Call for LOIs: Allen Discovery Center (ADC) for Neurobiology in Changing Environments

The Allen Discovery Centers are leadership-driven, compass-guided research centers, often created in partnership with major research organizations and universities. Ideally, a Center should be comprised of a highly functional, integrated, and creative team with productivity greater than the sum of its parts. A Center should seek to be a leader in the field, pioneering efforts that engage and drive the larger research community.

The Allen Discovery Center program offers a unique funding level and mechanism, allowing for a larger-scale impact on the field. The Centers embody the commitment to launching and fostering development of entire new fields in biology—with infinite potential to impact human knowledge and health. These Centers are long-term investments, typically providing $10 million for the first four years. The Centers may be evaluated for a potential second four-year funding phase based on research progress, future research plans, and attainment of $10 million in “matched” or leveraged funding (for a potential total scope of activity of $30 million over eight years). The Paul G. Allen Family Foundation and The Paul G. Allen Frontiers Group have a 0% indirect cost policy.

The program seeks to have a lasting impact on the direction of research, aiming to serve as a catalyst upon which future research is founded. This program seeks to enable scientists to take risks with new ideas and approaches, and strongly believes in interdisciplinary approaches that allow scientists to look beyond their own disciplines, and to explore approaches with colleagues in other disciplines in order to bring new perspectives to challenging problems where traditional approaches within a discipline may be ‘stuck.’ The program is especially interested in approaches that are unlikely to receive funding from traditional government sources, including methodological and technological advances that are often necessary complements to scientific advance and often difficult to fund through traditional sources. This program encourages and supports researchers including novel methodological, theoretical, and technological elements in their proposals.

Funding Information

• Up to one award will be made for up to $10 million in total funding support provided over four years.

Eligibility Requirements

• US or international scientists associated with nonprofit research organizations are eligible to apply. Leaders must possess at least seven years of independent research experience (e.g., level of associate professor or similar positions). Current Allen Institute employees or advisors are not eligible to apply during their tenure at the Allen Institute. Eligible research organizations are nonprofit institutions with current 501(c)(3) Public Charity status from the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), non-federal government entities, IRS-recognized tribes, and other organizations that conduct charitable activities. Applicants may not be private foundations as defined in Section 509(a) of the Internal Revenue Code.
• They ask that the leader of an Allen Discovery Center commit 50% effort to the Center leadership and research activities. If the Center organizational structure has shared leadership, the expectation would be a commitment of 40% effort for the primary and a minimum of 25–30% effort for the other leaders given that acceptable descriptions of the shared leadership roles and an articulation of how such an organizational structure would work in practice are provided. If other organizational structures are being considered, please contact the Frontiers Group for further discussion.
• They believe that diverse perspectives are vital to science. They encourage researchers who are members of underrepresented groups and/or have followed less-traditional career paths as well as teams that include members from across career stages to apply.

For more information, visit Allen Institute.