Q: What types of projects will be funded under this program?
A: This program offers seed funding to eligible faculty for new work in their research programs within the life, physical and social sciences. There are no limitations on the subject areas that may be considered, and programs that take the investigators in directions that are new for them (a “forty-five degree” turn) are encouraged. This program has funded a broad range of projects, from research examining whether all strains of pathogens have the potential to become virulent, to work seeking to fabricate structures that would levitate in the Earth’s atmosphere and might be used for solar geoengineering. This program has also supported the use of new mobile technologies to monitor adolescents at risk for suicidal thoughts and behaviors, as well as the search for the physics that seeded the first structures in the Universe. Please click here to view award winners from prior years.
Q: What is the timeline for this program?
A: During this cycle, the application submission window will open on January 10, 2024 and close at 5pm EST on February 15, 2024. A Challenge event will take place in Spring 2024. The funding period will begin on July 1, 2024.
Q: What happens at the Challenge event?
A: Awardees give a presentation about their proposed research at this annual event, which is open to the Harvard community. The Derek Bok Center for Teaching and Learning makes tools available to award recipients for presenting their research to a broad audience. The role of the interdisciplinary audience is to improve the research project through pointed discussion. Awardees from previous years also provide an update on the research they had funded through this program.
Q: Can a PI submit more than one proposal?
A: Yes, a PI can submit more than one proposal per competition provided that the applications are scientifically distinct. There is no cap on how often a faculty member can submit.
Q: Can a PI submit a collaborative proposal?
A: Yes, a PI can submit a collaborative proposal. To qualify for a collaborative award, a project must list at least two investigators who meet the program’s eligibility criteria. For multi-investigator projects, separate budget requests should be submitted for each lab. Only investigators based at the participating schools may request and administer this funding.
Q: Can a PI submit a proposal for a project that has already been funded by the Challenge?
A: This program does not provide renewal funding; however, the Committee will consider proposals to support new directions or extensions developed out of previously-funded work.
Q: What types of expenses are allowable in the budget request?
A: REVISED IN 2024 – PLEASE READ CAREFULLY. Any expenses related to the cost of performing research may be listed, over whatever time period makes the most sense. These include but are not limited to: personnel costs, equipment, consultants, supplies, etc. PIs may request summer salary support. Any benefits-eligible personnel expenses in the budget must include the appropriate fringe rates for the year. Awards typically range from $80,000-$150,000 in direct expenses. Budget requests must include a 15% Assessment/Overhead* rate (applicants from all participating schools should use this rate). For multi-investigator projects, separate budget requests should be submitted for each lab. Faculty are encouraged to work closely with their grant/financial administrators to develop a budget. There is no prescribed format for presenting this information. The committee will be looking to fund projects that can attain demonstrable results within one year. Longer-term projects will need to show milestones of success upon a one-year review.
Q: Should the budget request include indirect costs?
A: REVISED IN 2024 – PLEASE READ CAREFULLY. Yes, budget requests must include a 15% Assessment/Overhead* rate (applicants from all participating schools should use this rate).
Q: Will submitting a budget request for a larger award amount make a proposal less competitive?
A: No, applicants are encouraged to submit a budget that reflects the actual needs of the proposed project. Be advised, though, that the Committee may not be able to award all projects at the full amount requested.
Q: How will I receive my award from the Star-Friedman Challenge for Promising Scientific Research?
A: Awards will be transferred to a faculty member’s research account, and the faculty member can spend this money to advance his or her proposed research in whatever way and over whatever time period makes the most sense. The funding period will begin on July 1, 2024 and these funds do not expire.
Q: Can applicants include letters of support as supplementary documents?
A: No, letters of support should not be included.
Q: Who can answer other questions about the Star-Friedman Challenge for Promising Scientific Research?
A: Please contact Jennifer Corby, Research Development Officer (jcorby@fas.harvard.edu) for more information about this program.
* Assessments are categorically waived on the following classes of funds: Financial aid or other student support; grants for construction; grants for equipment and instrumentation; and assessments that are limited or prohibited by law or other governmental restrictions. Capital equipment expenditures on sponsored awards are also exempt from this policy. Capital Expenditures purchased with Restricted Gifts (Funds 3xxxxxx) will continue to be assessed.