Innovation Catalyst awards programs are available to full-time faculty in all schools and disciplines.
Yes, both full-time junior and senior faculty may apply.
Yes, you may apply if you are a full-time faculty member at Vanderbilt University or VUMC.
No, you must have a full-time, VU-faculty or VUMC-faculty appointment to apply. Should it be appropriate for the project, you may partner with a full-time, VU faculty member to serve as the PI. All partners' roles and duties should be explained in the application.
No, to apply for Innovation Catalyst Awards you must have a full-time, VU-faculty appointment to apply.
Applicants with individual or team projects are both welcome to apply.
Yes, but your new proposal should not overlap in activity or expenses with your prior award. In addition, all annual reports for your current award must be completed to be eligible for additional funding.
While CTTC can assist in answering questions and providing guidance, it is the faculty member’s responsibility to write their own proposal.
We highly encourage applicants to provide a clear and comprehensive scope of work detailing how the funding will be utilized to support their project. The evaluation process will focus on the effectiveness of the budget, ensuring it is well-justified, based on actual costs, and efficiently allocates resources to align with the project's specific goals.
All applications will be reviewed by members of the Catalyst Fund Review Committee (CFRC). The CFRC is composed of peer faculty and divided into four academic subgroups: Science & Medicine, Social Science, Arts & Humanities, and Engineering. These faculty members were identified as having subject matter expertise in translational research within the areas of Arts & Humanities, Engineering & Physical Sciences, Social Sciences, and/or Bioscience & Healthcare. As a part of your application, you will self-select the best group to which your proposal belongs, and the reviewers will be selected accordingly. As such, you should make your proposal accessible to a general science, general social science, general engineering, or general arts & humanities reader.
Please reach out to catalystfunding@vanderbilt.edu! We are happy to help.