John G. Searle Innovator Awards

The John G. Searle Innovator Awards provide pilot funding for innovative, investigator-initiated research. Generously funded by the Searle Funds at The Chicago Community Trust, they are designed to encourage translational research by funding well-designed projects that could be competitive for future larger grants from a federal or private agency. These awards provide financial support to the work of young investigators and seed new and innovative research at Rush to:

• Support high quality, interdisciplinary translational studies
• Break new ground or extend previous discoveries towards new directions
• Help develop new programmatic themes that provide growth potential for Rush’s research community

Funding amounts and availability

• This pilot funding program awards up to two grants of up to $50,000 each.
• The period of support is one year, with a possibility of a second year pending adequate progress.
• Faculty salary support is limited to 20%.
• No Cost Extensions (NCE) will not be allowed.

Eligible investigators

• At least one investigator in the proposal must be an active Rush University faculty member at the assistant professor level or above.
• Early investigators, women, and members of groups underrepresented in research are encouraged to apply. There are no citizenship or residency requirements.

Criteria

• Proposals for translational research are preferred.
• Interdisciplinary proposals are encouraged.
• Applicants may submit only one application as a principal investigator/multiple PIs per award cycle.

Study design and statistical analysis

Applicants for this RFP are strongly encouraged to develop a robust study design, data and statistical analysis, and tool development for the pilot proposal. This process could include the development of a budget that may include effort and associated costs for a statistician/bioinformatics analyst for the project.

How to apply

Please submit your proposal using the online application form. The submission link will be emailed to PIs who submit an RSVP.

Your proposal should consist of 1 PDF file:

• A cover page, containing the following:
  • Grant proposal title
  • MPIs names, highest degree, position title, department/division, phone number, and email
  • Funding amount requesting
  • A statement of whether the proposal research overlaps in whole or part with any ongoing efforts or any submitted proposals
• Budget in NIH PHS398 forms
  • Allowable: Faculty salary support is limited to 20%, Rush non-faculty/student salary support, fringe benefits rate 22%, and publication costs
  • Not allowable: capital expenses
• Biographical sketches in current NIH format for PI only
• Body of application
  • Formatting: 11-point Arial font with at least 1/2-inch margins
  • Project summary/abstract in layman’s terms (no more than 1 page)
  • Specific aims (1 page)
  • Research Strategy: Significance, innovation, and approach (2 pages)
  • Literature Cited (1 page)
  • Plan for Future Funding (1/2 page)
  • A letter of support from the PI’s Department Chair/Division

Review process

Following peer review, applications that demonstrate potential for future funding will be prioritized.

Award timeline

• Anticipated award letter: December 2024
• Anticipated funding period: February 1, 2025, to January 31, 2026