Through the generosity of Nancy Chang, Ph.D. - scientist, philanthropist, and entrepreneur - The Nancy Chang, Ph.D. Award for Research Excellence endowment has been established. The purpose of the award is to fund investigators with exceptional research projects at Baylor College of Medicine. The College encourages new and novel research endeavors and believes that presenting such a prestigious award will recognize, inspire and encourage these outstanding investigators by distinguishing them and their research. The awards will create a cadre of Chang Award recipients. By designating them as Chang Award recipients, both the College and the donor will have the privilege of following their careers and appreciating the cumulative impact of this funding over several years.
Award Criteria
Candidacy for the Chang Award is open to tenure-track (not tenured) investigators at Baylor College of Medicine. Investigators must have a promising research project in the basic or clinical sciences. Translational research projects are eligible. Candidates must be full-time BCM faculty and have a primary appointment in one of the academic departments.
It is expected that one to two awards in unrestricted funds will be awarded for fiscal year 2024 (July 1 2023 - June 30 2024). Applications should include budgets for up to $45,000 in funding.

Documents must be uploaded separately.

Applications should be submitted online at: https://orit.research.bcm.edu/R5T80IF3WH2/NancyChangAward/

The application should consist of the following items, in order:
  • Cover Sheet – the cover sheet is a form you may access when you begin the application. You will need to print it out for signatures (PI and Chair/Center Director/Section Chief); then upload the signed PDF along with the other application documents.
  • Research Plan - limited to 6 pages in length, including specific aims. Please use Arial 11 pt single-spaced with one-half inch margins on letter-size paper.
  • Literature cited – Include complete citations. No page limit.
  • Budget - Provide justification for each major item. Equipment requests may not exceed 10% ($4500) of the total grant budget (explain why existing equipment cannot be used). Inappropriate expenditures include subcontracts, travel (exceptions may be made if the travel is necessary for the research: i.e., travel to a clinic to see patients or obtain a certain test, etc. Travel is not permitted for conferences), major equipment and faculty or administrative salaries. Research support salaries are permitted. Use NIH budget template format for form 398 for the budget. Attach a separate page for the justification; you may simply type out justification for each requested item on a Word document. Combine the two into one document, convert to PDF and upload under "Budget".
  • Biosketch - The investigator's updated NIH biosketch. Use NIH format: Sample Biosketch, Biosketch MS Word format. Other collaborators’ biosketches are not required but may be included if you prefer. Combine them all into one PDF for uploading (PI’s biosketch first).
  • Letter of support –Include a letter of support for the project from the PI's Chair, Center Director or Section Chief. Other letters may be included as desired.
  • Assurances and Compliance – Neither pending nor approved protocols are required with this application. However, if funded, researchers must obtain institutional approval for proposals involving human subjects, animals, radioisotopes, or biohazardous materials. If you have no current protocols, please upload a PDF that states this. If you have protocol numbers, please upload a document stating them and the current protocol status (approved, new, etc).

Printable Format of Application

Applications will be reviewed by a committee of senior faculty and the College’s Vice President for Research. Written reviews will not be provided.
Chang Awardees will provide a year-end report and may be asked to make a presentation to the Selection Committee on the research accomplishments, with an understanding that projects may sometimes require more than a year to complete. In addition, all publications, presentations, and other works resulting from the Chang Award project will acknowledge support from the award fund.


For more information about this program, please contact the awards@bcm.edu.

Application submission is closed.