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Hartwell Foundation Individual Biomedical Research Award

General Information

Program Description

The Hartwell Foundation seeks early-stage, innovative, and cutting-edge biomedical research (i.e., not an extension of previously funded efforts, or within an already established portfolio) that has not yet qualified for significant funding from outside sources and that should benefit children of the U.S. The Foundation seeks to fund research that addresses a specific and compelling unmet need to improve health outcomes for children, either by clinical translation of theory or application, or the strategic solution of a complex technical problem with the potential to advance translational biomedical research.

Limitation

There is no limit on the number of proposals submitted internally by individual schools; however, Penn may nominate up to three (3) candidates to the Hartwell Foundation.

Eligibility

  • Citizenship: All candidates must be U.S. citizens at the time of nomination
  • Appointment: The candidate must hold a full-time academic appointment within the sponsoring institution.
  • Laboratory and Office Space: The candidate must have institutionally committed laboratory and office space adequate to perform the proposed research.
  • Collaboration: If the nominee is a PhD, at least one collaborator must be identified as actively engaged in practicing medicine, preferably in pediatrics.
  • For any sponsored research projects, the applicant must be eligible to serve as Principal Investigator for the project, unless otherwise noted in the LSO. Please see Penn’s PI Eligibility requirements to ensure you are eligible. 

Award Information

  • Annual Distribution: The fellowship funds will be distributed annually over the three-year period. This includes $100,000 per year for 3 years.
  • Effort Commitment: The nominee must commit at least 15% effort annually during the 3-year funding period to be considered for the award.
  • Sabbatical Restriction: Recipients must agree not to take a sabbatical during the 3-year funding period.
Apply here

Limited Submission Opportunities Protocol 

What is a Limited Submission Opportunity? When a funding agency or foundation limits the number of applications Penn can submit, the OVPR manages a two-part internal review process to select the proposal that advances to the funder. 

What is the Review Process for Limited Submissions? The selection process begins at the school level, where candidates are vetted to choose a finalist for the OVPR round. Applicants must follow their home school’s deadlines and submission instructions. A committee of reviewers then recommends candidates to the Senior Vice Provost, who selects the final nominee. 

Where do I find out about limited submission opportunities on the OVPR website? The newly designed website lists LSOs. Use the filters on the left to refine your search. Opportunities are listed in summary form. Click on the title of an opportunity to see the full details. 

How do I apply? When the full detail page for the opportunity is open, click the “APPLY HERE” button at the bottom right of the screen. This starts your application process using InfoReady. Log in with your PennKey credentials. After you submit your application, InfoReady processes it for the first round of review at your school. If selected as the Penn nominee, you will be notified directly and will begin the submission process to the funder with the Office of Research Services and PennERA.