Eligibility Questions:
Q: Am I eligible to apply for research funding as a post-doctoral fellow?
A: Yes.
Q: Is holding appointments (i.e., employment) when receiving this award permitted?
A: Yes.
Q: Would incorporating someone as a lead collaborator with a salaried position from my institution into the proposed budget be administratively appropriate?
A: With the grant recipient serving as PI of the project, this should not be an issue.
Q: Are organizations or groups of researchers eligible to apply, or will the grant be awarded to individuals only?
A: The grant is awarded to a single organization. Within the organization, an individual should be named as the principal investigator. However, we would consider two co-PIs from the same organization.
Q: I am affiliated with a small non-profit organization. In what capacity am I allowed or qualified to apply for this grant, as an independent researcher or as an affiliate of my organization?
A: When you apply for the grant, you will be the PI, and the awardee institution will be the non-profit organization – we can’t award funds to an individual. If you choose to bring in others from another institution and give them some of the funding, they would be paid via a sub-award from your institution, not directly from the California Labor Lab award (It is fine for them to be unpaid advisors, as well).
Q: Is there a template or suggested format for the letter of intent?
A: A letter of intent is only required if you are seeking to use the California Work & Health Survey (CWHS) dataset or seeking pre-application resources from our center. There is no template for the letter of intent. Instead, please summarize the topic of the proposal and provide information on the resources you are seeking.
Student Questions:
Q: For students, is there a time window parameter for enrollment (i.e., during specific semesters of the funded academic year), or is the call open to all current graduate students?
A: The funding will start in the next academic year (2025-2026), though it could extend to 18 months if necessary. A student would need to still be enrolled during that timeframe.
Q: Should I still apply if I may end up switching schools (e.g., due to starting a PhD program)?
A: Yes, and if you are awarded the funding, the California Labor Lab will work with you to make sure you can complete the project in the designated timeframe.
Application Logistics:
Q: Should my faculty advisor email their letter of support directly to the California Labor Lab, or should I submit it as part of my application?
A: Please include your faculty letter of support in your application.
Specific Funding Questions:
Q: Can you provide a copy of the prime funding solicitation from NIOSH?
A: Our NIOSH funding resulted from their request that TWH Centers include a Pilot Research Program. The rules and regulations of the program are decided internally by the California Labor Lab team. Therefore, applications can be submitted without the need for the original NIOSH solicitation document.
Q: Is the IDC policy of 8% based on total direct cost or total cost?
A: Assume that the direct cost plus 8% is the total that should be asked for.
Q: Can I use the research conducted under this grant for a future commercial venture?
A: Any commercialization efforts must be separated from the research phase done under the grant so that it is clear that what is done during the grant could form the basis for efforts post-grant to take the findings into a profit-making entity. However, no funds and no grant activities during the tenure of the grant can be spent on the commercialization effort. Any commercialization effort must be separated in time from the grant.
Q: Will participation in this grant with a given institution lead to subsequent differences in ownership of any intellectual property (IP) related to the intervention in my proposal?
A: NIOSH defers the issue to the grantee institution. Therefore, in the context of the grant program, NIOSH would defer to the UC policy, which is governed by State law, and states that the State would own the IP.
California Work & Health Survey (CWHS) Data Use Questions:
Q: Should proposals include a component of independent data collection on the submitter's part as well, and not solely analysis of the CWHS dataset?
A: You are welcome to include additional sources of data in the proposal if you feel it would enhance your ability to achieve your research aims. However, it is not a requirement of the grant program. Once you submit your letter of intent, we can discuss the specific needs of the project, which would enable you to make that determination.