Grant Coordinator responsible for processing PAF
2. Project Summary [1 page maximum], with the following content:
   1. Abstract:  Provide an executive summary of this project, including overall goal, methodology and significance, for a well-educated lay audience.  Please be sure to define any terms which are distinct to your discipline.  Examples of “lay” style language would include articles found in the New York Times Science Section or the Scientific American. 
   2. Unique Aspects:  Describe unique or distinctive aspects of this project. By  “unique or distinctive” Keck means that this project must be:
      • Unique among all peer institutions - Keck should not be able to pull up journal articles related to similar ongoing research elsewhere.
      • Represent a new field of inquiry, creation of new equipment, etc. 
      • Potentially transformative (i.e. ramifications similar to the dawn of the internet or nanotechnology).
   3. Key Personnel:  Name the key personnel and describe their expertise, role in this project, and any collaborations/partnerships.
   4. Budget:  State total cost of this project, amount requested from the Keck Foundation, and the amount of institutional support. Describe how funds requested from Keck will be allocated among capital, personnel and equipment.
   5. Justification for WMKF support:  Explain why support from the Keck Foundation is essential for this project.  Keck only funds high risk, high reward types of projects which will not be considered by other sponsors. Explain why this proposal is not eligible for funding from NSF, NIH, or another conventional sponsor.  If this proposal was submitted to another sponsor and rejected, PI should attach any sponsor review comments.
3. Two page CV for PI and key persons

Questions

Please contact Tony Halford at ahalford@uic.edu or 312-996-7036 with any questions. 

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