Nexus Awards – Convening

Johns Hopkins in D.C. offers scholars, students, policymakers, government officers, Congressional staffers, and more the opportunity to come together in one of the most modern buildings in the nation’s capital to tackle the most pressing issues of our time.

Eligibility

Applications from all academic and professional disciplines within Johns Hopkins University are invited. Applications may propose a conference or convening on any topic. These may be one-time events or a series of related events. Conferences or convenings must occur at the Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg Center at 555 Pennsylvania Avenue, the school’s new home in Washington, D.C.

Applications must include at least one faculty member representing at least one school/division or affiliate of the university from the following list:

Only one Nexus Award–Convening proposal per lead faculty member will be accepted.

Students and postdoctoral fellows are not eligible to serve as lead applicants on Nexus Award– Convening proposals.

Funding

Teams may request up to $100,000, with an award term of up to one year. The award period must include the development and execution of a one-time conference/convening or a series of conferences/convenings. All Nexus Award–Convening applications must propose events that would take place at the Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg Center at 555 Pennsylvania Ave. Support may be used for salary related to conference/convening development, graduate students, postdoctoral fellows, equipment, and travel. Fringe should be included in all salary requests. We strongly recommend that a departmental administrator reviews proposed budgets for accuracy. Applications must describe a credible plan that ensures they will make substantial progress during the funding period.

2024 awards have been announced and award funding will begin on 7/1/2024.

The 2024 cycle is closed. Check back in November for updates regarding the next cycle of Nexus Awards.

Guidelines

Applications will consist of five elements:

  1. Title of the submission
  2. A proposal, which should include six sections that succinctly describe the: (A) conference or convening name; (B) conference/convening type (i.e., single event or series); (C) estimated number of attendees, including internal and external participants; (D) time period during which the conference/convening will occur (i.e., fall 2024; winter 2024; spring 2025; summer 2025); (E) description of the topic(s) to be addressed during the conference/convening and anticipated format; (F) program(s), department(s) and/or division(s) that will host the conference/convening. The proposal section can be no more than two pages, not including references. Please use 12-point font and margins no smaller than 1⁄2 inch.
  3. A budget breakdown that describes how funding will be allocated to each member of the team and how it will be apportioned for any personnel, supplies, equipment, travel, or other project expenses. Any budget amount up to the cap may be proposed. Faculty salary, equipment, and travel costs may be included. Indirect costs should not be included in the budget.
  4. A current CV or biosketch for all applicants.
  5. Up to five key words to aid in reviewer assignment.

Review criteria

The review process will evaluate the innovativeness of the conference/convening, the planned uses of the Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg Center at 555 Pennsylvania Ave., and the project’s potential for long-term impact. Faculty who have previously worked and/or published together are not excluded from applying. Proposals will be reviewed by a panel of faculty.

Post-Award Requirements

Recipients will submit a final progress report, including any interactions with DC-based stakeholders, and any external funding applications/awards enabled by this funding. Recipients may also be asked to present at a Provost’s Symposium.