Internal Project Grants
The NSF-Simons National Institute for Theory and Mathematics in Biology requests proposals for internal research projects aimed at fulfilling our scientific mission. Northwestern University and the University of Chicago were awarded funds from the National Science Foundation and the Simons Foundation to establish the National Institute for Theory and Mathematics in Biology, or NITMB, based in downtown Chicago at the John Hancock Center. The institute will be the first of its kind in the U.S.
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Together, the two universities are creating a nationwide collaborative research community that will generate new mathematical results and uncover the “rules of life” through theories, data-informed mathematical models, and computational and statistical tools. Foundational advances in biology and mathematics at the NITMB will have broad impacts, such as increased knowledge of human intelligence, advances in the biomedical sciences, and a better understanding of the effects of climate change on plants and animals. The institute offers bidirectional opportunities: Discoveries in biology will also motivate new developments in mathematics.
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Applications Due October 24, 2024
Proposals
Proposals may be submitted for funds for 12 months of support of at most
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2.0 FTE graduate research assistants OR 1.0 FTE graduate research assistant plus 1.0 FTE postdoc, and
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$10,000 direct costs for materials and supplies
Proposals should include a 4-page research proposal, a budget using the provided template, a budget justification, and biosketches in NIH or NSF format for all investigators. Proposals should be submitted online through InfoReady by October 24, 2024, at 11:59pm. Proposals should directly address the Merit Review Criteria and conform to the funding policies detailed below.
Merit Review Criteria:
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Alignment with the research mission of the NITMB, including catalyzing new interactions among different disciplines.
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How well the research integrates mathematics with biology, with investigators providing complementary expertise.
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Collaborations between mathematicians and experimentalists are welcome, but projects are not required to have an experimental component and may use pre- existing datasets.
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The extent to which the research will develop new mathematics (including algorithms, computation, and statistical methods). This must be clearly articulated in the proposal. Applying existing computational tools to a new dataset is, on its own, insufficient to qualify as new math. “New mathematics” includes:
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Novel use of some branch/type of math in the study of a phenomenon (e.g., applying topology to a problem previously only addressed with regression models)
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Developing new mathematics that enables quantification of particular types of mathematical objects with biological relevance (e.g., establishing a metric for 2d shapes)
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New pure mathematics addressing theoretical holes (e.g., relaxing simplifying assumptions)
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Collaborations between researchers at Northwestern University and the University of Chicago are preferred (though not required).
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The quality of the mentoring plan for trainees. Trainees funded through NITMB will be expected to participate in professional development activities, workshops, and present at work-in-progress meetings, annual retreats, and conferences.
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How well the proposal articulates how they will further NITMB DEI goals and best practices.
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Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-Bound (SMART) goals for team engagement with NITMB activities outside the funded research. Examples might include:
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Organizing a workshop
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Mentoring summer undergraduate research
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Serving on NITMB committees (e.g., postdoctoral fellow search, external
grant proposal review and selection)
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Running a training activity or collection of tutorials
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Helping to organize meetings with the External Advisory Board and Scientific
Advisory Board
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Substantive engagement with minority-serving institution partners
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Outreach and education activities
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