To strengthen the intellectual community spanning public health and the social sciences at Columbia, the H&SS program provides internal funding on a competitive basis. This funding enhances the research environment for the Scholars, promoting new projects that model innovative approaches in population health and provide opportunities for collaboration with Columbia faculty.

Priority is given to projects that

• integrate social/environmental, behavioral, and biological factors in health
• involve the H&SS Scholars either as lead investigators or co-investigators
• build on distinctive strengths of H&SS or Columbia
• involve participants from multiple schools and departments
• address central questions in population health
• introduce theoretical or methodological approaches new to population health

Columbia's H&SS program has three types of internal funding:

Microgrants

H&SS microgrants are accepted on a rolling basis and reviewed – usually within 2 weeks – by the H&SS Site Directors. Maximum award is $3500.

Microgrant proposals

Seed grants

H&SS seed grants usually support research projects, including both stand-alone projects and pilot research for an external grant proposal. Seed grant funding may also be requested to support other activities such as conferences or edited volumes. Most awards are between $5000 and $15000, although funding at higher levels may be considered. Proposals are reviewed by a committee including the H&SS Site Directors and faculty. Seed grant proposals are accepted from H&SS Scholars on a rolling basis. Seed grant proposals from other investigators are accepted annually on March 1, although an off-cycle review may be considered for particularly time-sensitive projects.

Seed grant proposals

Working groups

H&SS working group funding supports interdisciplinary clusters of research activity and collaboration spanning the social and health sciences. These working groups include H&SS Scholars, faculty, and researchers who organize around a specific theme or research question, and who are committed to producing activities such as pilot research, working papers, seminars and conferences that advance programs of research in population health at Columbia. Funding levels depend on the scale of planned activities and are determined through discussion with the Site Directors.

Working group proposals

Application and administration (applicable to all internal funding)

Eligibility:	H&SS Scholars and affiliated faculty are eligible to apply for internal funding.
Application:	Submit proposals by email to kmn2@columbia.edu.
IRB:	In accord with Columbia University policy, all proposals involving human subjects research must undergo IRB review. Proposals that have not undergone such review may be reviewed and support may be awarded, but no funds will be released for empirical research until the proposal receives IRB approval.
Reporting:	H&SS program staff will request brief annual reports in preparation for the RWJF site visit in the spring.
Contact:	Kathryn Neckerman, Associate Director, at kmn2@columbia.edu or 212-854-3694.