Call for Graduate Student Research Proposals
Proposals to support research on evolutionary perspectives on human, animal, and plant health are now being accepted by the Triangle Center for Evolutionary Medicine (TriCEM). In this round of funding, we are soliciting applications from graduate students at Duke and NC State.
Graduate Student Awards are one-year awards for graduate students to pursue research in evolutionary medicine. To be eligible, a student must be enrolled at Duke or NC State. We expect the graduate student to lead the proposed research with approval of their advisor and under appropriate mentorship for the research project. Awards will include the option of additional funds to support an undergraduate to serve as a research assistant on the project. To use these additional funds, we expect that the graduate student will participate in training on effective mentoring and play an active role in mentoring the undergraduate.
Proposed research activities should focus on evolutionary medicine, broadly defined to include research at the intersection of evolutionary biology, public health, and human or animal medicine, including One Health. Previously funded research areas have included: the ecology and evolution of infectious disease; human vulnerability to psychiatric and neurodegenerative disease; evolution of antimicrobial resistance; evolutionary perspectives in global health; evolution of aging; autoimmune disease and allergy; evolution and cancer; evolutionary perspectives on emerging plant diseases and food security; One Health and comparative medicine; and the genetic basis of disease. More information on previous projects can be found here: tricem.org/grad-students/.
Funds should be used for direct research expenses, supported by a budget and budget justification; tuition, fees, and stipends are not allowable expenses. Award amounts will vary depending on funding availability, up to $7,500.
As part of the application, students have the option to apply for additional funding to (1) involve undergraduate trainees in the research project and/or (2) engage the public via scientific outreach at the NC Museum of Natural Sciences related to the proposed research.
Undergraduate support: successful applicants may request an additional $2000 to support a trainee. To obtain these additional funds, we expect that the graduate student will participate in training on effective mentoring and play an active role in guiding the undergraduate. This amount should not be included in the budget during the initial application; it is completed separately once decisions are made.
Public outreach: the NC Museum of Natural Sciences will provide $500 stipends for two students to engage with visitors to the Museum via creative and dynamic ideas for communicating science. Examples include short talks on the student’s research, presentations related to a Museum exhibit, or interactive teaching displays to engage visitors in the galleries. Students should plan for at least 16 hours of activities at the Museum over 4 months during the award period. Awardees will have the opportunity to practice public speaking skills and receive feedback from Museum staff who have expertise in science communication.
Proposals are due on January 10, 2025 and should follow the guidelines below.
Please contact Jennifer Hurtgen (jennifer.hurtgen@duke.edu) with any questions.
Proposal Guidelines
Proposals are short, not to exceed 3 single-spaced pages (12-pt type, margins at least 0.5 inches), and include a brief budget justification and bibliography. If applying for the supplemental NC Museum of Natural Sciences stipend, proposals will be allowed an additional 250 words over the 3-page limit. References can be in an abbreviated format (e.g., Science or Nature style). In addition to the 3-page proposal, please include a current CV. The proposal and CV should be uploaded in a single PDF. Proposals exceeding 3 pages (not including CVs and an additional 250 words for NC Museum funds) will be returned without review.
Graduate Student Award proposals must also include a single letter of recommendation from the applicant’s faculty advisor/PI. The letter must include a complete list of active and pending funding available to the PI’s research program, and any potential overlap between the advisor/PI’s funding and the student’s proposed studies must be addressed. The letter of recommendation will be submitted separately by the faculty advisor, but must also be received by the proposal deadline of Friday, March 22, 2024. Faculty letters of recommendation should be emailed to Johnny Uelmen in PDF format by the applicant’s advisor/PI.
Proposal Submission
Proposals will be accepted as a single PDF file, including CV(s), with the exception of Graduate Student Award letters of recommendation submitted as described above. Graphics should be embedded directly into the proposal document. For submission, please ensure that your document is named in the format “LastName_FirstName.pdf”. Visit this link to complete your submission.
TriCEM is supported by Duke University, North Carolina A&T State University, North Carolina Central University, North Carolina State University, and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and partners with the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences. While this RFP is focused on a subset of our institutions, we anticipate that future rounds of TriCEM funding may offer support from additional university partners.
