Johns Hopkins faculty can now apply for 2016 Catalyst, Discovery Awards

Proposals are now being accepted for the second round of the Catalyst and Discovery Awards, which were established last year to support creativity and collaboration among Johns Hopkins faculty. The two programs are part of a $15 million university commitment to faculty research over three years.

"Through these initiatives and others to come, we will continue to do all we can to support our faculty, who form the intellectual heart of our institution," said an announcement from university President Ronald J. Daniels, Provost Robert C. Lieberman, and the deans and directors of the university's divisions.

The Catalyst Awards provide up to $75,000 for individuals with between three and 10 years of experience in a faculty position who are undertaking exceptional research or creative endeavors. The awards help these individuals launch their promising careers during the crucial years when startup funds are depleted and external funding or other support may be elusive.

The Discovery Awards focus on sparking new interactions among faculty from across the university. Teams receive up to $150,000, and a number of the awards are reserved for faculty teams that will use the funds to get started while they seek an externally funded, large-scale grant or cooperative agreement.

Last year, faculty members submitted close to 400 applications for the two awards. Thirty-seven early-career scholars received Catalyst Awards and 23 cross-divisional faculty teams received Discovery Awards. Their research encompassed such endeavors as engineering artificial lymph nodes, composing a new symphony, and reverse engineering ancient ceramics.

"We know that our investment cannot replace robust federal funding for the essential creative and investigative work of our university's scholars and researchers," Daniels said at a celebration of the first round of winners on Sept. 3. "But we also know that when it comes to sparking your discoveries, we just can't wait."

Faculty can submit their proposals until the March 31 deadline. Application materials can be found on the Office of the Provost website.