FAQ

Here are the key dates for the 2026-27 cycle:

• Application Questions & Guidelines available: June 30, 2026
• Submissions Portal Open:  July 30, 2026
• Submissions Due Date: September 1, 2026, at 11:59 PM Eastern Time
• Awardees announced: November 15, 2026
• Funding begins: January 30, 2027

We recommend submitting before September 1, if possible, to allow for any technical issues, but we know many people apply close to the deadline—that's okay!

Applications must be submitted in full by 11:59 PM Eastern Time on September 1, 2026. We recommend submitting earlier, if possible, to allow for any technical issues.

The project period is one year (from January 30, 2027, onwards). If you need additional time to complete your project, we can typically grant a no-cost extension.

Awardees will be announced by November 15, 2026.

Unfortunately, we cannot provide individual feedback to all applicants due to volume, but you're welcome to reapply next year if your application isn't selected. Each cycle brings new reviewers and new perspectives.

You are eligible if you are:

• An academic researcher (postdoctoral fellow, junior faculty, senior faculty)
• A community-based organization leader or staff member
• A clinical program or health system staff member
• Part of a team combining research and practice expertise
• A graduate student, doctoral candidate, or individual outside academia

Organizations do not need to be nonprofit to apply. Individuals are also eligible.

Columbia faculty, students, and staff are welcome to apply except for those currently affiliated with the Center for the Transition to Parenthood (CTtP). Everyone else at Columbia is eligible.

No. We welcome applications from anywhere in the United States and U.S. territories. We specifically encourage applications from diverse regions—rural areas, the South, the Midwest, the Mountain West, and everywhere in between. Our funders want us to support innovative work across all parts of the country, not just major cities or coastal states.

No, this opportunity is limited to applicants based in the United States and U.S. territories only.

Your application should include:

• Applicant & team information (name, contact, organization, team member roles)
• Project proposal (maximum 2 pages, single-spaced, 11-point font, 0.5-inch margins)
• Brief project summary (maximum 1,500 characters, lay-friendly language)
• CV or résumé
• Optional: Project video (up to 90 seconds)
• Optional: Budget narrative (1 page max, explaining how you'll use the $50K)
• Optional: References (1 page max, either research references or people who can speak to your qualifications)

Research track: Primarily focused on generating new knowledge, translating or applying existing evidence, testing novel interventions, implementing interventions, and evaluating feasibility/effectiveness/reliability/impact of interventions through systematic investigation (DOHaD research, prenatal programming studies, health services research, etc.)

Community-based track: Primarily focused on delivering programs or services to communities with authentic community engagement and partnerships (CBOs, clinical programs, community health worker initiatives, etc.)

If your project is 60% research and 40% community, choose the track that best describes your primary goal. Unsure? Email us at ttp@cumc.columbia.edu and we can help clarify.

Submit separately. When you enter your application into the online portal, there will be separate fields for each item.

Your application will be reviewed by an interdisciplinary team using a 1–9 scoring scale on five key domains.

For research projects:

• 1. Relevance & alignment with CTtP's mission
• 2. Rigor & methodology (study design, feasibility)
• 3. Innovation & potential impact
• 4. Team capacity & environment
• 5. Evaluation & sustainability

For community-based projects:

• 1. Relevance & alignment with CTtP's mission
• 2. Implementation plan & feasibility
• 3. Community engagement & partnerships
• 4. Team capacity & organizational strength
• 5. Evaluation & sustainability

Reviewers also provide an Overall Impact Score reflecting their enthusiasm for your project.

We use separate rubrics optimized for each track because research and community-based work require different evaluation criteria. A rigorous RCT and an excellent community program can both be exceptional—but they need to be evaluated on their own merits.

The $50,000 can be used for:

• Personnel (salary support for yourself, research assistants, coordinators, etc.)
• Supplies and equipment
• Participant incentives or compensation
• Travel for meetings or presentations
• Technology or software
• Data collection or analysis costs
• Evaluation costs
• Indirect costs (up to 5%)

Any percentage can go toward faculty salary, student salary, or indirect costs—there's no restriction.

A detailed budget is optional but encouraged. A 1-page budget narrative helps reviewers assess whether your project is feasible at $50,000 and shows you've thought through realistic costs.

Yes! We're hosting an optional information webinar:

Date: July 20, 2026

Time: 4–5 PM Eastern Time

Recording: Available for those who cannot attend live

The webinar will cover:

• How to write a strong application
• What reviewers are looking for
• Examples of strong proposal elements from past awardees
• Q&A with review panel members

Email ttp@cumc.columbia.edu or check our website for the registration link.

Yes! Graduate students, doctoral candidates, postdocs, and individuals outside academia are all eligible to apply.

You're welcome to apply! Our evaluation doesn't assume prior grant experience. Attend our July 20 webinar—it's designed to help people understand what makes a strong application. You can also email us with questions.

Yes. This annual funding opportunity will continue yearly. You can apply year after year if your project isn't selected. If one year you are selected as one of the two awardees, we require you to wait five years before applying again.  

Email us at ttp@cumc.columbia.edu with your question. We'll respond promptly and add your question (and answer) to this FAQ so future applicants benefit!