Limited Submission Opportunity: 2023 Moore Inventor Fellows

Applications due Oct. 13

This is a joint competition for VU and VUMC investigators. All investigators should follow these instructions.

Vanderbilt (VU and VUMC combined) may nominate up to two candidates for the Moore Inventor Fellows competition. The Moore Foundation aims to support scientist-inventors who create new tools and technologies with a high potential to accelerate progress in the foundation’s areas of interest: scientific discovery, environmental conservation and patient care. The Moore Foundation recognizes that inventors and innovators come from a diversity of backgrounds, disciplines and experiences and seeks creative individuals across a broad array of academic programs and research institutions. Each fellow will receive $675,000 over three years. Fellows’ departments are required to contribute an additional $50,000 in annual support of the inventor’s work, for a total award of $825,000.

Eligibility

• Must be within 10 years of receiving advanced terminal degree (M.S., Ph.D. or M.D. received on or after 2013)
• Must be faculty, research scientists, postdocs or other full-time staff
• May come from a broad array of disciplines, including, but not limited to, environmental science and conservation, remote sensing, artificial intelligence, big data, climatology, emerging infectious diseases, oceanography, biology, engineering, physics, chemistry, materials science, neurosciences and public health
• For patient care, inventions should resonate with the Moore Foundation’s focus on improving the experience and outcomes of patients with solutions that improve clinical diagnosis

Inventors will be evaluated by their demonstrated creative potential and technical ability for the proposed line of work. Inventions will be evaluated based on their importance in the area of interest, the need for funding to achieve rapid success, and the plausibility of achieving stated impact. See the past recipients, and review the guidelines and FAQs for more information.

Internal review process

Anyone interested in being considered as one of Vanderbilt’s nominees must submit the following (in PDF format) to LSO@vanderbilt.edu by 5 p.m. on Oct. 13, 2022:

1. Statement of invention (no more than two pages, including citations; single-spaced, 12-point font and 1-inch margins). The first paragraph should describe clearly and without jargon the invention, the problem it seeks to address, and its potential impact. The statement of invention should also include the following information:
   1. Description of invention
   2. Importance in the area of science, environmental conservation, or patient care and experience (please select one)
   3. Stage of invention
   4. Current funding
   5. Feasibility
   6. Risk (please describe any technical risks that might lower chances of success and what you will do to mitigate these risks)
   7. Potential impact
   8. Approach for measuring progress during the grant term
2. Budget narrative that outlines how grant funds will be used (1 page)
3. Brief CV (5-page max.) or NIH Biosketch
4. Statement from department chair to ensure that the nominee has at least 25 percent of their time to devote to their invention and $50,000 in annual direct support from the department (total of $150,000 direct support over the project period).
   1. This can be “in kind” as released time or access to special facilities for which there is normally a charge. This could also include support for undergraduate or graduate students, equipment, supplies and other needs that will enable the fellow to make progress on their work.
   2. Funds that were designated for a fellow’s use before the fellow was awarded a Moore Inventor Fellows award (such as start-up funds) do not qualify.

Submissions should reference the program name in the subject line of the email.

If selected as the nominee, you will be asked to complete the application in two separate parts. The preliminary application will be due to the sponsor on Nov. 14, 2022, and the full application will be due Dec. 13, 2022.

Please contact us at LSO@vanderbilt.edu if you have any questions about the program, foundation or internal review process.