Limited Submission Opportunities

The W.M. Keck Foundation supports pioneering and fundamental scientific discoveries in basic physical, life, and biomedical sciences. BYU may nominate two concept papers by December 15, 2025 for the current grant cycle. The next cycle deadline is June 15.

Competitive proposals:

• Focus on important and emerging areas of research 
• Are innovative, distinctive, and interdisciplinary 
• Have potential for transformative impact such as the founding of a new field of research, enabling of new observations, or altering perception of a previously intractable problem 
• Challenge a prevailing paradigm or demonstrate a high level of risk due to unconventional approaches  
• Fall outside the mission of public funding agencies 

The Keck Foundation awards grants twice annually. We highly recommend that BYU faculty register with Research Development six months prior to the expected Phase I deadline. This long timeline allows the Keck Foundation liaison (BYU Sponsored Projects’ Maren Britt) to schedule a Keck Foundation Concept Counseling meeting. Concept Counseling is available in a limited time window approximately five months before the Phase I deadline (see timeline, below). The Keck foundation strongly encourages faculty to submit their idea for Concept Counseling. Importantly, these meetings allow the Keck foundation to give feedback on likely proposal competitiveness and are a critical element of Keck’s review process. Choosing to engage in concept counseling can save faculty members time and effort preparing a Phase I proposal that would be rejected for not being the right “fit”.

It is our expectation that faculty will inform Research Development of their intent to submit to Keck in time to do Concept Counseling. At the same time, BYU’s official Keck internal competition deadline is 12 weeks before the Phase I application. If more than one research group registers with the Research Development office 12 weeks ahead of the Phase I application deadline, BYU will hold an internal competition. If no one has registered by the BYU deadline, the opportunity to submit to Keck will be awarded on a first-come, first-served basis.

Interested faculty must submit a one-page summary of their proposal to the BYU Research Development Office (Requirements, below).

Pre-Proposal Process

Cycle 1: Funds awarded in December, 10 months after Concept Counseling

1. Concept Counseling Deadline: December 15
2. Phase I Application Deadline:  May 1 by 4:30 pm PT 
3. Notification of Invitation to Submit Full Proposal:  July 15 
4. Phase II Invited Proposal Deadline: August 15  by 4:30 pm PT 
5. Funds awarded: December 

Cycle 2: Funds awarded in June, 10 months after Concept Counseling

1. Concept Counseling Deadline: June 15
2. Phase I Application Deadline:  November 1 by 4:30 pm PT 
3. Notification of Invitation to Submit Full Proposal:  January 15 
4. Phase II Invited Proposal Deadline: February 15  by 4:30 pm PT 
5. Funds awarded: June 
   

BYU Summary Requirements:

The one-page BYU summary must include:

• Name of Principal Investigator and Co-Principal Investigators 
• Project title 
• Provide an overview of the proposed project emphasizing any unique aspects and pilot studies.
• Methodologies
• Key Personnel
• Knowledge Gap: What is the basic scientific question to be answered by the end of the project?
• Impact: If successful, what will be enabled? Who will benefit?
• Innovation: How is the proposed work distinctive and innovative, field expanding, or paradigm-shifting?
• How does this project fit within the funding guidelines found here: https://www.wmkeck.org/research-overview/#funding-guidelines
• Budget: Broken down, if possible, by major areas, e.g. personnel, equipment, consumable supplies, etc. 

Note: if you have previously applied to the Keck Foundation, please include the reviewer’s comments along with your one-page summary.