About
The Samueli Scholars Award Program is for current UCI faculty whose achievements show extraordinary promise to advance basic, translational, or clinical scholarship in integrative health and have a history of contributions of national distinction in their disciplines. Appointments are expected to have a three-year duration based on annual reappointment but may be renewed for up to two more years at the discretion of the Vice Chancellor of Health Affairs (VCHA), in consultation with the Associate Vice Chancellor Integrative Health (AVC) Integrative Health. These superb faculty will advance the field of Integrative Health and may be in schools within or outside the Susan & Henry Samueli College of Health Sciences.
Funding
The Samueli Scholar designation carries an award up to $50K per year in support for research that focuses on integrative health, defined as areas of investigation aimed at accelerating evidence-informed understanding and implementation of therapies for whole-person care.
Integrative therapies, as defined by the NIH, include use of natural products (e.g.,botanicals, dietary supplements, and probiotics), mind-and-body approaches (e.g., mind/brain-focused practices like meditation and hypnosis), body-based approaches (e.g., acupuncture, massage), meditative exercise (e.g., yoga, Tai Chi), and art and music therapies. Integrative approaches can also address lifestyle interventions (e.g., nutrition) and behaviors.
At the end of the Scholar’s appointment, continued engagement with the Susan Samueli Integrative Health Institute (SSIHI), judged to be of sufficient impact by the VCHA and the AVC Integrative Health, will permit designation as a Samueli Scholar Emeritus and offer the opportunity to apply for SSIHI Pilot Studies Award funding.
Application Process
The inaugural Samueli Scholars were selected in 2021. The next application cycle will be announced soon.
Expectations
The Samueli Scholar will attend SSIHI faculty meetings, present at grand rounds on an annual basis, participate in an integrative health research symposium, and identify their affiliation in publications and presentations. Scholars will also be identified as SSIHI-affiliated faculty.
FAQ
Should letters of recommendation be internal or external?
The three letters of recommendation can be external and/or internal.
Should letters of recommendation be included in the nomination package?
Yes, the three letters of recommendation should be included in the nomination package and need to be addressed to your Department Chair. These letters can be solicited by the candidate.
What do I do with the checklist provided?
The checklist should be included as the cover sheet for the nomination package submitted by the School, Department, and/or Center to gchrist3@hs.uci.edu by the deadline (TBD).
Are there any page limits for the candidate statement?
No, there is no designated page limit for the candidate statement.
What should I highlight in the candidate statement?
A successful statement should include your prior work that includes integrative/whole-person health research (please see link for more information on definition of integrative health research domains).
PLEASE NOTE: Faculty candidates do not have to submit a research plan but rather discuss how they would advance integrative health at UCI.
What is my responsibility to provide for the nomination package?
The faculty candidate should prepare their NIH biosketch and statement. The faculty candidate can solicit the three required letters of recommendation, but they must be addressed to their department chair.
Are there any limitations in what the $50K can be spent on (e.g., salary, teaching buyout)?
The intent of this opportunity is to provide faculty with specific support in pursuit of their research goals in integrative health. Funds can be allocated toward faculty salary support, research staff salary support, and/or other scholarly activities. Teaching buyout will need to be discussed/negotiated within your department. These discussions can take place following Samueli Scholar appointment designation. A proposed budget plan for funding allocation will need to be submitted, reviewed, and approved on an annual basis.
What is the total funding?
The total funding for a Samueli Scholar will be $50K per year for a total duration of three years.
How will the applications be reviewed?
A review committee with representation from various UCI schools/departments will use the following criteria with a NIH scoring system [1(High) – 9 (Low)] to evaluate the applications: Significance and impact of research (e.g., Do stated research goals address an important barrier, gap, or problem in the field of integrative health?); Innovation of research (e.g., Are proposed concepts, approaches, methodologies, interventions, or instrumentation novel to integrative health research?); Scholarly accomplishments (e.g., Is candidate well suited for appointment with national distinction as associate or full professor?); Environmental support (e.g., Will scientific environment, including support from letters of recommendation, contribute to the candidate’s probability of success?).
Is this meant to support current research or future research in the planning stages?
Faculty candidates should show some record of accomplishment that can be labeled as integrative health research. This funding could support an innovative scope of work that builds upon a limited foundation of existing research.
Is the focus on medical research or is the scope open to social science questions related to integrative health?
Applications from all disciplines are welcome. Integrative health research can be very broad (see NCCIH Strategic Plan). This program is NOT limited to faculty in the College of Health Sciences; this opportunity is open to all UCI faculty.
Is there a limit to how many candidates can apply from a given school, department, and/or center?
There is NO limit to how many faculty candidates can apply from a given department.
When does appointment as a Samueli Scholar begin?
The first Samueli Scholar appointment began January 1, 2022. The next appointment will be announced soon.
Will there be another opportunity to apply next year?
There will be more opportunities to apply for the next couple of years. We plan to have six scholars in steady state. Preference for Pilot Award funding will also be granted for those designated as Samueli Scholars.
Contact: Georgia Christodoulou, SSIHI research administrator, gchrist3@hs.uci.edu
