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University of Nebraska Medical Center

Funding Opportunities

2026 Request for Applications

Program Overview

The Nebraska Center for Women’s Health Research (NCWHR) is pleased to announce an opportunity for funding that is open to applications on innovative, significant projects focusing on women’s health research. The purpose of this pilot project program is to sponsor high-quality, novel research, to foster the development of promising early-stage projects and encourage their transition to securing external funding.

Eligibility

  • All University of Nebraska faculty members with an academic appointment at or above the level of Instructor are eligible to apply for this funding.
  • All project Principal Investigators must be members of The Nebraska Center for Women’s Health Research. If you are not currently a member, please complete the membership form
  • Projects must focus on some aspect of women’s health-related research.
  • Principal Investigators cannot request contributions to their salary, equipment, or travel.
  • Principal Investigators who have previously received NCWHR pilot project funding are not eligible to apply.
  • If you have any questions relating to the registration process, please contact Research Administrator, Carrie Drummond (carrie.drummond@unmc.edu).

Funds Available

One-year pilot project awards of up to $25,000 will be made.

Funding Target Areas

The objective of this request for applications is to help initiate pilot studies that have the potential to develop into nationally funded, high-impact research projects. Priority will be given to collaborative projects with the highest scientific merit, which advance the goals of the NCWHR.

Application Guidelines

The Research Plan should be a maximum of three pages in length, excluding references, and should include:

  • Specific Aims
  • Background, Significance and Innovation
  • Preliminary data, if any
  • Approach
  • A statement as to how this award will enable the applicants to leverage future funding
  • A NIH biosketch for each investigator (five-page limit each)
  • A budget and supporting justification

Formatting Guidelines

Application documents should use standard NIH formatting requirements (1/2-inch margins, Arial size 11-point font). A smaller font may be used for figures and legends.

Application Deadline and Submission

Proposals are due by Sunday, October 19, 2025, by 11:59 pm Central Time. 

Applications must be compiled into a single PDF file in the following order: Research Plan, Bibliography, Biosketch, and Budget. Please name the file “NCWHR2026LastName” and submit it to the Nebraska Center for Women’s Health Research at ncwhr@unmc.edu.

Awards will be announced on Monday, December 15, 2025, and funding will begin on January 1, 2026.