What is the IPWR? How does it obtain its funding?
The Institute for Public Health and Water Research (IPWR) is
a not-for-profit, independent science and education organization
focused on improving public health through the consumption
of quality drinking water. The IPWR was launched with an unrestricted research
and educational grant from The Brita Products Company for the purposes
of advancing our understanding of the relationship between water and health.
How is the Science Program announced?
The annual research grants competition will be announced via
the IPWR website. Scientists interested in applying for research
support should regularly monitor the website for information and
updates on the research support program.
Who can apply for a research grant?
All faculty members (full or part-time, permanent, or adjunct),
graduate students and post-doctoral fellows are eligible to apply
for a research grant, depending upon restrictions within their university
or organization.
Members of the Health and Scientific Advisory Board (HSAB) and Executive Board of Directors are ineligible to apply during their tenure of service.
What institutions are eligible to receive research grant funds?
In general, public, private, domestic and foreign research laboratories,
medical centers and hospitals, and universities are eligible to
apply. Federal government appropriated laboratories are prohibited
from serving as the applicant organization.
Who "owns" a submitted or funded research grant?
The institution submitting the proposal "owns" the grant.
Grants do not belong to the individual principal investigator (or
research team) who authored the proposal, but rather to the institution
from which the business official counter signature is provided.
What types of research grants does the IPWR fund?
The IPWR funds:
IPWR Fellow Award ("IPWR Fellow")
This research grant is aimed at scientists who are 5 years or
less from the date of receipt of the doctoral degree (or other
terminal degree) as of the time the application is submitted, or
who are students working towards a doctoral or other terminal degree.
Research Grant: Investigator (RGI)
The RGI is open for application to all investigators at any stage
of their career.
How can I become a reviewer for grants?
The IPWR selects scientific and technical reviewers based on
their training and expertise, publications and history of peer-reviewed
research funding. If you publish papers in good journals, receive
grant support and have expertise in the water and health area, it
is likely you will be invited to review proposals for the IPWR.
How do I know that my grant information is private? And, what protections
are there for patentable material?
The nature of scientific work and funding of scientific research
requires that investigators operate from a position of trust and
confidentiality, and they expect that their colleagues will do likewise.
The IPWR supports this philosophy and position and desires to ensure
its continuation. Therefore, apparent or alleged breaches of generally
accepted scientific conduct will be considered as extremely serious.
In general, alleged or apparent breaches of appropriate scientific
conduct will be reported to the responsible official at the scientist's
institution for investigation and disposition.
Reviewers agree to hold the material in the grant application in absolute confidence and to not benefit from it in any fashion. Put simply, the ideas and material in the grant application are the property of the applicant investigator and institution. Reviewers, including the HSAB members and the Executive Board of Directors, should not reveal the contents of the application(s) to anyone else. Reviewers agree to destroy the grant application material or return it to the IPWR so that it does not inadvertently fall into the hands of third parties.
How long does it take from the time I send my grant application
to the IPWR before the results and funding decision will be
announced?
It is the goal of the IPWR to announce funding decisions no later
than six months from the receipt of the applications.
I have a long standing conflict with a senior scientist, Dr. XXXX.
Will you use him/her to review my grant?
The application kit provides a section for listing the names
of scientists with whom you have serious professional conflicts.
The IPWR will not use any scientist as a reviewer with whom the
applicant notes a conflict, assuming that the list of conflicts
provided is reasonable in length.
What happens if I do not have enough funds to complete the proposed study?
Administrative supplemental awards are requests for funds to
complete work detailed in the grant application. In general, the
IPWR does not support administrative supplemental awards. In the
case of emergency or very unusual circumstances (i.e., the laboratory
is destroyed by fire or vandalized), the principal investigator
must contact the Executive Director, IPWR, to discuss the potential
request and to receive approval to submit the administrative supplemental
request.
Poor advance planning is not an adequate justification for an administrative supplemental request. When the scope of work is under development, prospective grantees should obtain help in the construction of the budget to ensure adequate funds are requested.
Can I apply for more than one grant at a time?
It is acceptable to submit two applications with non-overlapping
specific aims in the same cycle, i.e., the applications are
for two distinct investigations.
Can I have more than one funded active grant at a time?
No.