Schweppe Foundation/Armour Endowments

• Two awards of up to $50,000 each for a one-year project period
• Faculty salary support is not allowed.
• No Cost Extensions (NCE) will not be allowed.

• The PI must hold an active faculty appointment at Rush University at the rank of assistant professor or higher.
• Applicants must be early career investigators.
• No citizenship or residency requirements.

• One application per award cycle as PI or multiple PI (MPI).

• Proposals must be for patient-oriented clinical, health services, or community health-focused research. 

• Interdisciplinary proposals are encouraged.

• The project must be feasible within the applicable project period, unless otherwise specified.

• Applicants are encouraged to identify funding mechanisms (federal, non-federal, or other specific grant mechanisms) to support continued progress.

The submission link will be emailed to PIs who submit an RSVP. Proposals should be submitted in 2 files and include the following components:

File 1 in PDF format

• Cover Page
  • Project title
  • Names of MPIs, highest degree, position title, department/division, phone number, and email
  • Total funding amount requested
  • Statement indicating whether the proposed research overlaps, in whole or part, with any ongoing or previously submitted projects
  • List of current Rush collaborators with whom MPIs have published or submitted grant applications within the past three years (no more than 1 page)
• Budget
  • Internal non-federal budget form (required). This file should be uploaded as File 2 in original format.
  • NIH PHS 398 forms, pages 4 and 5 (required)
  • Allowable: Fringe benefits 22%, Rush non-faculty/student salary support, and publication costs
  • Not allowable: Faculty salary support, indirect costs, or capital expenses.
• Biographical Sketches
  • Required for MPIs only
  • Must follow the current NIH format
• Body of Application 
  • Formatting: 11-point Arial font with at least 0.5-inch margins
  • Project summary/abstract in plain language (1 page)
  • Specific aims (1 page)
  • Research Strategy
    • Significance, innovation, and approach (6 pages)
    • Plan for Future Funding (1 page)
    • Literature Cited (no limit)
• A form for the Department Chair/Division to acknowledge support of the application will be sent to the PI upon complete submission of the application. 

File 2

Internal non-federal budget form in original format.   

• A panel of non-competing researchers will review applications based on the new NIH simplified peer review framework.
• Applications that demonstrate potential for future funding will be prioritized.

• Internal decision anticipated by October 2026.
• Anticipated funding period Jan. 1 Dec. 31, 2027.