Pilot Research Grant Program

The Donna and Benjamin M. Rosen Bioengineering Center recognizes that the interfaces between biology and different engineering fields will provide solutions to some of the biggest scientific and technological challenges facing mankind. With this Call for Proposals, the Rosen Bioengineering Center continues its support of innovative bioengineering research and training at Caltech that spans disciplines, Divisions, and graduate options. These Pilot Research Grants will be used to support and encourage new collaborations between research groups at Caltech, focused on innovative and emerging approaches to key bioengineering problems. We encourage you to refer to the Rosen Center website for descriptions of appropriate bioengineering research areas and examples of previously funded projects.

Award Information

• A maximum of $80,000; as this is an internal award, no overhead or indirect costs will be applied.
• Majority of funds must be used in support of (at least) one shared person (e.g., graduate student tuition/stipend or postdoc salary/benefits)
• Funds in excess of tuition/stipend or salary/benefits may be used for research supplies, travel to relevant conferences, equipment (under $5000), etc.
• Only 1 collaborative proposal per faculty member is allowed. Faculty members with professorial appointments are eligible to serve as co-PIs.

Application Instructions

Complete proposals must be submitted as a single PDF by a Caltech faculty member (or designated admin) & adhere to page limits below. All items listed below are required. Please note that a completed DAF is required.

1. Cover page with project title and PI names, titles and contact information. (1 page limit)
2. Research plan with description of the rationale, hypothesis, and technical approach to be taken. (2 page limit, including figures/tables/graphs; references do not count toward page limits)
3. Plans for future external funding (1 page limit)
4. Budget and budget justification including key personnel's roles. (2 page limit)
5. Current and Pending Support for each PI for related projects (agency, title, start/end dates, amount) – can be provided as part of a biosketch. (4 page limit per PI)
6. Co-PIs who have received Rosen Center funding in the last five years must also provide a 1-page report on previous funding and publications or other outcomes from the project. (1 page limit)
7. A completed DAF form, signed by the relevant Division Chair(s).

Important Info

• Funds must be utilized within 24 months; unused funds will revert to the Rosen Center after 24 months.
• Awardees agree to provide the Rosen Center with a written progress update upon request (usually January-February) and a brief final report at the conclusion of the project.
• Publications resulting from the funded work must acknowledge financial support from "The Donna and Benjamin M. Rosen Bioengineering Center at Caltech".
• Previous awardees are eligible to compete for current awards (to continue a previous project or launch a new collaboration); performance and timeliness of progress reports may be additional review criteria.
• Awardees may be asked to serve as reviewers in future proposal cycles.
• Any overspent funds must be reimbursed to the Rosen Center from discretionary funds or another funding source.

Proposal Submission Guidelines:

Please submit completed proposals in PDF format via email to the link here: [email protected]

You should receive an automated confirmation of receipt of a successful submission from Box. If you do not receive the confirmation email, please email Dennis Ko and attach your proposal to the message.

Name your attached proposal file as follows: PRG_LastName1_First Name1_LastName2_FirstName2.pdf For example, a collaborative proposal from John Appleseed and Jane Smith would be named "PRG_Appleseed_John_Smith_Jane.pdf"

Please direct questions to Dennis Ko ([email protected]).