In accordance with our mission, ANFA’s Hay Grant Research Program is designed to encourage neuroscience-architecture cross-disciplinary research that contributes to a body of knowledge informing building design incorporating principles derived from neuroscience research.
Research Grant Categories:
Grant(s) will be funded annually in one or both of the following categories:
- Feasibility Studies — to test and determine the worth for further investment of funds and time of well-developed, evidence-based preliminary neuroscience / architecture hypotheses. It is expected that such feasibility studies, if successful, will serve as the basis of future proposals submitted to other funding organizations.
- Pilot Studies — to test research design, methods, and analysis plans of a well-defined, evidence-based neuroscience / architecture problem. It is expected that the results of such studies will serve as support for, and be included in, future full-blown studies.
Grant Duration and Funding Amount:
Each grant will last for a maximum of one year. The maximum annual grant funding each year will be $50,000 for one or two research projects. Decisions related to the funding amount (up to $50,000) and number of grants awarded each year will be at the discretion of ANFA’s Grant Committee.
2012-2013 Submission Deadlines & Review Schedule:
Schedule for materials due and making grant decisions will be strictly observed. Proposals arriving after the due date will not be considered.
| November 1, 2012 - December 15, 2012 | Grant Submissions Accepted |
| December 15, 2012 | Grant Submission Deadline |
| January 1, 2013 - January 31, 2013 | Committee Reviews Submissions |
| February 1, 2013 | Grant Recipients Notified of their Award |
Email the Application & Supplemental Materials to admin@anfarch.org
---- Subject line: Hay Fund - Research Team Members' Surnames
Recipient Research Team Requirements:
The proposed research team must be cross-disciplinary, including at least one neuroscientist and one architect. Other disciplines may be proposed as part of the research team as required.
The Program wishes to encourage the highest quality and most innovative Neuroscience-Architecture research possible. For this reason, the Hay Fund Neuroscience-Architecture Research Program does not limit the type of institution or organization that can apply for research funds. The following types of organizations are encouraged to apply:
- Academic
- Private & Not-for-Profit
- Architecture Firm
- Research Firm
- Laboratory
In-kind contributions, matching funds and funding partners: In order to be considered for funding, grant applications must demonstrate a minimum of 15% matching funds. Proposals with additional matching funds and other forms of donated resources will be looked on favorably.
Grant Review Committee:
The Application Review Committee consists of three members, including at least one neuroscientist and one architect. External experts (including Board Members not on the Research Subcommittee) will be invited to be part of the Application Review Committee when the Committee feels this is needed. This will be the case especially when a proposal is in a particular area such as acoustics, lighting, or way-finding where a specialist would be helpful. Additional reviewers will also be considered when the Application Review Committee feels it would like an additional expert included to vet the proposal’s peer-review worthiness.
Frequently Asked Questions:
Question #1: What specifically does the term “neuroscientist” mean in this grant program? Are psychologists or psychiatrists considered neuroscientists? Can the research in the program be conducted in behavioral or cognitive psychology, or do they have to be more on the neurobiology part?
Question #2: Does there need to be a registered architect on the team?
Question #3: Is there a cap on direct costs?
Question #4: Can one researcher be part of more than one research team? If so, will it effect the chance of their proposals being selected as a grant recipient?
Question #5: Does the 15% of matching funds required of proposers need to come from a market participant? What are some examples of "in kind" contributions? Please clarify what "proposals with additional matching funds and other forms of donated resources" means.
Question #6: Does the ANFA copyright refer only to research data and not to the design and business related?
Answer #1: The question is impossible to answer in the abstract. To paraphrase Potter Stewart, you know a neuroscientist when you see one. Applicants are advised to simply think about the mission of ANFA and carefully consider how their research team conforms to that mission. The selection committee will evaluate the extent to which they meet the neuroscience criterion when we see the application.
At the beginning, the field of neuroscience initially included virtually any “biologist” interested in the brain. This can be seen in the original NRP bulletins and the seminal four volume series “The Neurosciences: A Study Program” that was first introduced in 1967 and essentially defined the field. The field has exploded in the last fifty plus years into a diverse professional society of scientists, departments and educators. The selection committee will take this expansion of the field into account when making its selection.Answer #2: Proposals are expected to include a Registered Architect on the team, even as a hands-off sponsor, advisor or interested party. Team membership in this case can be expressed by a letter of interest. The purpose of this requirement is to establish at the beginning of each research project a direct link to architectural practice - one fo the aims of ANFA and the Hay Grant.
Answer #3:
No, there is not a cap on direct costs. The selection committee will focus on the value of the project. They will take into account the budget request, the direct and indirect costs requested, and the composition of the minimum of 15% matching funds included in the project budget. The following paragraphs from the program description apply:
Grant duration and amount: Each grant will be a maximum of one year. The maximum annual grant funding each year will be $50,000 for either one or two research projects. Decisions related to amount and number of grants, up to $50,000 will be at the discretion of ANFA’s Grants Committee.
In-kind contributions, matching funds and funding partners: In order to be considered for funding, grant applications must demonstrate a minimum of 15% matching funds. Proposals with additional matching funds and other forms of donated resources will be looked on favorably.
Answer #4: The goal of a research program like the Hay Grant, is to support the highest quality research possible. If that means that one individual is on all of the winning teams, so be it. If there are three equally meritorious proposals and only two awards, the research committee will likely spread the funding by selecting the two proposals with non-overlapping team members.
Answer #5: Matching funds means that the grantee demonstrates in the proposal that they can secure or have secured a dollar equivalent of 15% or more in addition to the grant request made of ANFA. Thus, if the grant request is for $30,000, the actual full cost of the project would be $34,500. These funds can be secured from any source - an individual, a trust, and institution, or a corporation. To receive the final grant, but not necessarily in the initial proposal, the grantee will be expected to submit a notarized letter confirming the contribution amount, and how and when the funds will be made available.
"In-kind contribution" means that the grantee demonstrates that they have existing resources from other grants or operations that can be directly applied to the Hay Grant made by ANFA in an amount that is 15% or more of the total grant awarded, as described above. The selection committee will look favorably on those proposals that have access to funds in addition to those requested - although the ultimate assessment will be made on the quality of the proposal and the likelihood of a successful research project.
Answer #6: The copyrighted material that ANFA requires is limited to the raw data and all reports associated with the funded research project. Resulting buildings or products related to the research are not included in the requirement.