John G. Searle Innovator Awards

• Up to two grants of up to $50,000 each for a one-year project period.
• Those funded may apply for a 2nd year of support on a competitive basis during the next funding cycle and will submit the full package plus a progress report.
• Faculty salary support is limited to 20%.
• 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 can be early career or established investigators.
• No citizenship or residency requirements.

• One application per award cycle as PI or multiple PI (MPI).
• Proposals for translational research are preferred.
• 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.

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.

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 costs: Faculty salary support is limited to 20%, fringe benefits rate 22%, Rush non-faculty/student salary support, and publication costs
  • Not allowable: capital expenses, no indirect costs
• 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 is January 1, 2027 to December 31, 2027.