New Limited Submissions process for Reynolda campus

[Message to WFU Research Google Group]

February 19, 2026

Good morning,

I’m writing to announce a new process for limited submissions. Limited submissions are specialized grant opportunities where sponsors restrict the number of proposals an institution can submit. These opportunities require internal competition and selection to identify the most competitive proposals.  In the past, the School of Medicine solely managed these competitions.  Moving forward, the Office of Research will run a separate internal competition for faculty on the Reynolda campus. We will then collaborate with the School of Medicine to select the most competitive applicant from Wake Forest University when we can only nominate one from the entire university. 
Our first limited submissions competition under this process is for the Pew Foundation Biomedical Scholars Award.

WFU may nominate one candidate and therefore, we will follow the new limited submissions process detailed below.

Please let me know if you have any questions.

Best wishes,
Kim

Pew Foundation Biomedical Scholars Award Limited Submission Guidelines

Interested candidates must submit the following materials by 03/27/2026 to Kimberley McAllister, Vice Provost for Research () and Mary Muchane, Assistant Provost for Scholarly Development ().  

• 1-page Project Proposal describing the proposed project and providing evidence of your success as an independent investigator. References are not included in the page limit. Strong proposals will incorporate particularly creative and pioneering approaches to basic, translational, and applied biomedical research

• 1-paragraph Self-Assessment Statement describing your most significant research contribution to date and highlighting the most innovative and novel aspect of your proposed research, including any risky or creative approaches you might use in pursuit of your goals

• CV listing all publications

A review committee will review internal applications and recommend the institutional nominee. Nominees will be notified by April 27, 2026. Nominations to the Pew Foundation are due by May 13, 2026.  Following the nomination, the foundation will send the full application materials to the applicants.  The final application submission deadline is Sept. 3, 2026.

Eligibility for the 2027 Award

Candidates must meet all of the following eligibility requirements:

• Hold a doctorate in biomedical sciences, medicine, or a related field, including engineering or the physical sciences.
• As of Sept. 3, 2026, run an independent lab and hold a full-time appointment at the rank of assistant professor. (Appointments such as research assistant professor, adjunct assistant professor, assistant professor research track, visiting professor, or instructor are not eligible)
• Must not have been appointed as an assistant professor and run an independent lab at any institution prior to June 10, 2023, whether or not such an appointment was on a tenure track. Time spent in clinical internships, residencies, in work toward board certification, or on parental leave does not count as part of this three-year limit. Candidates who need an exception on the three-year limit should contact Pew’s program office to ensure that application reviewers are aware an exception has been given.
• May apply to the program a maximum of two times. All applicants must be nominated by their institution and must complete the 2027 online application.

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A. Kimberley McAllister, Ph.D.
Vice Provost for Research, Scholarly Inquiry and Creative Activity