W.M. Keck Foundation - Science and Engineering and Medical Research Program | Research

External Deadline:

Jul 2024

Internal Deadline:

May 2024

External Deadline: July 2024 Internal Deadline: May 6, 2024

There was a 2023 Keck Research Grant Information Session on April 12, 2023 presented by Dr. Simon Scheuring, 2022 Keck Research Grant Recipient and Professor of Physiology and Biophysics in Anesthesiology where Dr. Scheuring shared information on how to craft strong applications, and answered questions about the Keck Research Grant program. Recording can be accessed here.

Instructions for electronic submission: To apply for the W.M. Keck Foundation opportunities, please submit the materials requested below to this link no later than May 6, 2024, at 11:59 PM.

Budget: Budget can range from $1.2 to $1.3 millions for a 3 year period

Number of Applications: 4 applications (including Ithaca) per program (Science & Engineering or Medical Research)

Program Description:

The Research Program seeks to benefit humanity by supporting projects in two specific areas (1) medical research and (2) science and engineering, that are distinctive and novel in their approach, question the prevailing paradigm, or have the potential to break open new territory in their field. The Foundation seeks to support high risk, early-stage projects that will result in fundamental scientific discoveries. Projects that focus on patient treatment do not align with the mission of the Keck Foundation. Moreover, a strong justification for Keck support is essential. Lack of preliminary data is not sufficient as a reason for Keck support. Keck recipients are typically established researchers with basic/technology focused research programs. Ideally, applications include direct evidence that the project is not a good fit for more traditional federal sponsors.

Funding Guidelines:

Basic research (not translational or clinical research) with the potential to develop breakthrough technologies, instrumentation, or methodologies (proposal needs to convey a rigorous, scientific approach). The Keck Foundation seeks to support high-risk, early-stage projects that will result in fundamental scientific discoveries with broad reach. The board is looking to address big fundamental scientific challenges that justify Keck's investment. The concept paper should give enough information to answer: What is the fundamental scientific question? What is the leap in knowledge that will be achieved? How it will be achieved?
Interdisciplinary research that has the potential for transformative impact, such as the founding of a new field of research, enabling of observations not previously possible or altering perceptions of a previously intractable problem (successful proposals answer the question, “so what?”).
Research that falls outside the mission of public funding agencies (successful proposals often have received a rejection from NIH, NSF, etc. for being high quality but “too risky”; reviewer comments can be submitted as an attachment with the Phase I application). Demonstrate that private philanthropy generally, and the W. M. Keck Foundation in particular, is essential to the project’s success.

A strong justification for Keck support is essential. Lack of preliminary data is not sufficient as a reason for Keck support. PIs must provide tangible evidence to the Keck Foundation that they have submitted this project for consideration for federal funding and that the funding was declined (a formal decline from NIH, full summary statements from the NIH review if available, or at a minimum, documentation of a conversation with a program officer indicating the same). Keck wants to fund work that the government will not fund, and it isn’t sufficient for the PI to simply state this is the case. Keck is looking for evidence via a rejection (the project is too risky, etc.).

Keck will not fund a project that is narrowly focused on a specific disease. Projects that focus on patient treatment do not align with the mission of the Keck Foundation.
Projects that focus on technology development must clarify what the limitations of current technologies are. Expand on the basic scientific question or set of questions that can only be addressed with the next generation of technology developed. Elaborate on what the new technology will be applied to and how it will advance the field. Keck is not interested in incremental developments in knowledge.
Two types of proposals that may succeed: 1) Proposal to build new pieces of equipment or new technologies that do not yet exist, that are expensive to build or develop, and would lead to major research advances if they would exist. 2) Proposal to solve a difficult biological problem that the field so far failed to do, but the investigators have new radical ideas or new technologies. They can then make an argument that they could solve the problem only with the Keck funds.

Collaborations (intramural and/or external) are appropriate for the program.
Keck recipients are typically established and productive researchers with basic/technology focused proposals.
Keck funds ~20 proposals/year and they are highly selective.

Projects Ineligible for Funding:

Routine institutional or general operating expenses, general endowments, deficit reduction, or general or administrative overhead expenses
General campaigns, including fundraising events, dinners, or mass mailings
Clinical research or treatment trials
Sponsorship of conferences or seminars, publication of books and public policy research or activities of any kind
Grants to individuals or to endowments for scholarships or fellowships
They will not fund a project that is narrowly focused on a specific disease.

Eligibility

All faculty whose concept proposals fit the program priorities are encouraged to apply. Both Senior and Early Career investigators are encouraged to apply.

Application Requirements

Candidates interested in this opportunity should submit the following materials:

Concept paper: Concept papers should be writen for a scientific audience outside your specific field of work. Concept papers should be one page, single-spaced, using 12-point font and 1-inch margins, inclusive of references. The Foundation will not read papers longer than one page. Please include:

Header with: Organization name, Project title, Name of PI/s.
Overview: An abstract of the research proposed, which situates the research in the field and answers “so what?” for a lay audience. Include unique aspects of the project and pilot studies, including unpublished findings, if any, that support the idea. Articulate the advantages of pursuing specific line of work; what good does it do?
Methodologies: Description of the rationale and experimental design, the “what and how” of the project.
A brief description of the key personnel.
Justification for Keck support: A concise justification of the need for Keck support. Lack of support from federal agencies is critical to obtaining Keck support. PIs must provide tangible evidence to the Keck Foundation that they have submitted this project for consideration for federal funding and that the funding was declined (not because lack or merit but e.g., because proposal is too ambitious), and that resubmission to a federal sponsor is not viable. Lack of preliminary data is not sufficient as a reason for Keck support.
An estimated budget breakdown, by major areas, e.g., personnel, equipment, consumable supplies, etc. Budgets can be rough approximations at this stage.
Within the 1-page limit, the authors may add other details (e.g., background to put the research into perspective, description of the institution’s prominence in the field). Authors must avoid illustrations in these single-pagers – the researchers will need all the room for text. If a reference is necessary, abbreviate it as (Science, 323, 45, ‘11). DO NOT USE (Jones et al., 2011).

If the proposal was previously submitted to NIH or NSF, please include the summary sheets. If the proposal was not previously submitted to NIH or NSF, please include a mention "NSF/NIH summary sheets not available"
Biosketch

Submit the above items here no later than May 6, 2024, at 11:59 PM as a PDF file using this naming convention:

Name of file: Smith.J_KeckSpring2024.pdf

Review Process: The Foundation employs a three-stage application process that includes pre-application counseling with Foundation staff followed by Phase I and ultimately a Phase II application. Advancing to the next step in the process is contingent on invitation from the Foundation.

See the Foundation website for details.