Timeline
I’ve run into an unexpected slowdown and am waiting for approval from my grant and contract administrators. Can the application deadline be extended?
Unfortunately, we are unable to accommodate an extension. Grants must be submitted by the deadline in order for the IOCDF to continue to the next step of the grant process.
Will grant proposals uploaded on the deadline be accepted?
Yes, the deadline is Monday, February 28th, 2022 at 5:00 p.m. EST. The application system will be automatically closed to new submissions at 5:01 p.m.
When are funding decisions generally made? Also, if an individual is funded, approximately when are grant monies dispersed?
Our target date for notifying applicants is on or before June 1. Initial installment payments will be mailed in September 2022 or when the IOCDF has received a copy of your IRB approval, whichever is later.
If funded, what is the grant timeline?
The grant term for the Michael Jenike Young Investigator Awards is 12 months, beginning September 1, 2022. Final installment payments will be mailed in June 2023. Grants awarded in 2022 will expire on August 31, 2023, at which time awardees will need a no-cost extension in order to continue utilizing grant funds. Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, related restrictions, and their potential to delay research activities, we are offering an automatic, one-year, no-cost extension until August 31, 2024 for all Jenike Award recipients.
The grant term for the Breakthrough Awards and Innovator Awards are three years, beginning September 1, 2022 and expiring August 31, 2025. Award payments will be made in three annual installments.
Budget & Salary
Are basic science proposals accepted for submission?
Basic research is acceptable.
Are theoretical (not empirical) research grants accepted for submission?
The IOCDF does not accept theoretical grant applications.
Are animal studies funded by the IOCDF?
Animal studies have not been a priority for our grant program, historically, but proposals for animal studies will be accepted and evaluated.
Can pilot data be added to the application? Where would it be most appropriate to include it in the grant application?
Researchers are encouraged to include pilot data in their grant applications wherever they feel it is most appropriate within the main proposal. Please note the application page limit. Appendices are not permitted.
What are the requirements on formatting proposals?
For the Michael Jenike Young Investigator Awards your proposal is limited to 5 pages, not including references. For the Innovator Awards and Breakthrough Awards, your proposal is limited to 10 pages, not including references. Please use Arial font, size 11, single-spaced, with 0.7 inch margins. Double-spacing is required between paragraphs. Each paragraph can be single-spaced, as long as there is double-space between paragraphs. Please include the proposal and references as one PDF when uploading your proposal in the grant website. Biosketches will be uploaded separately using the provided field on the application submission form.
I would like to include representative images to substantiate the use of the protocol for my study. Is it possible to submit an appendix with images in addition to the five pages of the proposal?
As of January 1, 2015, applicants are not permitted to include Appendices in their grant applications. Any images should be added within your proposal. Please keep in mind the page limit for each grant type.
What happens if I exceed the page limit?
Reviewers will be instructed to disregard content on pages exceeding the limit when evaluating your proposal.
Is it possible to get an example of a successful application?
The IOCDF does not disclose past applications without permission from the authors. We suggest you contact past awardees directly should you wish to view examples of successful proposals. A list of funded projects is available on the IOCDF research page.
Research Proposals
Are doctoral students able to apply as Principal Investigators or Co-Principal Investigators?
Yes, doctoral students are encouraged to apply for the Michael Jenike Young Investigator Awards. The IOCDF is very committed to funding junior investigators. As a doctoral student (or post-doctoral fellow) you are able to list yourself as the Principal Investigator on your grant; however, please be sure to include a letter of support from your mentor.
Are pre-doctoral students allowed to apply? Aside from a letter of support from my mentor, are there any additional modifications to an IOCDF grant that would be required, given my status as a student?
The IOCDF encourages junior investigators to apply. You will need a letter of support from your mentor. No other additional modifications are required.
I am a junior faculty member, but my colleague is a full professor at another institution. I saw that you encourage junior investigators to apply for the Michael Jenike Young Investigator Awards, so does involving such a senior colleague as a co-investigator reduce the likelihood of the grant being awarded?
Yes. PIs and Co-PIs must meet the eligibility guidelines specified in the Request for Proposals (RFP).
I am currently a post doctoral fellow. However, I will be transitioning to an Assistant Professor position. In addition, my current mentor will be included as a co-investigator on the proposal. Do I need to include a letter from my mentor/co-investigator?
Yes, please have your mentor/co-investigator’s letter included with your proposal.
What is the difference between a collaborator and a co-investigator? If my colleague was going to recruit participants from their site, would that make them a collaborator?
The IOCDF considers these terms to have the same meanings as they do in the NIH process. Please refer to the NIH's guidance on team roles for more information about how to use these terms in your IOCDF Grant Application.
Does the IOCDF fund multi-site studies?
Yes, the IOCDF does fund multi-site studies.
Are international institutions or applicants able to apply?
The IOCDF does accept international applications. There are no restrictions on international applicants; in fact we receive a lot of research proposals from international institutions and encourage researchers from these institutions to apply.
Does the Signing Official at my institution need to sign the cover letter?
No, the application does not need your institution Signing Official’s signature.
I am not affiliated with any institution (academic or hospital), would I be eligible to submit a grant application?
Yes, however you are required to adhere to all application guidelines, including those requiring IRB approval before funding will be distributed to you.
Do I need to submit IRB approval at the time of my application submission?
No, as stated in the guidelines IRB approval will only be requested if you are awarded the grant. You need to submit a copy of your IRB approval to the IOCDF before you receive the first installment payment.
Applicants & Sponsoring Institutions
Is there a specific budget template that should be used as part of the submission?
Yes, please reference the budget section of the guidelines for the award type you are applying for (Young Investigator or Innovator).
What is the maximum amount of money that can be requested?
$50,000 for Michael Jenike Young Investigator Awards, $300,000 for Innovator Awards, $500,000 for the Breakthrough Awards.
What is the minimum amount of money that can be requested?
We strongly encourage you to request the amount of funding you need to achieve the scientific aims of your project. Applications for less than the maximum awards listed above will be accepted. For the Jenike Awards in particular, we welcome applications for smaller scale projects that require significantly less than the full $50,000 to achieve their aims.
Can I include indirect costs in my budget? What is the maximum rate allowed?
Indirect costs are not awarded by the IOCDF for the Michael Jenike Young Investigator Awards. We will award indirect costs at a maximum 15% rate for the Innovator Awards and Breakthrough Awards. Keep in mind that the total amount requested by Innovator Award applicants, including all indirect costs, cannot exceed $300,000, and the total amount requested for the Breakthrough Awards cannot exceed $500,000.
My institutional rate for indirects is less than 15%, but the budget template automatically calculates indirects as 15%. Can I change the calculation?
Yes, please change the calculation manually or by editing the Excel formula and indicate the rate in your narrative budget justification.
My institutional rate for indirects is more than 15%, can I request more?
No. We are not able to accommodate requests for indirect costs rates above 15%.
I am the sole investigator for my project. Can I request a salary in my budget?
Yes, you can request a salary using your institutional rate. Please review the narrative budget section in the application guidelines for more information about salaries.
Do I use the NIH salary cap or should I use my institutional salary, which is marginally higher?
You may use your institutional rate as we do not enforce the NIH salary cap. Please keep in mind maximum award amounts and review the salary section in the application guidelines.
If you still have questions, after reviewing the Guidelines and FAQ’s, please contact us by emailing research@iocdf.org.
Updated November 16, 2021.