Award Amount: Proposed Project Budget: not to exceed $50,000
Application Due Date: November 30, 2020; 11:59 PM MST
Deadline for submission of new applications: Monday, November 30, 2020 at 11:59PM MST
Submit application online through CompetitionSpace at https://utah.infoready4.com
Overview
The goal of the Research Incentive Seed Grant Program is to support investigators in collecting preliminary data in new, innovative research areas that will be leveraged for extramural grant applications. This Request for Proposals is for one-year pilot projects. This program is specific to School of Medicine faculty. Faculty in other Departments, Institutes/Centers/Programs, the College of Cultural & Social Transformation, the Honors College and Libraries should apply via their home colleges.
Applicant Eligibility
- Tenure-line faculty and Career-line faculty are eligible to apply.
- Faculty must be in-residence at the University of Utah to be considered for Seed funding.
- Proposals must exhibit high potential for leveraging extramural funding and PIs must commit to submitting at least one external proposal based on the pilot project within 3 months of the project end-date. If funded, all applicants will be required to present proof of extramural submission in the Final Report.
- All applicants must clearly and convincingly demonstrate that the proposed project represents a new research direction in an area that is likely to generate extramural funding. Research that is already supported by other sources is not eligible for Seed funding. (For example, PI’s cannot receive funding from the URC program and the Research Incentive Seed Grant Program for the same or similar projects.)
- Proposals that have already been submitted to an extramural agency, or those already reviewed and found noncompetitive by an extramural agency, will not be considered for funding.
- Applicants that have significant start-up, cash reserves, or are seeking gap funding to bridge support between external grants or contracts are not eligible for funding.
Application Instructions
Each Principal Investigator may only act as submitting applicant on one proposal. However, collaborations are encouraged and investigators are welcome to serve as Principal Investigators on proposals submitted by others.
Note:
- The proposed project should not be funded by any other mechanism/research initiative at the time of submission.
- Proposals that have already been submitted to an extramural agency or those already reviewed and found non-competitive by an extramural agency will not be reviewed. One exception to this restriction is proposals previously submitted to an extramural agency that were declined on the basis of insufficient preliminary data.
- Deadline – Submissions are due at 11:59PM MST, Monday, November 30, 2020. Submissions should be complete and uploaded to CompetitionSpace by this deadline. Consideration will not be given for any technical difficulties resulting in late applications.
- Applications must be submitted electronically through the University of Utah’s CompetitionSpace interface at http://utah.infoready4.com.
Applications must include:
- Abstract: maximum ½ page (use form on VPR website)
- Project Description: maximum 3 pages
- Key References: maximum 1 page
- External Funding Submission Plan: maximum 1 page
- Proposed Project Budget: not to exceed $50,000
- Current and Pending Support
- Biographical Sketch: complete for each Principal Investigator, not to exceed 5 pages for each
- Letter of Support from Department Chair or Equivalent
Complete application, instructions, and formatting requirements may be accessed through the CompetitionSpace interface at http://utah.infoready4.com.
Budget Guidelines
Please prepare a one-year project budget that allocates a maximum of $50,000 into the following categories:
- Personnel: This may include technicians, postdocs, graduate students and undergraduate students, but not salary support for faculty salaries (summer or academic year)
- Consultant Costs (must justify)
- Equipment (please itemize): Office equipment, including computers, must be justified)
- Travel: Travel must be directly related to project research (e.g., conferences cannot be supported by this grant)
- Patient Care Costs
- Other Expenses (please itemize by category)
Note:
- Unused funds must be returned to the School of Medicine. The School of Medicine also reserves the right to recall funds being spent inappropriately.
- Grant funds cannotbe used for: faculty salaries (summer or academic year); travel that is not directly related to project research (e.g., conferences cannot be supported by this grant), funding to purchase society/group memberships, consultants, or office equipment (including computers), or to pay off previously overspent accounts unless specifically justified.
Review & Funding of Proposals
- Proposals will be reviewed by a pool of researchers designated by the School of Medicine to ensure research excellence and potential for extramural funding.
- Applicants will be informed of the status of their proposal within 8 weeks of the submission deadline, with funding to begin March 1, 2021.
- Maximum funding per project is $50,000, with a project term of one year.
- Grant administration is the responsibility of the submitting Principal Investigator.
Post-award requirements
- All Seed Grant awards are expected to begin March 1st, 2021 and will expire on February 28th 2022, 12 months after activation of the award. No-cost extensions will not be considered unless there are exceptional circumstances.
- A Final Report will be due to the VPR Office and the awardees’ colleges within 3 months of the project end-date (May 28, 2022). Investigators will submit their Final Report to their Associate Dean for Research who must approve the report at the college level to ensure that the college’s goals and requirements have been met. Approved reports should then be sent to the VPR Office via Infoready for final approval by the VPR.
- Final reports must include proof of proposal submission to an extramural funding agency. If the investigator has not submitted to an extramural funding agency at the close of the seed grant, their final report will not be approved by the VPR Office. Investigators with outstanding final reports are not eligible for additional funding
- Seed grant awardees agree to participate annually in an outcomes tracking survey.
For questions regarding this RFP, please contact:
Abby Rooney, Associate Director, SVPHS Research Unit
Phone: (801) 585-9668
Email: abby.rooney@hsc.utah.edu