Overview

We invite broad input and ideas from everyone in the Osher Collaborative—staff, learners, faculty—to advance Osher Collaborative health professions education.

This open submission system provides a tangible way for all to contribute to crowd-sourcing innovative ideas to create and implement professional education projects to benefit the Osher Collaborative for Integrative Health. 

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Eligibility

• Members of any Osher Center—including faculty, staff, clinicians, students, and trainees—are eligible to apply. Osher Center membership/affiliation is determined by each local Osher Center. Applicants should contact local Center leadership to confirm member or affiliate status. 

• Individuals may only apply as the lead for one proposal per cycle but may be listed as a collaborator on multiple applications in a single cycle. There is no limit to the number of awards an individual Center may receive.

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Award Details:

• Award budgets must total between $20,000-$40,000.

• The Coordinating Center will award total funds of up to $80,000 in FY26 and in FY27. Beginning in FY28, there will be a total of up to $40,000 offered annually. 

• Project work is expected to be completed within 12 months of award distribution.  

• Priority will be given to proposals which include collaboration between at least two Centers; all proposed projects must benefit the broader Osher Collaborative. 

• Proposals should include administrative support and project management plans. The Coordinating Center staff will provide these resources to awarded projects. 

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Application Procedure: 

• Award cycles will be run via UCSF Open Proposal. This process includes 2 phases. 

• Phase 1: All Osher Collaborative members will be invited to submit a brief proposal outline their project and collaborators. Project submissions will be public and allow other interested parties to comment, ask questions, and potentially join proposed projects. 

• Phase 2: Review Committee will invite selected proposals to submit full applications.

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Review Criteria

• Proposals will be reviewed based on the following criteria:  

  • Significance. Does the project focus on an area that will help to advance integrative health education? 

  • Innovation. Is the project original and creative? 

  • Feasibility. Can the project be completed by June 30, 2026? 

  • Impact. Does the project have potential to have ongoing impact, beyond the funding period?  

  • Collaboration. Does the project include team members from more than one discipline, career stage, and/or Osher Center?  

     

• Full Applications will be reviewed by a dedicated committee comprised of members of the Osher Collaborative Steering Committee and other Osher Center leaders.

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Proposal Format

Phase 1 (January 15 - 29) 

Award Administration

• Funds will be distributed on July 1 of each fiscal year. Salaries will be paid at individual institution rates (including benefits). Individual salaries will be sent to their home Osher Center to distribute. All other awarded funds will be sent to the lead applicant’s home Osher Center for use. 

• Leaders of an awarded project will submit to the Coordinating Center an accounting of funds utilized and a summary of project outcomes for distribution to the Steering Committee and the larger Collaborative within 60 days of project completion.

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Timeline