Notre Dame Research and Foundation Relations invite you to participate in an upcoming ideation, partnering, and planning meeting in preparation for the Burroughs Wellcome Fund’s call for Climate and Health Excellence Centers opportunity.

Please use this form to submit your concept note for the ideation, partnering and planning meeting to be held January 22, 2025. The registration and concept note submission deadline is 11:59 p.m. EST, on Wednesday, January 8, 2025. Faculty may invite other faculty, postdocs, graduate students, and staff to attend; however, all attendees must register individually.

Register and submit concept notes 

Concept notes and team bios must be submitted by the lead PI as a single PDF document. PIs who have their concept notes selected for further consideration will be asked to present during a series of brief Ignite Talks (three minutes) during the meeting. On January 10, 2025, additional information about slide templates, content, and the submission process will be provided to those who are selected as presenters at the January 22 meeting.

Your concept note should include the following:

1. A two-page (maximum) concept note that speaks to the requirements of the CHEX program and its vision. This concept note should include a description of the area of focus and the core problem area in climate and health that your proposal will address.

2. One-page (maximum) bios for up to five team members.

The concept note should include new lines of research toward defining the health impacts of climate change and translating discovery science into practical application. Identify strategies that can both bring together traditionally partnering fields and meaningfully engage those who have not typically partnered with health-focused work. Include the role of graduate student training as well as external engagement and communication of the research to the broader public.

About the CHEX Center Call

New institutional awards of up to $10,000,000 will be provided through this call to stimulate the development of strong research, education, and public communications connections between fields that aim to understand and mitigate the impact of climate change on human health. This award will support institutions or consortia that are already moving toward establishing themselves as centers of excellence for understanding climate change’s impact on human health and for leadership in climate education or public communication around climate and health.

Applications from institutions just starting to integrate Climate and Health into their planning are expected to be uncompetitive. Up to three awards will be made over two rounds of competition. The main focus areas of the program include:

• Basic, applied, and translational research

• An outward focus

• Graduate Education

This is a limited submission opportunity. The University may only submit one proposal to the CHEX call. Selection will be determined via the established limited submission process. A notice regarding the internal competition will occur in early Spring 2025, following the partnering conversation.

Expectations of this meeting

1. Pull ideas together that lead to an innovative and attractive proposal to the Burroughs Wellcome Fund CHEX Program.

2. Facilitate collaboration and teamwork towards center-level concepts and research directions.

3. Identify external collaborations that will strengthen the proposal.

Planned Agenda

● Welcome and Introduction: NDR and Foundation Relations – 15 minutes
● Ignite Talks Presented by Faculty (3 minutes each): 1 hour
● Break: 5-10 minutes
● Group Debrief and Discussion: Broad Questions and Themes - 15 minutes
● Small Group Discussions/Partnering (grouped by theme): 30 minutes
● Wrap-up and Next Steps: 15 minutes

How a Partnering Conversation Relates to a Limited Submissions Opportunity and Internal Competition: 

The partnering conversation process is separate from the limited submissions competition, and will not replace limited submissions processes. Teams formed as a result of this partnering conversation are welcome to apply to the limited submissions competition but should not expect to receive or gain preferential consideration in the limited process. While attendance and participation at the meeting are strongly encouraged, they are not required in order to apply to the Notre Dame Research Limited Submission internal competition. The Vice President for Research reserves the right to select the most worthy application as the University nomination to the Burroughs Wellcome Fund.

Registration is required. 

Register and submit concept notes

With questions, please email Kara Primmer.

Originally published at research.nd.edu.