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University of California, Santa Barbara Call for Proposals

The 2025 Daryl and Marguerite Errett Discovery Award in Biomedical Research

 

Overview

Funded through an annual gift of up to $70,000 from the Errett Fisher Foundation, the Daryl and Marguerite Errett Discovery Award in Biomedical Research is intended to honor the lives of Daryl and Marguerite Errett, while providing seed funding to the most exceptional postdocs or research professional at UC Santa Barbara to support their innovative research in the field of biomedicine.
 
The Daryl and Marguerite Errett Discovery Award will provide support to one outstanding postdoc or research professional annually to enable them to conduct cutting-edge research in biomedicine and to launch promising projects that nurture the careers of gifted investigators who will have an impact on pioneering developments that advance human health.
 
The award is intended to supply seed funding to outstanding scientists and engineers who seek to conduct risk-taking research that might not yet qualify for traditional sources of funding from agencies like the National Institute for Health. The award is highly competitive, bestowing upon the recipient a significant measure of independence.
 

Application Process/Timeline

All laboratory heads (i.e., faculty) in Engineering and the Sciences (COE and MLPS) are invited to nominate their most outstanding postdoctoral fellows or research professionals, whose work focuses on biomedical research.
 
A complete application package should include:
  • A written proposal of the suggested research, limited to no more than 3 pages (10pt font, standard margins).
  • A brief budget (less than a quarter of a page, a few sentences and/or a small table can suffice) to indicate on what items the funds will be applied to (e.g., salary, supplies, etc.). The total budget can be up to $70,000. Benefits should be added if the salary is included. The proposal does not go through OR so does not have to include overhead.
  • Since the award intends to bestow a measure of independence, each proposal should include a paragraph to address the question: How is this work innovative, compared to the lab’s current direction? The proposal should also include a statement about the broader impact of the work.
  • A curriculum vita, as well as a statement of the candidate’s career objectives
  • Two letters of recommendation; one from the laboratory head or faculty mentor, and one from another scientist, either at UC Santa Barbara or another institution, who is familiar with the candidate's work. 

The deadline for submission of applications is April 25, 2025.

Once awarded, funds provided by the Daryl and Marguerite Errett Discovery Award could be used by the recipients for any costs associated with the proposed project. These may include salary (at the level set by the recipient's laboratory head and indicated within the proposed budgetary analysis within the proposal), research supplies, and access to vital equipment and instrumentation. The term of the award would be from July 1, 2025 to June 30, 2026 and funds should be expended within the end of the award year (by June 30, 2026).
 
The Daryl and Marguerite Errett Discovery Award Committee, which will be composed of highly- distinguished faculty representatives from various research areas in biomedical research in Engineering and the Sciences at UC Santa Barbara, will review the nominations and applications. The Committee will select the most outstanding candidate based on the quality, creativity, and promise of their proposed project. The decision will be announced by June 1, 2025.
 
The recipient of the Daryl and Marguerite Errett Discovery Award would provide the Errett Fisher Foundation Board with a written stewardship report at the end of the first year reporting on the outcomes of the recipient's research. The report would be due by June 30, 2026. In addition, board members of the Errett Fisher Foundation as well as a UCSB development officer will have the opportunity to meet with the recipient at the beginning of the award and learn first-hand about their research project and goals.
 

Please submit applications no later than April 25, 2025 via email to:

Spencer Smith Associate Professor
Electrical and Computer Engineering
sls@ucsb.edu

University of California, Santa Barbara

Otis Williams Postdoctoral Fellowship Application, 

Santa Barbara Foundation

2025

 

Overall Description

The Otis Williams Fund at the Santa Barbara Foundation will provide a year of support for post-doctoral research training at the interface of biology and engineering at the University of California, Santa Barbara. This fellowship is intended to support traditional biomedical fields such as biochemistry, molecular biology, and cell biology coupled with UCSB’s unique strengths in materials, computing, and mechanical, chemical, and electrical engineering. The highest priority applications would be interdisciplinary bioengineering projects, potentially in partnership with other members of the medical research, education and delivery field in Santa Barbara. The Deans of the College of Engineering and the Division of Mathematics, Life and Physical Science at UCSB will administer application, solicitation and review of proposals.

 

  1. Eligibility Citizens or permanent residents of the United States, holding a Ph.D. or M.D. degree at the time of activation of the fellowship are eligible to apply for support. Foreign applicants must demonstrate that they hold the appropriate visa for the tenure of their proposed program. Applicants should be about to begin year 1-3 of their post-doctoral career to qualify.
  2. Review Criteria
    • Candidate – the candidate’s previous research and academic performance and their potential to develop into a productive, high-quality researcher
    • Sponsor – a willing sponsor from the UCSB faculty, including laboratory facilities
    • Research Proposal – the scientific merit of the proposal
    • Training Potential – the value of the proposed research project as it relates to the candidate’s needs in preparation for a career in research. 
    • Relationship/Relevance to bioengineering
    • Synergy - priority given to applicants who can demonstrate collaboration or potential for collaboration with Santa Barbara County-based health, medical and bio-engineering organizations (ie: Cottage Hospital, Sansum Diabetes Research Institute, Cancer Center)
  3. Review Procedures

The Deans will evaluate the fellowship applications with the assistance of a committee comprised of faculty from both Engineering and the Sciences in addition to representatives from organizations in the Santa Barbara community engaged in medical research activity. Applications will be reviewed by the members of the Research Committee, with members excusing themselves from review of any application in which they are involved as investigator or co-investigator, or when their participation in the review would constitute a conflict of interest. In reviewing applications, outside opinions may be solicited if the Committee deems it appropriate. Applications that are incomplete, insufficiently documented or which do not follow the instructions will not be reviewed.

  1. Salary given will be commensurate with experience. Award will be a two-year postdoctoral appointment with a starting salary of $64,480 annual plus benefits and a small supply budget.
  2. Submission Deadline Please visit http://www.science.ucsb.edu for the announcement of the fellowship and additional application materials. Fully complete applications are due June 2, 2025 by 8:00 AM.  LATE APPLICATIONS WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED. Final applications should be submitted, in PDF form, via email to MLPSDean@ltsc.ucsb.edu. Funding decisions are anticipated in June 2025. Anticipated start date is July 1, 2025. Alternate start dates may be requested but approvals are not guaranteed.
  3. For additional information, contact MLPSDean@ltsc.ucsb.edu. (Communication with the Santa Barbara Foundation must be coordinated through the Office of Engineering and Science Development, UCSB 805-893-8406)

Application Instructions

What to submit –

A pdf of the complete application should be submitted via email to MLPSDean@ltsc.ucsb.edu.

References – Three references are required. The faculty sponsor may be one of them.

Format - Margins must be at least 0.75 inch on all sides and the text must be in a 12-point font throughout the application

Sponsor - The sponsor must be a UCSB faculty member. Only one sponsor may be listed for each proposal. The sponsor is responsible for and must be directly involved in carrying out and overseeing the proposed research, and guarantee laboratory facilities to carry out the research. Any number of co-investigators are permitted.

  1. Specific Instructions for Completing Fellowship Application – Research Proposal:
  • Summary of Proposed Project – Provide a brief summary of the overall project
  • Background – Provide a brief description of the relevant literature and previous experience of both the applicant and the sponsor. Provide references as appropriate.
  • Specific Aims – Include the scope, objectives and significance of the proposed project, the rationale behind the proposal and the specific goals to be achieved during the grant period.
  • Research design and methods – This section should provide, in detail, the methodology, experimental format, and rationale for the proposed work (including a description of relevant controls). Please include information on what techniques will be used and the scientific basis for their choice, what data will be obtained, organized and analyzed. Also, discuss likely outcomes and possible alternatives that might arise, and the implications of both. Sufficient information must be provided to allow a thorough assessment of the proposal by the review committee. A time estimate for completion of the work should also be included.
  • References – Provide complete references, including titles of cited papers.
  • Formatting requirements for Item 7, the Research Proposal:
  • Sections 1-4 must be double-spaced. 
  • Section 1 must not exceed one page.
  • Section 2 must not exceed two pages.
  • Section 3 must not exceed one page.
  • Section 4 must not exceed eight pages.
  • Section 5 must not exceed three pages, but should be single-spaced.