Hopkins inHealth Request for Pilot Proposals
The mission of Hopkins inHealth is to support research that will, with increasing accuracy
and precision, define, measure, and communicate each person’s unique health state and the
trajectory along which it is changing, and to develop these discoveries into new methods
that can be used to inform decision-making in clinical and public health practice. The goal
of this individualization of health care is to reach a state of optimal health for every
individual, achieved through a continuum of efforts that span health promotion, disease
prevention, early detection, and effective intervention.
Hopkins inHealth is seeking proposals for pilot projects that will promote optimal health
trajectory, treatment safety, and treatment efficacy for individuals in several domains,
including 1) the creation or identification of novel devices, platforms, technologies,
analytics, or biomarkers that will lead to more nuanced measurements of health or disease
status, 2) the development of novel quantitative methodologies that integrate data to better
understand patient heath status, predict patient outcomes, and/or recommend treatment
course, 3) the innovative incorporation of scientific knowledge and individualized care into
the clinical workflow, and 4) the research of ethical questions regarding consent and use of
personal data. The goal of the pilot project discovery program is to fund projects that can
be implemented within Johns Hopkins as proof of concept before widespread
implementation.
Pilot Project Criteria:
We seek to fund projects in any health or disease context that meet the following criteria:
1. Individualizes health care by improving the characterization of health status, health
trajectory, or the benefits and costs of interventions through achieving one or more of
the following:
a. Improves the assessment of an individual’s health or disease state and/or
trajectory through novel measurement methodologies, devices, platforms or
technologies;
b. Devises a new quantitative methodology that improves the characterization of
an individual’s disease state, predicts the likelihood of a health outcome,
recommends the optimal treatment for an individual, or efficiently incorporates
new knowledge into care delivery or public health practice;
c. Determines ethical methods for gaining patient consent for use of health data in
learning health systems;
d. Evaluates the effects of individualized health care in defined populations; 1
2. Specifies a defined goal that the project will achieve by the end of funding month eight
(see the “Eligibility and Award Information” section below);
3. Stands ready to be refined or scaled up with involvement from Hopkins inHealth
experts in novel measurements, longitudinal database design, novel analytics, bioethics,
and dissemination models;
4. Addresses health disparities, unmet medical needs, or diseases with high public health
or economic burdens;
5. Generates data, knowledge, software, or technology for the investigators to use in
pursuit of additional research funding and to publish in the peer-reviewed literature;
6. Builds or strengthens connections between existing Johns Hopkins entities (e.g.,
schools, centers, institutes), including the Johns Hopkins Health System and APL, and
supports one or more of their strategic objectives (see JHM Priorities);
7. Demonstrates potential to advance affordable health care for individuals and
populations.
Eligibility and Award Information:
Approximately eight applicants will be awarded $50,000 of funding for eight months as
part of this pilot project discovery program. Projects on track to meet their defined goal
within eight months2 will be eligible to receive $25,000 for an additional four months,
pending progress review. All projects will be required to submit a one-page final report.
Participation requirements include the presentation of project progress at a Hopkins
inHealth seminar, implementation of the project at Johns Hopkins by the end of the funding
cycle, and submission of an external funding application.
The engineering and consulting firm Booz Allen Hamilton will sponsor one of the pilot
projects. The pilot project criteria and scoring guidelines are the same for proposals
considered for Booz Allen Hamilton funding as for proposals considered only for Johns
Hopkins funding. See the Applications Materials section for more detail on how to be
considered for funding by Booz Allen Hamilton.
Proposals that do not fall into these categories but have the potential to individualize
health are welcome.
2 Demonstrated in a one-page progress report due at the end of funding month 7.
1
Principal Investigators (PIs) must be faculty members or research staff of the Johns
Hopkins University, the Johns Hopkins Health System, or the Applied Physics Laboratory.
We especially welcome proposals that include PIs and Co-PIs who are in the early stages of
their careers.
Membership in Hopkins inHealth is an eligibility requirement for all Hopkins
inHealth funding opportunities. It takes two minutes to become a member; visit
http://hopkinsinhealth.jhu.edu/join-us to apply. Members receive up-to-date information
on individualized health news and grant opportunities; invitations to inHealth events; and
access to a network to individuals engaged in cutting-edge individualized health research.
Membership applications must be submitted by October 23rd to be eligible for this
opportunity.
Scoring Guidelines:
Proposals that meet the “Pilot Project Criteria” will be scored on the basis of:
1. Innovation: The project develops a novel device, platform, technology, methodology, or
software that has the potential to transform clinical or public health practice.
2. Interdisciplinary Nature: The project draws on insight gained from multiple fields of
expertise and will strengthen connections between two or more Johns Hopkins entities.
3. Breadth of Reach: The project has the potential to be disseminated on a national or
broader scale.
4. Sustainability: The project will generate data or knowledge that can be used in the
pursuit of additional funding from the federal government or private institutions.
5. Approach: The project’s strategy is well-reasoned, feasible, and supports one or more of
JHM’s 6 Strategic Objectives.
6. Strength of PI and Research Team: The PI and the research team have the ability to
successfully conduct the proposed research and have appropriate institutional support.
Application Materials:
Proposals should include the following elements, in three pages or less:
1. Cover letter from the PI: This section should be written for a non-technical reader and
should include the title and a brief summary of the project goals, expected contributions,
and how the project meets the “Pilot Project Criteria.” To be considered for Booz Allen
Hamilton funding, include the following statement in bold at the end of the cover letter: “I
wish to be considered for funding by both Johns Hopkins and Booz Allen Hamilton.”
Hopkins inHealth Pilot RFP
2. Specific Aims: This should be a succinct statement of the aims and anticipated outcomes
of the proposal.
3. Significance: This should be a concise description of relevant background information
and significance of the proposed project.
4. Approach: This includes the research design, measures, data analysis plan, and any
preliminary data. (Graphs and/or diagrams may be placed in an appendix and will not be
counted towards the page limit.)
5. Budget and Budget Justification for Year 1 and Year 2: This should include PI and Co-PI
effort (whether funding is requested for this or not), other personnel, and
equipment/materials/supplies. Faculty salary can be included, but funding for this will not
exceed 20% effort. Use NIH budget forms PHS 398 (Form Page 4 and Page 5). Funding is
expected to start in January 2016. (Limit to two pages; the budget and budget justification
is not counted towards the overall page limit.)
6. Biographical Information: For PI(s), Co-PI(s), and other Key Personnel, submit a
biosketch showing qualifications to successfully complete the proposed project. Use NIH
PHS 398 biographical sketch format page (Limit to four pages per person; biographical
information is not counted towards the overall page limit.)
Application Deadline and Timeline for Review:
Applications are due no later than October 23, 2015 by 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time and should
be submitted as a single PDF document to inhealthpilots@jhu.edu. Evaluation of proposals
will be carried out by a team of internal evaluators who are experts in data science,
population health, and methodologies for measurement and analytics. Funding decisions
are expected by December 15, 2015.
For scientific or administrative questions, send an email to Bahar Zarrabi at
inhealthpilots@jhu.edu.