Hopkins Population Center > HPC Method Improvement Fund

Overview

The Hopkins Population Center (HPC) Scientific Core has established the Method Improvement Fund (MIF) to support HPC Associates to develop new methods needed for data organization, measurement and indicators, and analytic strategies that address the challenges in the digital age while preparing for an external grant or a scientific paper. The types of method improvement include:

Manage and organize various complexities of administrative data, streaming online data, and text/audio/video/image data.

Develop measures from non-traditional data forms.

Develop data science analytics when traditional methods do not sufficiently work well.

Deadline: year-round rolling until March 31, 2025.

Award announcement: Within two weeks after the application deadline.

Project Period: One year from the award date.

Number and Amount of MIF

We expect to fund a total of 10 MIF awards at $6,000 each.

Research Priorities

The proposed research must align with one or more of HPC’s primary research areas: Poverty and Inequality; Sexual and Reproductive Health; and Family, Maternal and Child Health. Intervention or clinical research is not within the scope of this call.

Eligibility Criteria

  • All HPC Associates are eligible to apply.

Proposal Format and Content

The MIF proposal should be no more than two (2) single-spaced text pages, 11-point Arial font, half-inch margin. It includes the following sections:

  1. The project/paper title with a subtitle that describes the method improvement component of the project.
  2. Research question and objectives of the project/paper.
  3. Description of existing/traditional methods for studying the topic and justification for why this project/paper can benefit from the proposed method improvement.
  4. Description of data sources and format.
  5. Description of how you will develop or apply new methods for your project.
  6. A budget table with broad items (a graduate student or programmer assistance hourly pay; consultation fee; subsidies for a method conference presentation; funding for external consultants is not allowed
  7. PI (and co-PI, if applicable)’s NIH bio-sketch in an appendix (not within the 2 pages)
  8. Copy of IRB approval from the University, if applicable.

Review and Decision

The HPC leadership will review and make decision within four weeks of the submission.

Interim and Final Reports

Awardees are expected to send a one-paragraph interim report via email to [email protected] at the end of the 6th month of the award period. A final 1-page report is expected as a document to submit to [email protected] within 30 days of the award end date. We may approach you for presentation and training at demands of HPC Associates.

To Apply

Visit the application form at this link, where you will be asked to upload your application materials as a single PDF document. Contact the HPC Research Facilitator Dr. Wenxuan Huang [email protected] for questions.