“Big Idea” Collaborative Research Planning Grant Application

Faculty proposals should be collaborative, interdisciplinary, and ideally come from individuals or groups who have not previously worked together. Priority will be given to innovative projects focused on populations most vulnerable to climate and health impacts. Projects may involve collaborators, communities, or research activities regionally, nationally, or internationally, but should clearly articulate how the insights are relevant to communities in North and South Carolina Projects should demonstrate potential for measurable impact and may include community engagement, implementation, policy, clinical, or translational approaches where appropriate.

Trainee proposals will focus on innovative ideas that expand or enrich the trainee’s area of research and ideally would engage new expertise either by engaging additional faculty or allowing the trainee to develop new skills or experiences that would enhance their potential for future climate and health research in their career. Trainees are encouraged to explore opportunities for community engagement, stakeholder collaboration, or research translation as appropriate to their project stage and field of study.

Projects may span the full spectrum of climate and health research, from basic discovery and mechanistic studies to clinical, population, and community-based implementation efforts. All projects should align with one or several of the four CHeRI research priority areas: Biology and Physiology of Heat, Data Solutions for Climate and Health, Climate and Health Observatories, and Policy and Resilience in a Changing Climate. Each theme covers a unique but interconnected topic area important to Climate and Health.

• Faculty Projects: All Duke University faculty are eligible to apply. Multidisciplinary teams representing multiple disciplines, schools, centers, or institutes and community-based organizations or stakeholders (when appropriate) are strongly encouraged. We encourage proposals that leverage the unique strengths of Duke's diverse academic community and offer the potential for significant long-term impact.
• Trainee Projects: All Duke University graduate students and postdoctoral researchers—from any school, center, or institute—are eligible to apply. Applications from all disciplines are encouraged, including those outside traditional climate or health fields.
• Applicants may be involved in more than one proposal but can only serve as the project lead in one application.
• Prospective collaborations should be framed around multidisciplinary themes. The search function at scholars.duke.edu is a useful tool for finding faculty who share a particular intellectual interest. Other resources to help identify and engage collaborators and stakeholders are available via Duke’s myRESEARCHpath.

Letter of Intent (LOI) Requirements

Provide a one-page brief description of the research idea. This does not need to be a fully formed project, but should include the following items:

1. Introduction, statement of need, and proposed methodology
2. Collaborators: Describe needed expertise, disciplines, departments, or potential collaborators (if known). Specific names are optional. Selected teams may use the symposium and CHeRI facilitation support to identify additional collaborators.
3. Community Engagement and Impact (1-2 sentences): Describe any anticipated community partners, stakeholders, end-users, or intended pathways for translating findings into community, clinical, policy, educational, or public health impact.
4. Budget: Formal budget is not required at this stage; however, indicate the amount of funding you anticipate requesting in a full application.
5. Submission of an LOI and its approval will be contingent on the investigator being able to present their idea at the “Big Idea” symposium on February 3, 2027.
6. All materials should be compiled into a single PDF document and submitted through MyResearchProposal, using code: CHRI.
7. Letter of Intent Deadline: 11:59pm on November 19, 2026

Full Application Requirements

Faculty applications must include the following components: 

1. Specific Aims: State concisely (1 page) the goals of the proposed research and summarize the expected outcome(s), including the impact that the results of the proposed research will have on the research field(s) involved. List succinctly the specific objectives of the research proposed (e.g., to test a stated hypothesis, create a novel design, solve a specific problem, challenge an existing paradigm or clinical practice, address a critical barrier to progress in the field, or develop new technology).
2. Research Strategy: A brief overview (max 2 pages) of the unique research challenge that the team is addressing, including the current stage of the research, available and needed resources, methods and approach, and the project timeline. You may organize into three sections: Significance, Innovation, Approach
3. Deliverables: A statement (max 2 pages) outlining what the team hopes to achieve through this grant opportunity and expected outcomes and deliverables. Specify expected outcomes, deliverables, first-year milestones, and 3-5 planned or potential toolkits spanning micro- to macro-level impact. Describe how project outputs will reach intended beneficiaries and, where applicable, how findings will be disseminated, implemented, or translated beyond academic audiences.
4. Team Composition: Provide a list of team members (max 1 page), including their roles and expertise, identifying the lead organizer (PI). Highlight new collaborations and engagement with new departments, disciplines, community organizations, public agencies, healthcare partners, or other stakeholder groups. Provide a comprehensive outline of the strategy to foster team engagement throughout the project. Please attach biosketches (either NIH or NSF style) for all key personnel and significant contributors.
5. Budget and Budget Justification: Detailed project budget and justification, including any other funding requested. Budget Justification should include sufficient detail for reviewers to assess whether appropriate resources have been requested. Budget should be formatted with the excel file provided.
    

Trainee applications must include the following components:

1. Specific Aims: State concisely (1 page max) the goals of the proposed research and summarize the expected outcome(s), including the impact that the results of the proposed research will have on the research field(s) involved.
2. Research Strategy: A brief overview (max 2 pages) of the unique research challenge that the team is addressing, including the current stage of the research, available and needed resources, methods and approach, and the project timeline. You may organize into three sections: Significance, Innovation, Approach.
3. Career Development and Impact: Describe how the project will expand your research, develop new skills or experiences, engage new faculty expertise, and contribute to future climate and health research goals.
4. Deliverables: A statement (1 page max) outlining what the student hopes to achieve through this grant opportunity and expected outcomes and deliverables, highlighting planned toolkits at the micro to macro level.
5. Proposed Budget: Detailed project budget and justification, including any other funding requested.  In addition to the written justification, use the excel budget provided to outline ONLY the funds requested through this RFA.
6. A letter of support: A letter of support for the project from the trainee’s mentor. (1 page)

All applications:

1. 8.5" × 11" pages
2. Minimum 0.5" margins
3. Minimum 11-point font
4. Recommended fonts: Arial, Georgia, Helvetica, or Palatino Linotype
5. Combine all application documents, including budget, into a single PDF
6. Applications should be written for a broad Duke faculty audience and may be reviewed by individuals outside the applicant's discipline.
7. Full Application Deadline: 11:59pm on March 16, 2027

• Faculty projects: Projects from $40,000 to $200,000 total over two years 
• Trainee projects: Up to $10,000 total over one year 
• Funds may not support investigators outside Duke 
• Community engagement activities are allowable 
• Budgets should be appropriately scaled for project needs and are not required to request the maximum award amount

Allowable Costs - funds may support:

• Salary and fringe for Duke personnel
• Student and postdoctoral support
• Project managers and technical staff
• Participant compensation
• Equipment and supplies
• Project-related travel
• Publication costs
• Community engagement activities
• Dissemination and implementation activities

Additional notes

• This is an internal award and does not require overhead or F&A. This award does not need to be routed through the Office of Research Administration (ORA). However, we require you to include your grants team in the preparation of this proposal budget.
• Funding of investigators outside Duke is not allowed.
• If applicants receive news about other funding proposals after the deadline, they should provide updated information to SOM_climatehealth@duke.edu.
• Animal and Human Subject Protections: Research involving human subjects or animals must have appropriate approvals from the Duke Institutional Review Board (IRB) or Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC). Include a statement in your application if these regulations apply, and status of approval.

Applications will be reviewed by a committee comprised of Duke faculty and staff. Review criteria, included below, will include the significance of the research challenge, the interdisciplinary nature of the team, the potential impact of the funding on the research question, and the feasibility of the proposed goals. 

Duke SOM will fund the research activities per the approved project proposal. The project will begin when a Notice of Award is signed. If more than three months pass after notification of funding and the project is still not ready to start, Duke’s SOM reserves the right to retract the funding. All faculty project funds must be expended by April 30, 2029, and trainee funds by April 30, 2028; any unexpended funds will be retained by the Duke SOM. Any costs that exceed the grant amount or are unallowable based on the terms will be charged back to the PI’s department. Requests for no-cost extensions will not be approved.

The primary source of funding is The Duke Endowment and should be acknowledged on any projects that flow from this work, either directly or subsequently (follow on studies). 

Approvals Required Prior to Funding Start Date 

• If not already approved, awardees are expected to obtain all required IRB/IACUC approvals or any other regulatory requirements, during a three-month study startup period, May 1 to August 1, 2027. 
• Fully executed appropriate legal agreement(s) between Duke and community partners must be in place prior to the start of their work on the research project, if applicable. 
• Failure to submit documents in the requested timeframe may result in cancellation of funding. 

Project Execution 

• Duke SOM staff will work closely with funded teams throughout the grant period to monitor progress and, when necessary, provide assistance.
• Any PI who leaves his or her position should contact Duke SOM to discuss future plans for the project. 

Reporting and Follow-up 

• Funded projects must submit progress reports every six months tracking project milestones: Nov 1, 2027; May 1, 2028; Nov 1, 2028; and a final report on May 1, 2029 (note: trainee project final reports are due at the end of their grant, May 1, 2028).

For additional information on this funding opportunity, please contact SOM_climatehealth@duke.edu

• Does the project address a critical climate and health challenge, particularly for vulnerable communities in North Carolina and South Carolina?
• Will the proposed research produce measurable outcomes that have the potential to directly benefit affected communities and inform future intervention strategies?
• Does the project align with one or more of the CHeRI research priority areas (Biology and Physiology of Heat, Data Solutions for Climate and Health, Climate and Health Observatories, Policy and Resilience in a Changing Climate)?

• Are findings, methods, or tools relevant beyond the studied population or setting?
• Is there a clear plan for disseminating insights to other contexts and stakeholders?
• How does the project advance climate and health research at Duke and in the region?

• Does the project employ novel concepts, approaches, methodologies, or technologies?
• Will the project advance novel and/or previously underexplored areas of climate and health research?
• Are the design, methods, and analyses rigorous and appropriate for answering the research challenge?

• Can the project and proposed deliverables be completed within the proposed timeframe and budget?
• Are the specific aims clear, focused, and achievable given available and needed resources?
• Does the proposal include a realistic timeline and strategy for team engagement?

• Does the team have appropriate expertise and include new interdisciplinary collaborations?
• Does the proposal specify necessary resources and support for successful project execution?

• Do the proposed toolkits represent a novel or transformative contribution to the climate and health field, and are they designed to meaningfully influence research, decision-making, or intervention strategies?
• Does the proposal provide a clear plan for disseminating project outputs, tools, or findings to relevant audiences within Duke and beyond?
• Is there a well described pathway for translating project findings into community, clinical, public health, educational, or policy impact?
• Where community partners are involved, are their roles clearly described and integrated into project planning, implementation, or dissemination activities?

Collaborators from other universities are welcome; however, funds may not support personnel or research activities outside Duke. 

Yes, funding may support local or global community partnerships; however, all projects must demonstrate a clear and meaningful benefit to the communities in North Carolina and/or South Carolina that are vulnerable to climate and health impacts. Applicants are encouraged to budget for activities that support authentic community engagement, including stakeholder meetings, advisory boards, co-design sessions, participant compensation, dissemination activities, and other efforts that strengthen translation of research into community benefit. For global projects, applicants should consult with a business manager to ensure feasibility within the project timeline.

Yes, we are interested in collaborations of all research types, including those focused on basic science. For early-stage or discovery science projects, applicants should describe the potential pathway through which their work could contribute to future clinical, public health, policy, or community impact.

We, and our funders, encourage deliverables that demonstrate measurable impact and/or produce practical, tools, resources, or toolkits. Expected outputs will vary by project type, and CHeRI will work with selected teams to identify meaningful patient-, community-, or system-level outcomes.

Yes, faculty associated with existing units may apply; however, proposals should demonstrate how the proposal will foster new collaborations, engage new expertise, or explore interdisciplinary directions beyond current center/unit activities.