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 be led by a faculty member representing at least one school/division or affiliate of the university from the following list:
- Applied Physics Lab (APL) – Any teams with JHUAPL staff must have their proposals reviewed internally prior to submittal. The deadline for JHUAPL submissions is January 31, 2025. Please contact Anne Roberts-Smith for more information on submitting Nexus proposals for teams that include JHUAPL staff.
- Berman Institute of Bioethics (BI)
- Bloomberg School of Public Health (BSPH)
- Carey Business School (CBS)
- Center for Talented Youth (CTY)
- Human Language Technology Center of Excellence (HLTCOE)
- Jhpiego
- Krieger School of Arts and Sciences (KSAS)
- Peabody Institute
- School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS)
- School of Education (SOE)
- School of Medicine (SOM)
- School of Nursing (SON)
- Sheridan Libraries
- Whiting School of Engineering (WSE)
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.
We are delighted to partner with the Johns Hopkins Institute for Planetary Health (JHIPH) to connect faculty who share common interests and aims to address Planetary Health challenges and solutions.
Convening and Research proposals aligned with Planetary Health may request an additional $15,000 for their proposal (i.e. Convening proposals may request up to $115,000 and Research proposals may request up to $315,000). (Read JHIPH’s draft strategic plan or learn more about Planetary Health.)
Note that proposals not chosen for the JHIPH collaboration could still qualify for a standard Nexus Award, provided they meet the scoring criteria.
Applications for the 2025 cycle are now open. Proposals will be accepted through 2/14/2025.
Guidelines
Applications will consist of five elements:
- Title of the submission
- 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 2025; winter 2025; spring 2026; summer 2026); (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.
- 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.
- A current CV or biosketch for all applicants.
- 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.