The Paul G. Allen Frontiers Group Allen Discovery Centers: Communications Toolkit
2019
The Paul G. Allen Frontiers Group Communications Toolkit for Allen Discovery Centers
About this Toolkit This toolkit is designed to provide direction on how to tell The Paul G. Allen Frontiers Group story as well as guidance on how to include and integrate information about the Allen Discovery Centers (ADC) across multiple communications channels, such as your website, press releases, biography, articles and social media.
Overview of The Paul G. Allen Frontiers Group For more than a decade, Paul G. Allen made awards to support extraordinary scientific minds and spark new directions in bioscience research. To date over $200M in research awards have been made, and with the 2016 launch of The Paul G. Allen Frontiers Group, a division of the Allen Institute, the award mechanisms have grown to include both Allen Distinguished Investigators as well as Allen Discovery Centers. The Frontiers Group continues to identify and foster ideas that will change the world and increase creative dialogue and pioneering approaches, through its ever-growing network of Allen awardees. We strive to have such efforts lay the foundation for a new era in biology, shaping how science can be done both here at the Allen Institute and across the globe. We are committed to a continuous conversation with the scientific community that allows us to invest in the people and approaches at the very frontiers of science and accelerate our understanding of biology.
Our Mission The mission of The Paul G. Allen Frontiers Group is to uncover and make visible the emerging frontiers of science, identify pioneering explorers to create new knowledge, and produce important solutions that make the world better.
Allen Discovery Centers The Allen Discovery Centers are leadership-driven, compass-guided research centers, often created in partnership with major research organizations and universities. The Allen Discovery Centers offer a unique funding level and mechanism, allowing for a larger-scale impact in their field. The Centers embody our commitment to launching and fostering development of entire new fields in biology—with infinite potential to impact human knowledge and health. We make patient, long-term investments in these Centers, typically providing $10 million for the first four years, with the potential to expand in a second four-year phase with an additional $10 million, matched by partner support, for a potential total scope of activity of $30 million. Read more about the Allen Discovery Centers on our website.
How to Share Your Stories with the Frontiers Group and a Larger Audience If you have a new publication, research update, news article, press release, significant speaking engagement or other outreach, please contact us at [email protected]. We will work with our Communications Team, listed below, to confirm approval for written materials about the Frontiers Group, develop new stories, and increase your media visibility, in partnership with your institutional communications group. We are invested in your success and would like to promote your vision and the impact of your research.
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The Allen Institute has active social media channels, and we are happy to share your news items or research highlights. Feel free to contact us directly, and/or tag us in your post. Share your stories of the progress and impact of your research, using the Frontiers Group and Allen Discovery Center hashtags: #AllenFrontiers; #AllenDiscoveryCenter.
Facebook: @AllenInstitute Twitter: @AllenInstitute YouTube: AllenInstitute LinkedIn: Allen Institute Instagram: @AllenInstitute
Communications Contacts:
Jennifer Pawlosky Rob Piercy Rachel Tompa Executive Director, Communications Director, Media Relations Senior Writer [email protected] [email protected] [email protected]
Nick Hawley Jenny Burns Press Inquiries (general) Sr. Manager, Marketing and Outreach Digital Media Specialist II [email protected] [email protected] [email protected]
Events Inquiries [email protected]
Integrating the Frontiers Group Brand and Messages As an Allen Discovery Center investigator, you are a distinguished ambassador of The Paul G. Allen Frontiers Group. You understand the impact of private support to fund frontier research. As such, we ask you to incorporate mention of your Allen Discovery Center in all communications materials that reference the research that was funded, as well as in general communications about your personal approach to scientific exploration when appropriate. Below are guidelines on how to incorporate this messaging.
The Paul G. Allen Frontiers Group Logo To acknowledge the Allen Discovery Center Award in your presentations or on your website you may use the Frontiers Group logo available here.
Allen Discovery Center Logo Design Options As you build informational materials for your Allen Discovery Center – whether you plan to have fact sheets, a website, or other information – we have provided several logo options that incorporate the Allen Discovery Center and The Paul G. Allen Frontiers Group names and leave space for an optional additional mark. View the logo guidelines here. For access to design files or for assistance creating your logo, please contact [email protected]. If you have questions, or would like to share an alternate version of your proposed logo, please contact us at [email protected].
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Press Release, News Article, and Publications “This research was supported by the Allen Discovery Center program through The Paul G. Allen Frontiers Group.” Please include the boilerplate of The Paul G. Allen Frontiers Group.
Our Boilerplates About The Paul G. Allen Frontiers Group The Paul G. Allen Frontiers Group, a division of the Allen Institute, is dedicated to exploring the landscape of bioscience to identify and foster ideas that will change the world. The Frontiers Group directs funding through award mechanisms to accelerate our understanding of biology, including: Allen Discovery Centers at partner institutions for leadership-driven, compass-guided research; and Allen Distinguished Investigators for frontier explorations with exceptional creativity and potential impact. The Paul G. Allen Frontiers Group was founded in 2016 by the late philanthropist and visionary Paul G. Allen. For more information, visit allenfrontiersgroup.org.
About the Allen Institute The Allen Institute is an independent, 501(c)(3) nonprofit research organization founded by the late philanthropist and visionary Paul G. Allen. The Allen Institute is dedicated to answering some of the biggest questions in bioscience and accelerating research worldwide. The Institute is a recognized leader in large-scale research with a commitment to an open science model. Its research institutes include the Allen Institute for Brain Science, launched in 2003, the Allen Institute for Cell Science, launched in 2014, and the Allen Institute for Immunology, launched in 2018. In 2016, the Allen Institute expanded its reach with the launch of The Paul G. Allen Frontiers Group, which identifies pioneers with new ideas to expand the boundaries of knowledge and make the world better. For more information, visit alleninstitute.org.
Web Content “This research is supported by the Allen Discovery Center program through The Paul G. Allen Frontiers Group. The Allen Discovery Centers are a new type of center for leadership-driven, compass-guided research in partnership with major research organizations and universities. The Allen Discovery Centers are long-term investments for the Frontiers Group, which typically provides $10 million to a Center for the first four years, with the potential to expand in a second four-year phase with an additional $10 million, matched by partner support, for a potential total scope of activity of $30 million.”
Biography “[Name of investigator] is an investigator at the Allen Discovery Center at [name of institution], funded through The Paul G. Allen Frontiers Group.”
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FAQs To help you further prepare for questions you may receive from reporters or others about the Frontiers Group and Allen Discovery Center funding, below are some brief questions and answers.
Does the Frontiers Group focus mainly on brain science, cell science and immune science? How does the Frontiers Group work with the other three divisions within the Allen Institute? The Frontiers Group aims to explore the larger landscape of bioscience, across disciplines and spheres of research. The Allen Institute for Brain Science, the Allen Institute for Cell Science, and the Allen Institute for Immunology conduct their research in Seattle, using a team science and big science approach to share data, knowledge and tools openly with the scientific community. The Frontiers Group operates on a global basis, directing funds for science and scientists around the world in pioneering investments that will lead to future breakthroughs. We engage in dialogues with scientists globally as well as with the scientists within the labs of the Allen Institute to understand the progress and new visions created here. Working together creates a rich synergy of ideas and discussions, and is part of the continuum of Paul Allen’s overall vision.
How many Allen Distinguished Investigators (ADIs) are there and how many are planned in the future? There are more than 70 researchers who have received ADI grants since 2010. As the ADI grants are three-year terms, we anticipate there will typically be 18 to 22 active ADIs each year.
What’s so unique about being an investigator with an Allen Discovery Center, compared to HHMI or MacArthur Genius awardee? Three attributes differentiate the Frontiers group and our designated awardees: We select pioneers with new ideas. Many other excellent organizations award funding and prizes for prior achievements, or continuing to develop ideas to maturity. The past 30 years of molecular and cell biology research produced foundational work to define the components of living systems. The next 30 years will be oriented toward integrating the parts into a multiscale understanding of how living systems work, often using quantitative computational modeling to achieve predictive capabilities for tissue and organism level functions. We will emphasize multiscale, systems approaches to hard problems. We seek a rare combination of intangible personal qualities in our pioneers: “personal creativity and professional capability.” We seek the artists of science who are ready to paint their next masterpiece.
Allen Discovery Centers Match Requirement Allen Discovery Centers will be evaluated for a possible second, 4-year funding phase based both on: (1) Frontiers Group review of Center research progress and trajectory; and (2) attainment of a full funding “match” of $10M for the second phase. The funding match is to ensure the Center’s research momentum can grow and expand as it attains traction in its frontier area.
With this in mind, noted below are examples of funding support that if committed during the Year 5-8 span and aligned to the Center vision and deemed valid (upon Frontiers Group review), would contribute towards the “match.” (Note, the “match” funding would not have to be evenly distributed
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throughout the Year 5-8 span).
Funding support match examples include (but are not limited to): - Federal or international grants (direct costs) - Philanthropic funding or donations - Postdoctoral and graduate student fellowships - Funding support for Center staff (from campus or external sources) - In-kind contributions for Center resources (computing time, etc.) - PI HHMI funding allocations - Indirect cost acknowledgement (up to 10% of total; $1M) - Application of related royalties or industry contributions
Items not valid for the match include (but are not limited to): - Center-associated Faculty hiring packages - Faculty salary endowments
Please note that if a Center has not obtained the full match by the timeline discussed (but has been deemed successful in its science progress/trajectory), then on a case-by-case basis a decision regarding next steps will be made by the Frontiers Group. In such discussions, the” in kind” contributions and funding support obtained in years 1-4 would be examined and taken into account as putative indicators of future funding capability.
Additional Links:
Allen Institute homepage
The Paul G. Allen Frontiers Group homepage
Allen Discovery Centers landing page
Frontiers Voices video series
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