GOAL
The goal of the Integrated Research-Education Grants (IREG) program is to provide support for research that focuses on direct engagement of undergraduate students alongside innovative scientists engaged in basic, fundamental research in Pennsylvania. Applications must include authentic, hands-on research experiences with the expectation of leading to new discoveries and peer-reviewed publications. Proposals are required to address basic (fundamental, pure) questions addressing core principles in biology, physics and chemistry or at the disciplinary boundaries between these fields. The research must be curiosity-driven addressing fundamental processes, but in the context of its potential application for the betterment of humankind. Applied or clinical studies will not be supported. Competitive applications are expected to be rich in innovative ideas and approaches with the potential both for generating transformative intellectual advances and for training the next generation of research scientists.
Note: Invitations to the 2024 IREG program were emailed Jan. 22.
PROCESS STATEMENT
Submissions are reviewed through the following process:
LOI: Staff of the Charles E. Kaufman Foundation will screen LOIs for eligibility, and all eligible requests will be reviewed by the Scientific Advisory Board. The Scientific Advisory Board will meet to deliberate on the merits of each request and will recommend a group of applicants to advance to the full proposal stage.
Full Proposal: At the full proposal stage, Foundation staff will review submissions for eligibility, and all eligible proposals will be reviewed by the Scientific Advisory Board. During deliberations on the proposals, the Scientific Advisory Board will recommend a group of full proposal applicants for funding to the Charles E. Kaufman Foundation Board of Directors.
Board of Directors: The Board of Directors of the Charles E. Kaufman Foundation will make final decisions on funding, based on recommendations from the Scientific Advisory Board.
Feedback: Because of the large number of requests, the Foundation is regrettably unable to provide panel comments from the Letter of Intent stage. If invited to submit a full proposal, all applicants will receive brief summary comments from the Scientific Advisory Board’s deliberations, upon request.