(Allied) Health Sciences: PhD and Post-Doc Resources: Research & Funding
Created by Health Science Librarians
DHS Proposal Submissions
- DHS Proposal Submissions flier (PDF)The GPS (Grant Pre-Submission Notification System) is your one-stop online shop within the Department of Health Sciences to help you complete your grant application correctly and on time.
All faculty and students must complete the GPS form for any grant, internal or external, to alert the OORS and ready them to provide any support you need.
As soon as you begin thinking about preparing an application for a specific funding agency, fill out the GPS. It’s never too early. ,For more detailed information about the GPS, see this GPS flier.
Proposal Playbook (UNC OSR)
From UNC's Office of Sponsored Research (OSR)
- OSR Proposal PlaybookThe result of an initiative to improve and streamline the management of externally sponsored research programs at UNC, the Research Playbooks are online resources intended to support researchers and research administrators in managing all stages of the award lifecycle, from proposal to closeout. The first playbook released is the Proposal Playbook.
- PDF download
- Online version with training links
HSL Research and Publishing Resources
Library Data Services
HSL Research and Publishing Guides
- Engagement, Inclusion, Recruitment and Retention in Research Studies• Access published literature about recruitment and retention of participants into research studies or clinical trials.
• Access resources for recruitment and retention: DIY tools, stakeholder engagement, participant-centered study design consults, recruitment troubleshooting consults, and fee-for-service study management and coordination. - HSL Guide on Current Awareness ToolsWant to keep current about your discipline and its research? Check out this guide for more information.
- NIH BiosketchUsing SciENcv, you can now create the following biosketch formats:
NIH Biosketch
NIH Fellowship Biosketch
NSF Biosketch
NSF Current and Pending Support
IES Biosketch
Funding Search Help
- GFIC: Graduate Funding Information CenterFunding Information Portal, Workshops, and Individual Consultations by appointment.
SEE GFIC Box below for additional information and links.
Graduate Funding Information Center (GFIC)
- Graduate Funding Information Center (GFIC)Supports current and prospective Carolina graduate students seeking sources of funding for independent research, collaborative projects, fellowships, program development, and other scholarly activities. Does not fund students directly; provides assistance and instruction on the best use of their resources to help you find appropriate funding opportunities and craft strong applications for them. Includes:
• The Funding Information Portal
• Workshops: Identifying Funding Information
• Individual Consultations (one-hour appointments)
• Email consultations
• Funding Announcements - Carolina Internal Funding Databasea small database of funding opportunities available specifically for UNC students.
- SPIN Plus Funding DatabaseSPIN is a comprehensive database containing over 40,000 funding opportunities from more than 10,000 federal, public, non-profit, and private sponsors. Registered users can set up and save search preferences, sign up for email notifications, organize and export funding searches and funding opportunities.
- SPIN Information PageIncludes Quick Start Guide, Search Tips Handout, and other educational materials.
UNC Office of Postdoctoral Affairs
- UNC Office of Postdoctoral AffairsIncludes a wealth of information on topics from health insurance, to mentors, to research ethics, to policies, to making the most of your postdoc.
- DIrect link to events calendar for postdocsSome activities include PhD students.
- UNC Office of Postdoctoral Affairs > PostdocsIn this section of our website, you will learn about the wide array of resources and services available to postdoctoral scholars offered by the Office of Postdoctoral Affairs and the University community.
- UNC Office of Postdoctoral Affairs > Postdocs > Funding Resources & FellowshipsIncludes
-Funding Resources
-Fellowship Opportunities
-Funding Basics
-Grant Basics
Also includes postdoctoral proposal support information (including consultations)
Navigating NCTraCS: Examples from a Junior Faculty Member
Examples from a Junior Faculty Member: how $2k can shape your career --Clare Harrop, PhD
- Research Assistant Professor and Translational Research Methodologist, Allied Health Sciences
- Presentation to the UNC Department of Allied Health Sciences, October, 2018
- UNC's NC TraCS Institute ("TraCS"): An NIH grant-funded institute serving the research community with a mission to accelerate discoveries into interventions that improve the health of individuals and the public. Our aims are to develop and support a skilled research workforce, engage diverse stakeholders as active partners, develop innovative methods to address barriers to translating scientific findings, and incorporate cutting-edge informatics tools and methodologies in every aspect of translational research.
Also see the September 1, 2020, TraCS News Article, Asking the Right Questions, in which Clare Harrop, PhD, describes the TraCS $2K pilot award as a gateway that opened doors to many other opportunities.
- Why don't we see more young girls with autism? To tackle this big, complicated question, Clare Harrop, PhD - a developmental psychologist in the Department of Allied Health Sciences at Carolina - started small with a TraCS $2K pilot award.
- "I did not expect to get five publications, numerous conference presentations, and three more grants out of this."
Some additional Early Career Resources for Researchers
- Burroughs Wellcome Fund Career ToolsArticles
Career Development Guides
Lab Management Guides
Resources - Burroughs Wellcome Fund Grant ProgramsThe Burroughs Wellcome Fund's grantmaking strategies support biomedical scientists at the beginning of their careers and areas of science that are poised for significant advancement but are currently undervalued and underfunded. BWF programs include those that support institutions and academic scientists: postdoctoral-faculty bridging awards and faculty awards.
- Making the Right Moves: A Practical Guide to Scientific Management for Postdocs and New Faculty (2006)• Based on workshops co-sponsored by the Burroughs Wellcome Fund and Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI), this downloadable book is a collection of practical advice and experiences from seasoned biomedical investigators.
• Includes chapters on obtaining & negotiating a faculty position, understanding university structure and planning for tenure, laboratory leadership, mentoring and being mentored, time & project management, data management & laboratory notebooks, getting funded, betting published and increasing your visibility, setting up collaborations, technology transfer, and teaching and course design.
• Pub date 2006: some of this is becoming dated, but most of the content is still applicable for/about researchers today. - National Research Mentoring Network (NRMN)A nationwide consortium of biomedical professionals and institutions collaborating to provide all trainees across the biomedical, behavioral, clinical and social sciences with evidence-based mentorship and professional development programming. One of three highly integrated members of the NIH Diversity Program Consortium, which determines the effectiveness of innovative approaches to strengthen institutional capacity to sustain mentor-mentee relationships.
- Funding Opportunities for New and Young Faculty, Guide from UC BerkeleyList of programs intended for late postdoctoral investigators and new faculty, usually those at or below the rank of Assistant Professor. Includes federal and non-federal agencies. Includes NIH and NSF.
- Grant Writing for Education• from LinkedIn Learning, formerly Lynda.com (free with Onyen/PW login)
• for beginners
• covers the entire grant process, with lots of tips, hacks, common mistakes to avoid
• good explanations of process, understanding and RFP (request for proposal) and anatomy of a grant proposal
• quick to read transcript vs. viewing video
Grants & Programs for Early Career Researchers from Agencies & Associations
See, also, UC Berkeley Funding Opportunities for New & Young Facutly
National Institutes of Health (NIH)
- Early Research Career DevelopmentNIH programs for independent researchers
- Next Generation Researchers InitiativeNIH has launched the Next Generation Researchers Initiative to address longstanding challenges faced by researchers trying to embark upon and sustain independent research careers, and to take steps to promote the growth, stability and diversity of the biomedical research workforce.
- Early Stage and Early Established Investigator PoliciesThis page provides information on the NIH Next Generation Researchers Initiative policies that support early-stage investigators (ESIs) and Early Established Investigator (EEIs).
- Director's New Innovator AwardPart of the High-Risk, High-Reward Research program, the award supports exceptionally creative early career investigators who propose innovative, high-impact projects.
- Director's Early Independence AwardPart of the High-Risk, High-Reward Research program, the award supports outstanding junior scientists with the intellect, scientific creativity, drive, and maturity to flourish independently by bypassing the traditional post-doctoral training period.
- Office of Clinical Research Training and Medical Education (OCRTME)Internships, fellowships and other opportunities. Resources for students, residents/fellows and mid-career professionals.
- Early Career Reviewer (ECR) ProgramCenter for Scientific Review (CSR) program to give researchers experience in peer review.
- National Institute of Environmental Health SciencesAdministrative Supplements to Promote Diversity in SRP-Related Research
The research experience is intended for new trainees (not current) to be added to Superfund Research Program (SRP)-supported grants. The candidate (i.e., trainee) should be from a diverse background and the project proposed must be integral to the approved, ongoing research of the parent grant. Furthermore, the project must have the potential to contribute significantly to the research career development of the candidate.
National Science Foundation (NSF)
- Faculty Early Career Development Program (CAREER)Award to help a junior faculty member develop activities that can effectively integrate research and education within the context of his/her organization.
U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs
- Career Development ProgramVA's Career Development Program was established to provide mentoring for junior researchers so they can learn from renowned, experienced VA researchers.
U.S. Department of Defense
- Young Faculty AwardThe objective of the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) Young Faculty Award rogram is to identify and engage rising research stars in junior faculty positions at U.S. academic institutions and introduce them to Department of Defense needs as well as DARPA’s program development process.
Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ)
AcademyHealth
- Programs to Increase Diversity Among Individuals Engaged in Health-Related Research (PRIDE): from National Heart, Lung and Blood InstituteAn all-expense-paid Summer Institute, research education and mentoring initiative. It addresses the difficulties experienced by junior investigators and transitioning postdoctoral scientists in establishing independent academic research careers and negotiating through the academic ranks. The primary outcome of this program is to increase the number of scientists and research-oriented faculty who are from backgrounds currently under-represented in the biomedical sciences and those with disabilities, by preparing them to successfully compete for external funding for scientific research in heart, lung, blood, and sleep (HLBS) disorders.
Howard Hughes Medical Institute
- Science Education AllianceProvides faculty members at colleges and universities with opportunities to engage students in research-based curricula early in their academic careers. SEA advances science education on a national scale by supporting faculty members in implementing course-based research experiences at their institutions.
- Gilliam Fellowships for Advanced StudySupports exceptional graduate students who are committed to increasing diversity among scientific leaders, especially those students who will go on to become faculty members at colleges and universities. The goal of HHMI’s Gilliam Fellowships for Advanced Study program is to ensure that a diverse and highly trained workforce is prepared to assume leadership roles in science, particularly college and university faculty who have the responsibility to develop the next generation of scientists.
- Hanna H. Gray Fellows ProgramSupports early-career life scientists in academic labs across the U.S. The goal of the program is to recruit and retain individuals who are from gender, racial, ethnic, and other groups underrepresented in the life sciences, including those from disadvantaged backgrounds, early in their careers.
- Faculty Scholars ProgramProgram to identify, nurture, and support top researchers during an early phase of their careers, when competition for grant support is particularly intense. Also supported by the Simons Foundation and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.