Skip to content

W.W. Smith Charitable Trust Research Award for Cardiovascular Disease

General Information

Program Description

The W.W. Smith Charitable Trust Research Award supports basic medical research primarily related to heart disease, cancer, and AIDS. Grants are awarded to nonprofit institutions such as universities, hospitals, and research centers located in the five-county Greater Philadelphia region (Bucks, Chester, Delaware, Montgomery, and Philadelphia counties) or the City of Camden, NJ. Scientists and research faculty with appointments at eligible institutions are encouraged to apply through their associated institutions.

Limitation

Schools may submit one (1) application for Penn’s internal competition.

Eligibility

  • Institutional Eligibility: The applicant must be affiliated with a nonprofit institution such as a university, hospital, or research center.
  • Location: The institution must be located in the five-county Greater Philadelphia region (Bucks, Chester, Delaware, Montgomery, and Philadelphia counties) or the City of Camden, NJ.
  • Research Focus: The research must be in the areas of heart disease, cancer, or AIDS.
  • Application Limitations: A maximum of one (1) proposal per parent organization may be submitted in each granting category regardless of the number of EINs available under the organization.
  • Internal Selection: It is up to each institution to conduct an internal selection process to determine the principal investigator and research project to represent them.
  • Principal Investigator: The applicant must be eligible to serve as the Principal Investigator for the project.
  • 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

  • A total research award ranging from $100,000 to $125,000 including 10% indirect costs.
  • Grant Duration: Grants are awarded for a one (1) year term.
  • Use of Funds: Funds must be used for basic medical research and not for the general work of research centers. No funds are awarded solely for equipment.
  • Unused Funds: Unused grant funds must be returned to the Trust promptly. Please contact the Trust for guidance before submitting any refund.
  • Published Material: Copies of all published material relevant to a proposed research project must be made available to the Trust both before and after a grant is made.

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.