Program Application Information
The 2023 Sojourns Scholar Leadership Program call for applications is now closed.
Sojourns Scholar Leadership Program FAQs
No, as a charitable foundation our grants are designated for qualifying 501 (C) (3) organizations.
The Foundation requests that all grants begin December 1 in the year of the program cycle.
Please address the letter to:
Peggy Maguire
Cambia Health Foundation
200 SW Market St
Portland, OR 97201
You may provide an Appendix or Appendices to your written proposal. Please include at the end of the proposal narrative and as part of the PDF document that you upload into the system. The Appendix will not be counted toward the narrative proposal page limit.
If you have letters of support from key stakeholders that you think are important supplemental information to your proposal, please add them to the appendix/appendices at the end of the narrative proposal (see the above question). The additional letters of support will not be counted toward the narrative proposal page limit.
The grant is for two years beginning December 1. Your project may be part of a larger effort that will last longer than two years but the grant period and related funding can only be spent during the two-year grant period per the Letter of Agreement. The foundation does allow for a grant time extension if necessary once the grant is awarded. The grant extension policy will be reviewed with Scholars once the grant is in place.
Those selected will be notified after the Cambia Health Foundation Board meeting has taken place (which is typically in October or November of the grant cycle year). Grant awards begin December 1.
No, we currently only fund people and projects in the United States. Our investments in Sojourns and the Sojourns Scholar Leadership Program are focused nationally.
No, projects should not have two PIs. Each grant is awarded to one individual.
A mentor is a coach, guide, tutor, facilitator, counselor and trusted advisor. A mentor is someone willing to spend their time and expertise to guide the development of a colleague.
A mentee is a student, protégé, apprentice and eager learner. A mentee seeks advice in order to grow personally and/or professionally.
Yes. They would both be expected to submit a letter of support per the requirements. Please combine the two letters into your PDF document that you upload into the system when you submit your application.
The mentorship plan might include a description of the purpose of the mentor relationship; the format of the mentoring (i.e. phone, in-person meetings, etc.); and a proposed timeline or outline of specific topics that will be addressed.
The mentor can be from another field. Their letter should describe how they will mentor you and their qualifications for helping you achieve your goals.
No. The mentor should be someone who has the expertise and experience to help you on your project and career development plan. They should also be available and committed to mentoring you.
No, while we believe that a local mentor (i.e. someone who understands the local context) is important to the Scholar’s success, we also understand that some people may not have an experienced leader in their own setting/community to serve as a local mentor. We also recognize, depending on the proposed project and/or leadership plan, that having a local mentor who has leadership expertise outside of palliative care may be appropriate. If a local mentor is not available, it is acceptable to state this in the Letter of Intent (LOI) and full proposal and explain how mentors outside of their setting/community will fill the need. We will still require the letter of institutional support.
The program requires a 50% time commitment as it is preferred for the experience of leadership development and project completion, however, we recognize this may not be possible for some and we are open to making exceptions (minimum of 30%). If 50% is not possible, please contact a Program Officer to discuss before submitting a Letter of Intent.
Cambia Health foundation does not fund projects focused on Medical Aid in Dying.
Yes, the first step of the application process is to submit a Letter of Intent (LOI) by the required deadline.
You receive an email from the foundation indicating the status of your LOI.
The applicant’s home institution will be required to submit a letter signed by a director confirming that at least 50% of the applicant’s time will be dedicated to the Sojourns Scholar Leadership Program.
Yes, it is helpful to the reviewers if you provide a brief budget narrative.
Your professional development may include travel to meetings. Per the budget guidelines, professional development costs can include: expenses for such purposes as taking classes, hiring a coach, leadership and/or implementation science training, and attending conferences. The budget for professional development should not exceed $7000 total over the two-year period.
You do not need to include these costs in your budget. Travel to and from Portland for the interview and/or Sojourns Scholar Leadership Summit will be paid by the Foundation.
Yes, the request amount should not be greater than $180,000.
Yes, the budget should account for all of the project expenses, including personnel and your leadership development activities.
The “Budget Guidelines” tab in the budget template provides details about appropriate and/or permitted expenses related to Personnel, Project-related expenses, Professional Development and Indirect costs.
No. We expect that the mentor relationship be “pro-bono.” Under the “professional development” category, grant funds may be used to pay for a coach or a consultant on the project. However, a paid coach or consultant would not qualify as a mentor. We believe that paying a mentor would drastically change the relationship and purpose of mentoring.
Yes. This should fall under the “personnel” section of the budget per the guidelines.
Yes. We understand that some projects may need additional staff in order to be implemented, but would not want to see a large portion of the grant going to other people. The purpose of the grant is for the individual to conduct a project that will have impact on the field of palliative care on a national level and advance the individual’s career, and help them to become a national leader in the field.