The Back of the Envelope Awards© (BOTE) were created in 2009 to stimulate and support creativity at the UAB School of Public Health. These awards were originally designed to allow a faculty member the time to explore and develop a hunch, a notion, or an "Ah-ha" moment.

Wanting to hash out a new grant or paper idea? Looking for additional insights to a reviewer’s comments or summary statement? The SOPH Office of Research can organize a discipline-specific brainstorming session to help you get over that hump! Please email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. with your request.

The Associate Dean for Research and Office of Research host research development and career enrichment seminars for SOPH faculty. Topics include grant writing how-to’s and introductions to UAB and SOPH research supports and services. Seminar topics and faculty groupings are tailored according to career stage. Upcoming seminars are announced on the SOPH Office of Research’s homepage under Events.

Since April 2020, the Office of Research has hosted a virtual COVID-19 journal club where faculty, staff, and students present and discuss recent publications related to the pandemic. The journal club is now being offered in conjunction with the Department of Epidemiology’s Seminar Series. Upcoming journal clubs are announced on the SOPH Office of Research’s homepage under Events.

Our faculty are driving research excellence in almost every discipline of public health. To learn about their career paths, ongoing projects, future directions, and why they chose the UAB School of Public Health, visit our archive of Faculty Research Spotlights.

In order to provide timely one-on-one or group consultations with the SOPH Associate Dean for Research and Office of Research, the SOPH research community is invited to attend Office Hours. Office Hours are held from 3-4pm on the first and third Tuesdays of each month. Office Hours are currently being held virtually. Please email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. to book a reservation and receive zoom information.

The Planning for Success program is one way the SOPH Office of Research supports the faculty’s use of Individual Development Plans (IDPs). Individual Development Plans are an excellent tool for charting your course, from setting short- and long-term goals to identifying areas for growth and development. By completing an IDP and reviewing it with your mentors often, you are taking intentional actions to realize your career aspirations. The Associate Dean for Research and Office of Research are available to support the initial completion of an IDP, the identification of appropriate mentors, and to provide accountability over time. The SOPH has adopted a standardized IDP template for faculty’s use. For the latest template, please contact This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. During the initial creation of an IDP, faculty may wish to consult the online tool, myIDP.

The SOPH Office of Research invites all UAB SOPH undergraduate students, graduate students, postdoctoral fellows, staff, and faculty to present, attend, and take part in the annual Public Health Research Poster Session. The Poster Session is held during National Public Health Week.

Alumni, community, and university collaborators are welcome to attend the poster session and learn about ongoing research at the UAB SOPH.

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School-wide doctoral grant writing course: The Office of Research coordinates a school-wide grant-writing course for SOPH doctoral students (PUH 703: Public Health Grant Writing). This course provides in-depth exposure and hands-on experience with scientific grant writing. Students address the development of testable research hypotheses, prepare an aims page, draft the significance, innovation and approach sections, and develop an NIH-style biosketch. This course is offered annually each spring.

Dean’s Office Grant Writing Workshop: SOPH doctoral students interested in submitting predoctoral fellowships are encouraged to attend the Dean’s Office Grant Writing Workshop. The workshop begins in May and continues over the course of the summer semester. During the workshop, students will refine the grant developed during PUH 703 and prepare the ‘non-science’ grant sections. The goal of the workshop is to walk students through the preparation of the entire grant package. Among 2019 workshop participants, three of the five submitted fellowships were funded.

Career Development Awards:

The goal of the Career Development Award Review program is to provide SOPH faculty an in-depth assessment of grant applications prior to submission. The review process is comprised of three phases, beginning six months prior to the agency’s due date.

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All Other Grants:

The goal of this review program is to provide SOPH faculty the opportunity to receive an in-depth review of their grant applications prior to submission. The review process is comprised of two phases, beginning three months prior to the agency’s due date.

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