The Burroughs Wellcome Fund announces the Climate + Health Excellence (CHEX) Centers award. This is a new institutional research and training opportunity that will help institutions bridge the gaps between fields that will have important roles to play in understanding the impacts of climate change on human health and diminishing their effects. This grant will support new discovery toward defining the health impacts of climate change, developing potential interventions, translating discovery science into practical application, and outward-facing work that can help public understanding of Climate + Health or strengthen connections between research and communities whose health has been harmed by climate change. Our goal is to help these Centers of Excellence achieve their strategic goals by supporting activities that help build stable collaborations between people, departments, and institutions. Building interdisciplinary connections between scholars, between approaches, and between researchers and those outside academe form the bulk of the budget.
New institutional awards of up to $10,000,000 to stimulate the development of strong research, education, and public communications connections between fields that aim to understand and mitigate the impact of climate change on human health. In general, this award will support institutions or consortia that are already moving toward establishing themselves as centers of excellence for understanding climate change’s impact on human health and for leadership in climate education OR public communication around climate and health. Applications from institutions just starting to integrate Climate + Health into their planning are expected to be uncompetitive. Up to three awards will be made over two rounds of competition.
Duke University has launched an internal competition to select an institutional proposal for the Burroughs Wellcome Fund’s Climate and Health Excellence (CHEx) Centers program. The final submission deadline for this proposal is August 7, 2025. Duke’s process will unfold in several phases designed to engage interested faculty and researchers, build strong interdisciplinary teams, and refine project ideas that align with the CHEx program’s objectives of advancing climate and health research.
Additionally, individual departments, centers, etc. may be part of separate consortium applications that would not disrupt or overlap with Duke’s institutional proposal. Please email vera.luck@duke.edu (campus departments) or jennifer.gallina@duke.edu (Duke Health departments) to alert us to consortium applications.
November 19, 2024, Noon-1 pm: Initial Convening Session
Join an introductory session for faculty, researchers, and administrators across Duke who may be interested in participating. This session includes an information briefing on the CHEx program’s specifics, a discussion of Duke’s priorities in climate and health, and an overview of proposal requirements. Attendees will have the opportunity to ask questions to a panel of institutional leadership.
Burroughs Wellcome CHEx Info Session Video: https://warpwire.duke.edu/w/Y5kIAA/?start=700&end=3773
Burroughs Wellcome CHEx Info Session Presentation Slides: https://duke.box.com/s/ur77z1i0i2ox3af4ie2pbiq56u6kzy0j
January 10, 2025 at 11:59pm: Letter of Interest (LOI) Submission Deadline
Interested teams will submit a Letter of Interest (LOI), which should include an executive summary, key team members' bios, anticipated outcomes, and initial budget estimates. The primary purpose of the LOI is to assist with potential collaborator matchmaking and to help determine the expertise needed for the review committee.
Representatives from Duke’s climate and health research offices will review the LOIs and schedule a meeting with each team to provide feedback to inform their proposal and provide suggestions for potential collaborations.
TBA: Proposal Submission
Teams will incorporate the provided feedback and refine their proposal for the final submission to the CHEx program.
TBA: Notification of Selection
Teams will be informed of the outcome of their proposal submissions. Upon selection, the winning team will be celebrated and publicly recognized by Duke for their achievement. The chosen team will receive mentorship, grant-writing support, and optional project management resources to bolster their effectiveness and ensure alignment with Duke’s mission and the CHEx program’s priorities in climate and health research.
Questions regarding the internal competition for the Burroughs Wellcome Fund’s Climate and Health Excellence (CHEx) Centers program may be directed to Norman Wirzba.
Teaming document (to facilitate collaboration within Duke)
Only non-profit research and training institutes in the United States or Canada may submit applications. Consortia may include institutions outside the US or Canada, but only one institution, the institution submitting the proposal, will be paid. Subcontracts are allowed. Research groups working at national laboratories and within the federal government are allowable as partners.
Letter of Interest - Due 1/10/2025
Please submit the following materials as one PDF.
- Executive summary of the proposed project, including alignment with CHEx objectives.
- List of lead and supporting team members, with brief bios.
- Expected outcomes and impact, specifically in the nexus of climate and health.
- Initial resource and budget requirements
Please submit internal materials through My Research Proposal. (Code: ILN) https://www.grantinterface.com/sl/ewN465
Instructions for creating an account (if needed) and submitting your materials: https://ctsi.duke.edu/about-myresearchproposal
Proposal - TBA
Please submit internal materials through My Research Proposal. (Code: ILN) https://www.grantinterface.com/sl/kCv6f2