HMS-SNUH-SNUCM

Downloadable PDF of RFP

REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS
Harvard Medical School – Seoul National University Hospital –
Seoul National University College of Medicine
Collaborative Research Program

Updated August 26, 2024

I. Key Dates
Release date: Monday, July 29, 2024
(Optional) Letter of Interest deadline: Monday, August 12, 2024
Proposal deadline: Friday, September 13, 2024
Anticipated funding start date: Tuesday, October 1, 2024

II. Overview and Goals
Harvard Medical School (HMS), Seoul National University Hospital (SNUH), and Seoul
National University College of Medicine (SNUCM) have formed a new program to establish
collaborative relationships in biomedical research involving HMS and SNUH/SNUCM. The
goals of the program are (i) to generate new knowledge that advances human health and
biomedical science worldwide and (ii) to share the expert knowledge and experience of HMS in
educating outstanding research personnel in biomedical science. This current round of funding
will support 4-8 projects at a level of up to $250,000 in total costs per year for up to two years to
HMS-based Principal Investigators (PIs) and their teams. The program requires the selected
HMS PIs to support at least one full-time trainee from SNUH and/or SNUCM labs. Each project
will represent a collaboration between the lead PI at HMS and a PI at SNUH/SNUCM, and
collaborating labs at SNUH and SNUCM will receive up to 100,000,000 KRW per year for up to
two years from a separate funding source in Korea. Collaborating investigators from HMS,
Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Harvard-affiliated hospitals, and the Massachusetts
Institute of Technology can participate as co-investigators.
As noted above, each project must include the training of at least one SNUH/SNUCM trainee in
Massachusetts. SNUH and SNUCM will recruit a pool of exceptional physician scientists,
postdoctoral fellows, and graduate students as potential trainees. The training of selected
members of this trainee pool in HMS labs will enable SNUH and SNUCM to expand their
biomedical workforce and enhance their capability to train research scientists, thus enhancing an
innovative, cutting-edge biomedical research environment in Korea.
Lead PIs and U.S.-based collaborating teams will visit with SNUH/SNUCM PIs and scientists
through in-person conferences and workshops (rotating between Korea and the U.S.) and through
virtual meetings so that scientists from the participating institutions may exchange ideas about
research best practices. Research collaborations supported by the HMS-SNUH-SNUCM program
are expected to lead to novel joint publications, ultimately contributing to improvements in
health and well-being worldwide, fulfilling the participating institutions’ missions. 

Research projects at the frontier of basic and translational sciences that involve cutting-edge
approaches with high impact on global biomedical and health problems will be encouraged.
Clinical research will not be considered as a main focus of this program, unless there is a
compelling justification as determined by the program’s joint faculty committee and steering
committee. Emphasis shall be given to research on disease areas that will significantly impact
global health needs, such as the following:
- Neuro-immunological and neurological diseases
- Immunological, autoimmune, and inflammatory diseases
- Cancer and cardiovascular diseases
- Rare genetic diseases

III. Program Details and Eligibility Criteria
The HMS-SNUH-SNUCM program will fund projects performed in the laboratories of HMS PIs
in collaboration with SNUH and/or SNUCM PIs. Funding recommendations will be made by the
program’s joint faculty committee and approved by the program’s steering committee. With
appropriate governance, oversight, and regulatory approvals, the research endeavors associated
with this collaboration may encompass the exchange of human samples, other research materials,
and data between the participating institutions, both acquired prior to and during the
collaboration periods.
Projects involving de-identified human samples will necessitate non-human subject
determination by the Institutional Review Board (IRB) of HMS. It is crucial to note that the
projects will not involve any human subjects within the United States healthcare system unless
pre-approved by the joint faculty committee, the program steering committee, and the HMS IRB.
Data and research materials may include, but are not limited to, the examples below.
- Data obtained from and research samples for multi-omics approaches, such as genomics,
proteomics, transcriptomics, and metabolomics.
- Biomaterials, small molecules, or devices.
- Data science analytics that involves biomedical data.
Applicants Eligible for Funding
Assistant professors, associate professors, and professors who have a primary appointment in an
HMS preclinical department and whose research program is located on the HMS quadrangle are
eligible to apply for funding as Lead PI. The pre-clinical departments include Biological
Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, Biomedical Informatics, Cell Biology, Genetics, Global
Health and Social Medicine, Health Care Policy, Immunology, Microbiology, Neurobiology,
Stem Cell and Regenerative Biology, and Systems Biology.

HMS Lead PI and SNUH/SNUCM PI
Letters of Interest (see below) will be used to identify Lead PIs at HMS and PIs at
SNUH/SNUCM with similar research aims who are interested in collaborative opportunities. The
HMS and SNUH/SNUCM Scientific Directors may help to facilitate communications among PIs
at both sites who express interest in applying (see page 8, Inquiries).
Collaborating Co-PIs
Collaborations are permitted with HMS Quad investigators and/or investigators at the Harvard
T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Harvard-affiliated hospitals, and MIT.

IV. Award Amount
Projects will be funded at a level of up to $250,000 total costs per year for up to two (2) years to
Lead PIs and their U.S.-based teams. This includes salary and fringe support for at least one
SNUH/SNUCM trainee in the HMS lab for up to two years. Separate funding at a level of up to
100,000,000 KRW per year for up to two (2) years will be provided to SNUH/SNUCM-based PIs
from a distinct funding source in Korea. Indirect costs up to 38% based on total direct costs
(TDC) may be included within the application budget for collaborating Harvard-affiliated
hospitals and MIT. Lead PIs and Co-PIs with primary appointments at Harvard should include
only direct costs in their budget. The period of performance is anticipated to start on October 1,
2024.

V. Application Information
Letter of Interest
Instructions for the optional letter of interest are provided in Appendix A. Letters should be
submitted as .pdf files to the Office for Research Initiatives and Global Programs at
ResearchInitiatives@hms.harvard.edu. Please use the subject line “HMS-SNUH-SNUCM Letter
of Interest: [Lead PI Last Name].”
Proposal
Instructions for proposals are provided in Appendix B. Proposals should be submitted as .pdf
files via the Harvard Medical School Internal Awards online submission system:
https://forms.hms.harvard.edu/f/hms-snuh-snucm

VI. Allowable and Unallowable Costs
Allowable Costs
PI Effort
• Salary support for Lead PIs and, if applicable, U.S.-based collaborating institution Co-PIs
(maximum 10% effort per PI/Co-PI)
• SNUH/SNUCM PIs and related lab costs will be addressed via the separate fund in Korea
Trainees
• Lead PI labs are required to host at least one trainee from SNUH’s/SNUCM’s labs during
the grant funding period, such as a physician scientist, postdoctoral fellow, or graduate
student.
• SNUH/SNUCM PIs are expected to assist the trainee selection process by recommending
to the Lead PIs a small number of SNUH/SNUCM trainees from SNUH/SNUCM labs.
• Trainees from SNUH/SNUCM must be vetted and approved by the Lead PI and meet all
relevant requirements for a visiting appointment, including any visa requirements, before
they participate in lab-based research.
• Trainees who are postdoctoral fellows will receive salaried visiting postdoctoral fellow
appointments. An amount at least equivalent to a first-year postdoctoral fellow’s salary
(depending on seniority level of the visiting trainee) at HMS must be included in the
budget to compensate the visiting trainee. The HMS postdoc compensation scale is
described here: https://postdoc.hms.harvard.edu/guidelines#Salary-Stipend
• Fringe benefits must be budgeted for postdoctoral fellows. Postdocs must hold
postdoctoral status at SNUH or SNUCM, have a PhD, MD, or equivalent degree, and be
involved in independent research.
• Trainees who are graduate students will receive either salaried or stipend visiting
graduate student appointments. Health insurance coverage meeting visa requirements
must be budgeted for graduate students. More information can be found here:
https://www.hio.harvard.edu/health-care-scholars. Graduate students must fulfill all
Harvard visiting student requirements.
Lab Personnel, Equipment, and Supplies
• Salary support for research/lab technicians or other trainees to support the project
• Lab supplies and/or animal costs
• Limited equipment (maximum 10% of total award budget or $25,000)
Travel
• Travel costs for HMS and Collaborating Institution Team Members, if any, for in-person
meetings/collaboration and other program-related travel. Travel to Korea to meet with
collaborators is required as part of the research collaboration and is anticipated at no
more than once per year in addition to symposium travel. Meetings with Korean-based
collaborators may be held adjacent to the annual symposium in lieu of a separate trip.
Indirect Costs
• Up to 38% indirect costs is allowed for Co-PIs external to Harvard. Any indirect costs
must be included within the maximum award amount.

Unallowable Costs
• Travel to/from the annual symposium for the Lead PI and one additional researcher or trainee
intimately involved in the collaborative research project will be funded separately from the
research awards. The first symposium will be held in Seoul in 2025.
• HMS will issue a subaward agreement to each collaborating Co-PI at an affiliated hospital or
MIT.
• Indirect costs are limited to non-Harvard collaborating institutions. Harvard indirect costs
will be applied separately.

VII. Intellectual Property
If any applicant or other individual (except for any individual enrolled as a full-time student at
Harvard) employed by an HMS-affiliated institution or MIT creates intellectual property through
work on a project funded by this RFP, the employing institution will own his or her interest in
that intellectual property in accordance with the institution’s intellectual property policy;
provided that as a condition of the Award to any researchers employed by an HMS-affiliated
institution or MIT, under the Award agreement the applicant and the applicable institution shall
agree to grant Harvard a fully-paid up worldwide non-exclusive license under such HMSaffiliated
institution’s interests in such intellectual property to meet the requirements of the HMS
and SNUH/SNUCM agreement.
In the event that intellectual property is developed by affiliate or MIT researchers and owned by
affiliate institutions or MIT, licensing revenue generated by such institutions will be shared with
Harvard on terms to be specified in the award agreement and in accordance with the terms of the
HMS and SNUH/SNUCM agreement. Any reference to HMS in the following intellectual
property terms of the HMS and SNUH/SNUCM agreement shall apply to the affiliate institution
or MIT:

1. INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY.
1.1 Definitions
“HMS Invention” shall mean any Invention for which each of the inventors are HMS Team
Members.
“HMS Patent Rights” shall mean any patents and patent applications that claim any HMS
Invention, in each case solely to the extent the claims are directed to the subject matter of such
HMS Invention.
“HMS Team Members” shall mean each HMS Principal Investigator and those technicians,
scientists and/or other individuals working on behalf of HMS under the supervision of each such
HMS PI under the applicable statement of work.
“Invention” shall mean any patentable invention that is conceived and reduced to practice in the
performance of the applicable statement of work during the period of performance.
“Joint Invention” shall mean any Invention for which the inventors include at least one member
of two or more Parties hereto.
“Joint Patent Rights” shall mean any patents and patent applications that claim any Joint
Invention, in each case solely to the extent the claims are directed to the subject matter of such
Joint Invention.
“SNUCM Invention” shall mean any Invention for which each of the inventors are SNUCM
Team Members.
“SNUCM Patent Rights” shall mean any patents and patent applications that claim any SNUCM
Invention, in each case solely to the extent the claims are directed to the subject matter of such
SNUCM Invention.
“SNUCM Team Members” shall mean each SNUCM Principal Investigator and those
technicians, scientists and/or other individuals working on behalf of SNUCM under the
supervision of each such SNUCM PI under the applicable statement of work.
“SNUH Invention” shall mean any Invention for which each of the inventors are SNUH Team
Members.
“SNUH Patent Rights” shall mean any patents and patent applications that claim any SNUH
Invention, in each case solely to the extent the claims are directed to the subject matter of such
SNUH Invention.
“SNUH Team Members” shall mean each SNUH Principal Investigator and those technicians,
scientists and/or other individuals working on behalf of SNUH under the supervision of each
such SNUH PI under the applicable statement of work.
1.2 Inventorship. Inventorship of Inventions shall be determined in accordance with United
States patent law.
1.3 Ownership. The entire right, title and interest in and to all SNUH Inventions shall be owned
solely by SNUH. The entire right, title and interest in and to all HMS Inventions shall be owned
solely by HMS. The entire right, title and interest in and to all SNUCM Inventions shall be
owned solely by SNUCM. The entire right, title and interest in and to all Joint Inventions shall
be owned jointly by each Party for which at least one inventor from such Party contributed to the
Invention. Subject to Section 1.5.2 (Joint Inventions), each Party sharing ownership in a Joint
Invention shall have the full right to grant licenses under its interest in Joint Patent Rights, and
shall provide notice to the other(s) of such license grants. Unless otherwise set forth in a written
agreement signed by the applicable co-owners of any Joint Patent Rights, if either HMS or
SNUH and/or SNUCM, as applicable, licenses the Joint Patent Rights for any commercial
purpose, HMS and SNUH and/or SNUCM shall share with the other(s) the licensing proceeds
received as a result of such commercial license (“Gross Revenue”) in the following manner:
a. Where HMS exploits the Joint Patent Rights, HMS shall pay to SNUH and/or SNUCM fifty
percent (50%) of the Gross Revenue received by HMS; and
b. Where SNUH and/or SNUCM exploits the Joint Patent Rights, SNUH and/or SNUCM shall
pay to HMS fifty percent (50%) of the Gross Revenue received by SNUH and/or SNUCM.
1.4 Disclosure. HMS shall notify SNUH and SNUCM, promptly and in writing, of any
Invention with respect to which Harvard’s Office of Technology Development has received a
written invention disclosure form and (in the case of HMS Inventions and Joint Inventions) filed
a patent application; provided, however, that HMS may elect to notify SNUH and SNUCM prior
to filing. SNUH and SNUCM shall notify HMS, promptly and in writing, of any Invention of
which it becomes aware and (in the case of SNUH and SNUCM Inventions) for which it has
filed a patent application; provided, however, that SNUH or SNUCM may elect to notify HMS
prior to filing. Each Party (a) shall treat as Confidential Information of the other Party the
contents of any notice provided to it under this section that discloses an Invention owned solely
by the other Party and (b) shall treat as Confidential Information of the Parties jointly the
contents of any notice provided to it under this section that discloses a Joint Invention until
publication of such Joint Invention (except that patent filings in accordance with Section 1.5.2
shall be permitted).
1.5 Patent Filing and Prosecution.
1.5.1. Sole Inventions. SNUH shall be responsible, at its sole expense and discretion, for the
preparation, filing, prosecution and maintenance of SNUH Patent Rights. SNUCM shall be
responsible, at its sole expense and discretion, for the preparation, filing, prosecution and
maintenance of SNUCM Patent Rights. HMS shall be responsible, at its sole expense and
discretion, for the preparation, filing, prosecution and maintenance of HMS Patent Rights.
1.5.2. Joint Inventions. SNUH, SNUCM, and/or HMS, as applicable, agree to negotiate in good
faith an Inter-Institutional Agreement regarding the Parties’ respective responsibilities for the
preparation, filing, prosecution and maintenance of any Joint Patent Rights.
1.6 No License or Grant of Rights. Nothing in this Agreement shall be construed to confer any
ownership interest, license or other rights upon a Party by implication, estoppel or otherwise as
to any technology, intellectual property rights, products or biological materials of the other Party
or any other entity.
VIII. Review Process and Criteria
Completed applications submitted by the specified deadline will be reviewed for merit and
feasibility. Proposals will be assessed on a competitive basis in a fair and impartial manner based
on the criteria set forth below. Funding decisions will be made by the program steering
committee based on recommendations from the joint faculty committee.
• Project significance
• Capacity of investigator(s) and lab to complete the project
• Degree of collaboration with SNUH/SNUCM PI
• Innovation and potential for impact on health problems of global importance
• Appropriateness of the budget and feasibility of the research plan
• Opportunities for trainee development
• Environment for new trainees and quality of proposed trainee experience
• Commitment to supporting early-career investigators

Inquiries
For questions regarding this RFP, please contact the following members of the Joint Faculty
Committee:
- Dr. Jun Huh (HMS) at jun_huh@hms.harvard.edu
- Dr. Ho-Young Lee (SNUCM) at md1004@snu.ac.kr
- Dr. Seung-Pyo Lee (SNUH) at sproll1@snu.ac.kr
Please submit questions related to the proposal submission system and similar details to
ResearchInitiatives@hms.harvard.edu

Appendix A: Instructions for Letter of Interest (Optional)
Submission: Letters of interest must be received by 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time on Monday, August
12, 2024, as a single .pdf file. Letters should be submitted as an attachment via email to the
Office for Research Initiatives and Global Programs at ResearchInitiatives@hms.harvard.edu.
Please use the subject line “HMS-SNUH-SNUCM Letter of Interest: [Lead PI Last Name].”
Cover Page
• Proposal Title
• Lead PI [Last Name, First Name, Email, HMS Department, Institution]
• Massachusetts-based Co-PIs if applicable [Last Name, First Name, Email, Department,
Institution]
• SNUH/SNUCM PI (if known)
• Estimated Total Amount to be Requested
Proposal Overview
• Disease area
• Brief description of proposed research (no more than ½ page). All text material must be
in a readable font (Arial 11 point), and margins must be 0.5 inches.

Appendix B: Proposal Template
Proposal submission deadline: Friday, September 13, 2024 at 11:59 p.m. ET
Submission: Proposals must be received by 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time on Friday, September 13,
2024, as a single PDF file. Applications should be submitted via the Harvard Medical School
online submission system: https://forms.hms.harvard.edu/f/hms-snuh-snucm

The single PDF should include the following sections in order:
• Lead PI Cover Page (see below)
• Statement of Intent or other document completed and signed by Institutional Official
(only required for Co-PIs at Harvard-affiliated hospitals and MIT)
• Signed institutional letter of support from SNUH or SNUCM stating that the institution
supports the proposed research collaboration between the Lead PI at HMS and the
SNUH/SNUCM PI
• Proposal – 5 page limit including figures and tables. All text material must be in a
readable font (Arial 11 point), and margins must be 0.5 inches, and contain the following
sections:
o Background
o Objective and aims
o Preliminary data (not required)
o Research strategy
o Pitfalls and alternative strategies
o Training and mentoring plan for new trainees
o Timeline
• References in a readable font (Arial 11 point; not included in the 5 page limit)
• If IRB approval, IACUC approval, or both are required and have not been obtained,
please indicate the status of, and the plans for obtaining, approval. Funds will not be
released without assurance that the necessary IRB and IACUC approvals will be obtained
prior to initiation of the covered activities.
• Please indicate if data or materials will be exchanged during the project and provide a
description, if available.
• Biosketches of Lead PI, Co-PI(s), and any other Key Personnel
• Budget (PHS 398 Page 4, Page 5, Checklist) and budget justification for Lead PI
institution
• Budget (PHS 398 Page 4, Page 5, Checklist) and budget justification for Massachusetts-based
collaborator institution, if any
 

Cover Page (not included in page limit)

2024 HMS-SNUH-SNUCM Collaborative Research Awards

Submission Cover Page

*Indirect costs may be requested for non-Harvard institutions at a maximum rate of 38% on a total direct cost basis.

**Include the cost of Korean trainees who will be working in the U.S.

Abstract (1/2 page)

Downloadable PDF of RFP