Research@UIC > Funding Opportunities > Finding Funding > Limited Competitions > W. M. Keck Foundation – Phase I Competition

W. M. Keck Foundation – Phase I Competition

Program Summary

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 Sponsor 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). A panel including the Vice Chancellor for Research, CRB members, and the Office of Corporate and Foundation Relations will identify the most promising proposals. Top candidates will be invited to give a 20 minute presentations to the panel.  Based upon this forum, the UIC panel will recommend which proposals should be initially discussed with the Keck Foundation. 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

• By submitting this form, applicant attests that s/he has read and meets the sponsor's eligibility criteria for this program. 
• LOI form: http://tigger.uic.edu/depts/ovcr/research/funding/forms/0600.doc.
• In space #10, note whether this is for the Keck Science & Technology or Medical Program track.
• LOIs should be emailed to RDS@uic.edu Attn: Tony Halford.

Depending upon the number of LOIs submitted, OVCR might be required to facilitate an internal peer review process to select UIC’s submission(s) to this program. 

White Paper Instructions

Submit 1 pdf file to RDS@uic.edu by December 2, 2009.

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.

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