Open call – CZI – Science Diversity Leadership Awards

Feb 23, 2022 | Awards & Funding

To: All Divisional Faculty and Researchers
From: Office of Corporate and Foundation Relations
Subject: Funding Opportunity

The Office of Foundations Relations is pleased to share this open call for funding from the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative.

 UCSC Contact: Samantha Forde | forde@ucsc.edu
Funder: Chan Zuckerberg Initiative
ProgramScience Diversity Leadership Award
Funding: $1.15 million
Application deadline: May 19, 2022 at 5:00 PM ED

Overview

Science Diversity Leadership awards from the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative (CZI) will recognize the leadership and scientific accomplishments of outstanding early- to mid-career researchers who — through their outreach, mentoring, teaching, and leadership — have a record of promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion in their scientific fields. They will have made significant research contributions to the biomedical sciences, show promise for continuing scientific achievement, and demonstrate leadership in efforts to diversify the sciences.

The Principal Investigator will advance research in areas that are the focus of CZI, which include the basic science of human disease and the development of transformative tools and technologies. Especially welcomed is research that has the potential to advance progress on diseases that disproportionately affect Black, Latina/o/x, or Indigenous populations. This program is guided by CZI’s commitment to scientific equity. CZI-prioritized fields include:

Funding Level

  • A grant of $1.15 million total over a five-year period
  • $230,000 total costs per year, inclusive of 15%for indirect costs/overhead
  • Direct costs ($200,000 per year) can be used to support both the research of the Principal Investigator and their outreach, mentoring, and teaching activities.

Eligibility

The Principal Investigator must be someone who:

  1. Performs research relevant to the biomedical sciences
  2. Leads an independent research laboratory
  3. Started their first independent laboratory no earlier than January 1, 2012.
  4. Principal Investigators who identify as members of underrepresented racial and ethnic groups, who have disabilities that limit major life activities, or who identify as women or non-binary gender are strongly encouraged to apply.

Competitive applications will demonstrate that the PI:

  • Has significant prior research accomplishments relevant to the biomedical sciences;
  • Shows promise of continuing scientific achievement in research fields prioritized by CZI;
  • Studies the basic science of human diseases that are highly relevant to underserved populations, including Black, Latina/o/x, and Indigenous communities;
  • Has a diversity of lived experience allowing them to serve as a role model and to broaden the perspectives of biomedical science;
  • Has sustained personal engagement with underserved, marginalized, and/or underrepresented communities;
  • Identifies as a member of racial or ethnic group whose underrepresentation in sciences or engineering in the U.S. has been severe and longstanding.;
  • Has had success in becoming a research scientist with a physical disability that substantially limits one or more major life activities.

 Special Instructions

Please submit a proposal intake form prior to UCSC’s internal Institutional Deadlines. Please let Foundation Relations (cfr@ucsc.edu) know if you are interested in applying. For support developing your proposal, please contact the Research Development Specialist assigned to your unit or send a request to resdev@ucsc.edu.

 Call sent: February 17, 2022


The Office of Foundation Relations is a unit of University Relations. The FR team creates and maintains mutually beneficial, long-term relationships with private organizations, matching grant initiatives with educational and research programs and centers. FR supports faculty and staff to identify and approach these and other private foundations and corporations for funding, to assist in strategic positioning of the grant application, and to facilitate funder campus visits.

For a list of recent funding opportunities, please visit the FR website.  FR Calls for Funding

If you have any questions or comments, please contact cfr@ucsc.edu