2025 Funding Opportunity:
Wilf Family Discovery Fund in the Search for Life, Water, or Habitable Worlds

Release Date: 09 December 2024

Proposal Due Date: 17 January 2025

Overview

The Wilf Family Discovery Fund in Space Science, Planetary Science and Astrobiology is accepting proposals to fund one 2025 grant totaling up to $160k (direct cost) for innovative, early-stage research in the area of the search for life, water, or habitable worlds. The funding is designated for efforts on Campus (with Campus personnel), and the period of performance is two years.

Proposals submitted in response to this solicitation must have a Caltech Campus Principal Investigator (PI) who is a member of the faculty.

Submitted proposals will go out for review on January 20, 2025 and a selection will be made by mid-February 2025. Proposers should plan to commence on 1 March 2025.

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Proposal Requirements

Proposals can be in any format but are required to provide the information outlined below. The Program Description and Rationale is limited to 3 pages in length. If references are utilized, they may be provided outside of the 3-page limit. The budget is also outside the 3-page limit.

Program Description and Rationale (3-page limit)

• Top of Page:
  • Proposal Title:
  • Proposal Budget Amount: up to $160k (direct cost)
  • Proposed Period of Performance: two years from funding start date
  • Campus PI Information:
    • Name:
    • Email:
    • Campus Extension:
    • Division:
• Brief summary of proposal topic (i.e. what do you propose to do?)
• Description of how the proposed work is an innovative, early-stage research effort in the areas of the search for life, water, or habitable worlds
• What is a successful outcome of the proposed work, and what would it allow you to do that is not currently possible?
• List of personnel involved (may include key individuals from JPL and other institutions who are not funded by this proposal)

References: outside of 3-page limit

Proposed Budget: outside of 3-page limit, see example.

Email your Proposal submission here

Please submit your proposals via email by 17 January 2025.

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Deliverables and Requirements

A brief progress report is due at the completion of the first year of funding.

A brief final report is due at the completion of the period of performance in the award letter. 

If requested, a short presentation of the results of the work shall be given to the donor.

This award must be acknowledged appropriately in all publications referencing the work. If selected, an acknowledgement statement will be provided.

 

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Additional Proposal/Budget Information

• Tuition remission rate is 49% unless new rate has taken effect.
• Benefit rate is 25.08% unless new rate has taken efect.
• Budget may not include faculty salary.
• The funding is in direct cost, i.e., there will be no overhead as this will be deducted prior to your receipt of funds.
• JPL (and other Institutions) can participate as a consultant/advisor or can show linkages at their organization that complement that Campus work proposed – funding should not go to non-Campus organizations through a sub-award.
• There is no need to route this through the Division as the Division Chairs are part of the approval process.
• This does not need to go through the Office of Sponsored Research.