Information for Applicants
The Portes Foundation, in association with The Institute of Medicine of Chicago (IOMC), solicits proposals on an annual basis for research projects in health promotion, and disease prevention. It is expected that a single proposal will be selected to receive an award of up to $50,000 for distribution in the following year. Please share the “Portes Foundation Call for Proposals” with colleagues who may be interested.
Grants are awarded for one year projects. We invite proposals that explore research or implementation ideas important in health promotion and disease prevention. These projects may be investigative in etiologic factors, preventive measures, primary and secondary prevention screening, and education. Projects in patient education or health professions education will also be considered. All projects must include a complete and thorough evaluation component.
All proposals will be peer-reviewed by a scientific committee of The Portes Foundation and the IOMC. The first phase of this process is a Letter of Intent, which should not exceed three pages. It should concisely describe the purpose and rationale of the study, its expected outcome, as well as the basic methods that will be used for evaluating the success of the project.
The principal investigator must be an MD, DO, PhD or other doctoral level health sciences professional; have an appointment at a medical school or other health science school, or a medical school affiliated hospital and must have the endorsement of the Dean or the principal research officer at their institution. No indirect costs will be allowed. Travel costs may be requested up to $1,000 and reasonable publication and page charges may be covered. Portes/IOMC grants cannot be used toward capital equipment. Additional budget guidelines will be available during the application period.
The project must have the approval of the appropriate institutional review board and, where relevant, the human subjects review board. All proposals will be peer-reviewed by a scientific committee of the Portes Foundation and the IOMC. While there are no restrictions on publication, the Portes Foundation and the IOMC ask that any publications resulting in whole or in part from a Portes Foundation/IOMC grant include an acknowledgement of support or partial support.
Attention: The 2024 Open Period for submitting a letter of intent is now completed. The next Open Period will be June 1 through September 1, 2025. Letters of intent may be submitted electronically to researchgrants@iomc.org during the Open Period.
After an initial review of letters of intent, select projects will be asked to submit a full proposal that will be due at the end of the year. After the final review of full proposals is completed, awardees will be identified, and funding made available mid-year. Please note that acceptance of the LOI only means that The Portes Foundation and IOMC consider the concept within their mission and are now interested in evaluating a complete proposal.
Submitting a Letter of Intent (LOI)
Each year, the Portes Foundation accepts proposals following their annual RFP (Request For Proposal) announcement. Those interested in applying for an award must respond to the announcement by submitting a letter of intent (LOI) to researchgrants@iomc.org. This letter should not exceed three pages and should succinctly describe the purpose, rationale, objectives, and expected outcomes.
Important: A confirmation email will be sent to you upon receipt of your letter by IOMC. If you do not receive a confirmation, please contact the IOMC office at 312.709.2685.
Sign up for updates
To receive notification of the annual call for proposals, please provide your name and email address in our “Sign up for Updates” form below. Do not include your proposal in this form. The information you provide on this form will be used only to distribute announcements from The Portes Foundation. It will not be given or sold to any other organization.
