Grants & Funding

James S. McDonnell Foundation

Published Date: January 26, 2010

Program Information

Program Name:

21st Century Science Initiative 2010

Program URL:

http://www.jsmf.org/apply/research

Type of Scientists Funded:

Junior Faculty, Administrator, Senior Scientist/Faculty

Program Description:

James S. McDonnell Foundation 21st Century Research Awards are designed to support research projects with a high probability of generating new knowledge and insights. Projects submitted for funding consideration should be at an early, even preliminary stage of development, and should be intended to break new ground or to revisit commonly-held assumptions. Projects submitted should be sufficiently cross-disciplinary or heterodox to have a strong likelihood of influencing the development of new ways of thinking about important problems.

A maximum of $450,000 total costs can be requested and the funds can be expended over a minimum of 3 years to a maximum of 6 years. Smaller amounts of money expended over shorter amounts of time may be requested to help investigators pursue pilot projects or test the feasibility of an experimental approach.

The applicant can apply the grant funds towards any research-based expense, including travel, equipment, and supplies. Funds can be used to support collaborative research projects. A percentage of the funds can also be used to support small workshops organized by the applicant where the goal of the workshop is to gather expertise in support of the research objective.

All projects must qualify for one of the 21st Century Science Initiative's two program areas awarding 21st Century Initiative Research Awards. The two program areas are (1) Studying Complex Systems and (2) Brain Cancer Research.

Public Contact Information

Program Award Term and Application Process

• Award Term Fixed or Variable?    Variable
• Minimum Term     
• Maximum Term     
• Award Renewable?    No
• Does an individual or institution apply to the program?    Individual
• Is there an application deadline?    Yes
• Application deadline(s):
  03/17/2010
• Deadline Comments   
  Deadline: 15:59 CDT on Wednesday, March 17, 2010

Program FUNDS

• Stipend Information:
  
  
• Annual stipend type:    Not Applicable
• 
  Research Allowance Information:
  
  
• Annual research allowance type:    Not Applicable
• 
  Indirect Costs (Institutional Funds) Information:
  
  
• Indirect costs type:    Not Applicable
• 
  Other Costs Information:
  
  
• Other Costs type:    Not Applicable

Program Eligibility Requirements

Research Areas:

Biology, Disease-Specific Research: Brain Cancer , Other (specify): Complex Systems

Application by invitation or nomination only?

No

Are awards limited to specific groups?

None provided

Must applicants be U.S. citizens and/or permanent residents?

No

Details:

International applications are encouraged.

U.S. geographic limits?

No

International geographic limits?

No

Institutional limits?

Yes

Details

JSMF funds internationally. Applications must be sponsored by a nonprofit institution as defined by Section 501(c)(3) of the United States Internal Revenue Tax Code. Institutions outside the United States should read carefully the additional information on tax requirements

Non-research activity allowed for postdoctoral and junior faculty awards?

If yes, specify at least one of the following: percentage time and activities allowed

• Other eligibility requirements:   
  There are no restrictions on the number of submissions that may be sponsored by a particular institution. However, considering the small number of grants awarded each year we do ask that institutions limit sponsorships to proposals meeting both the letter and the spirit of the foundation's application guidelines.
  
  Graduate students and postdoctoral fellows are not eligible to serve as principle investigators for 21st Century Research Awards. Principle investigators must have completed academic training and hold a position compatible with the pursuit of independent research. At most institutions this requirement corresponds to individuals at the assistant professor level and above. When senior scientists serve as principle investigators the proposal must describe, in detail, how they (and not only their research assistants and post-doctoral fellows) will use the requested funds to pursue research building on but departing from ongoing work in their laboratories.

Program competition information

• Number of Applicants in Most Recent Competition Year:    208
• Number of Awards in Most Recent Competition Year:    15
• Institutional Award Rates   

  Category	# Applicants	# Awards
  Institutional Awards

• Awardee's subsequent careers/accomplishments tracked after end of term?   
  
• Total dollars awarded in the most recent competition year