BRIDGE Information Session
Yes, the recording can be found below.
Yes! Attending the Informational Session is not required for submission of the abstract or proposal.
Please send an email to BRIDGE@blueprintbiosecurity.com for answers to your related questions. Since your question and our answer may be shared publicly in this FAQ, do not include any confidential or identifying information. We reserve the right to alter any question (or refuse to post it) to protect identities, combine inquiries, or add context.
Abstracts are limited to 4 single-sided pages and give the Blueprint Biosecurity team an overview of your proposed work. Proposal should provide a comprehensive explanation of the technical approach and experimental plan. Full proposal requirements, guidelines, and templates will be provided after abstract review.
Yes, all submitted abstracts will receive brief feedback including either a letter of recommendation or a letter of disinclination for proceeding from abstract to proposal.
Yes, all individuals who wish to submit a full proposal must submit an abstract. Proposers may submit a full proposal even if they receive a letter of disinclination for proceeding from abstract to proposal.
Abstracts are due 11:59 pm ET on January 8th, 2024.
Proposals are due 11:59 pm ET on February 5th, 2024.
Yes, all listed attachments are required unless indicated otherwise. Attachment omission may be grounds for a notice of disinclination.
Yes, animal experimentation is allowed. All proposers must obtain and maintain any required institutional, state, or government approval for animal work. These may include, but are not limited to, Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC) and Independent Review Board (IRB). Proposers should clearly describe how, if they are deemed necessary, animal experimentation will provide information about irritation and discomfort, as opposed to damage.
While Blueprint Biosecurity does not have any specific limitations, any animals used, data obtained from said animal studies, or extrapolations must have durable links to human research. For example, if a biomarker for irritation were to be found using mice, the biomarker should have a similar role and indicate the same result when tested in humans.
Please reference Section II.C “Program Description/Scope” to determine the appropriateness of your proposed scope of work. Blueprint Biosecurity is willing to discuss your submission, however we do not promise that every request for a meeting will be fulfilled.
Yes, we highly encourage incorporating any preliminary results, if they have a direct relationship to the work proposed. The abstract is not a vehicle to show or advertise capabilities.
No, abstracts/proposals may focus on one, multiple, or all primary purposes.
We intend to share teaming profiles with all individuals who provide teaming details. The teaming profile form can be found here.
While we may identify areas where the team could be strengthened, Blueprint Biosecurity will not encourage or require any specific teaming.
Expenses and required funding outlined in the abstract ROM are only to give the Blueprint Biosecurity team an estimation. We understand that the experiment, team composition, and associated costs will change between the abstract and proposal stages. A more detailed cost volume is required at the proposal stage.
Yes, individuals/institutions may be part of multiple proposals. However, if you are part of multiple proposals that are funded, Blueprint Biosecurity will not pay for your work twice. You are required to lay out how the work is sufficiently different between the proposals to warrant receiving funds from both.
Blueprint Biosecurity expects to distribute multiple awards in the range of ~$100,000. Proposals that significantly exceed this amount will be considered but will require additional justification and evaluation.
We expect projects to produce actionable insights within the 9–12-month timescale. However, we understand that some research tasks may take valuable time to setup, for example, IRB approval. As such, we will consider longer timelines for proposals that sufficiently motivate and justify the added time, and clearly explain the anticipated insights and results at various stages of the effort. We will also consider proposals that provide meaningful information in the initial 9–12 months, and will set up a more comprehensive, successful longer-term study.
We recognize that teaming and expertise may change as research advances. Blueprint Biosecurity requires all teaming change requests to be submitted prior to changing teams. Requests will be considered as they arise.