Interim Grant Assistance and Supplement Programs

The Office of Research Affairs of McGovern Medical School provides interim support to talented investigators who need bridging support to improve unfunded applications.  In addition, the school has a program to supplement NIH K Awards.

Bridging Grant Program

I. Purpose and Criteria

Investigators planning a resubmission of a renewal grant application (e.g., 2R01A1) for which the initial submission (A0) received a competitive score but was not funded may submit a proposal for up to $50,000 to maintain their program for a maximum of one year. Applicants seeking funding for an R21 will be given lower priority. These funds are intended to provide interim support for an ongoing research program.

Highest priority will be given to those requests for which there are matching funds available through the PI’s department or other non-Federal fund sources. However, full consideration will be given to requests where no non-Federal matching funds are available. Funds are not to be used for investigator salary support or for equipment.  Salary support for personnel, other than the PI should be justified.

II. Submission Requirements

Each application must include:

  1. A letter from the PI’s chairperson stating the amount and nature of the matching fund support, or verifying the unavailability of matching funds. Please include a statement of current status:  non-tenure research, tenure track, tenured, etc. Applications from instructors, non-tenured or non-tenure-track investigators will be assigned lower priority.
  2. A letter containing the investigator’s request to include a clearly delineated budget, other support information from all funding sources including the dates covered by such support, should accompany the request. The investigator should also describe what other efforts are, have been, or will be made to obtain funding for the project. Finally, describe how you plan to address weaknesses cited by the reviewers.
  3. Summary Statement of the original proposal.
  4. Description of what aspects of the research are to be continued during this interim period.
  5. Summary Budget page (describing the last year of the previous grant.

III. Deadline

All applications must be received by the 15th of December, April, and August, unless otherwise specified. The Bridging Grant funds will be transferred into the recipient’s departmental account in installments and will be tracked by the department DMO.  At the end of each fiscal year, all unused funds must be returned to the account of origin and re-deposited the following fiscal year. Should the renewal application receive support after receipt of the Bridging Grant, unused funds will be returned to the account of origin. The investigator must provide the Research Committee with a year-end progress report and documentation of all funds utilized.

Submit all application materials in .pdf format to the Research Committee for review to [email protected].

For questions, please contact [email protected]

Just Missed Grant

I. Purpose and Criteria

Investigators planning a resubmission of a new NIH grant application (e.g., 1R01A1) for which the initial submission (A0) received a competitive score, but was not funded, may submit a proposal for up to $30,000 to obtain additional data necessary to address the concerns of the Review Group. Priority will be given to applications for major grant awards such as an R01 or the equivalent.  Applicants seeking funding for an R21 will be given lower priority.

Funds are not to be used for investigator salary support or for equipment costing more than $500. Salary support for personnel, other than the PI should be justified.

II. Submission Requirements

Each application must include:

  1. A letter containing the investigator’s request including a detailed budget and a list of other support information from all funding sources including the dates covered by such support. The investigator should describe what other efforts are, have been or will be made to obtain funding for the project. Finally, describe how you plan to address weaknesses cited by the reviewers.
  2. A letter of support by the chairperson of the investigator’s department.  Please include a statement of current status:  non-tenure research, tenure track, tenured, etc.  Applications from instructors, non-tenured or non-tenure-track investigators will be assigned lower priority.
  3. Summary Statement of the original proposal and summary budget page.
  4. Description of what aspects of the research are to be initiated during this interim period.

III. Deadline

All applications must be received by the 15th of December, April or August unless otherwise specified.

The Just Missed funds will be transferred into the recipient’s departmental account and will be tracked by the department DMO.   At the end of each fiscal year, all unused funds must be returned to the account of origin and re-deposited the following fiscal year.  Should the revised application receive support after receipt of the Just Missed Grant, unused funds will be returned to the account of origin. The investigator must provide the Research Committee with a year-end progress report and documentation of all funds utilized.

Submit all application materials in .pdf format to the Research Committee for review to [email protected]

For questions, please contact [email protected]

NIH K Award Supplement

I. Purpose and Criteria

The NIH K Award supplement program is designed to assist the clinician-scientist engaged in the first or second year of a career development-type award in furthering the transition from mentored faculty to independent investigator. Clinician-scientists who are recipients of new (Year 01) or (Year 02) NIH type K awards and have been provided protected time for research may submit a proposal for up to a $25,000 one-time award to assist in maintaining their research program. Candidates must hold an M.D., D.D.S., D.V.M., Pharm.D., or equivalent clinical degree.

II. Submission Requirements

The proposal must include:

  1. A letter containing the investigator’s request and a proposed budget. The award is not intended to supplement the salary of the PI.
  2. Other Support (no page limit) to include a description of other support from all external and internal funding sources including, but not limited to grants, contracts, endowments, gift accounts, departmental reserves, and departmental start-up funds and the amounts and dates covered by such support.
  3. A description of current, past, and future plans to obtain funding for the project.
  4. A letter from the PI’s chairperson, describing in detail, the department’s plan for the career development of the investigator.  Please include a statement of current status:  non-tenure research, tenure track, tenured, etc.
  5. The summary statement of the original proposal.

III. Deadline

All applications must be received by the 15th of December, April, and August, unless otherwise specified.
The NIH K-Award supplement will be transferred into the recipient’s departmental account and will be tracked by the department DMO. The investigator must provide the Research Committee with a year-end progress report and documentation of all funds utilized.

Submit all application materials in .pdf format to the Research Committee for review to [email protected]

For questions, please contact [email protected]

Pilot Grant Program

I. Purpose and Criteria

A full-time medical school faculty member interested in gathering preliminary data to pursue funding for a new R01 NIH grant application or its equivalent may submit a proposal for up to $25,000. The Pilot Grant program is intended to develop new lines of research.  Funds may be used for direct costs such as non-faculty personnel, animal costs, and supplies. Requests for support of projects that are collaborative and have a faculty mentoring component are encouraged and will be given priority. A PI may only submit a single application per year.

II. Funding Limitations/Exclusions:

The Medical School Pilot Program is not intended to support projects for which applications have been submitted, or that have previously received or are currently receiving pilot funds or start-up funds from another source. Funds are not to be used for investigator salary support nor for equipment costing more than $500.

III. Submission Requirements

Each application must include:

  1. A letter (one-page limit) from the investigator briefly summarizing the investigator’s plans. Please include a statement of current status (i.e., non-tenure research, tenure track, tenured). The letter should also describe what other efforts are, have been, or will be made to obtain funding for the project. If, after receiving a Medical School Pilot Grant, the investigator plans to apply for an extramural grant equivalent to an R01 rather than an NIH R01, the investigator needs to explain the equivalency.
  2. Applicant’s NIH-Style Biographical Sketch (five pages maximum). Please include biosketches for all MPIs (those with leadership roles on the project regardless of percentage effort). Biosketches are not required for Co-Investigators, those with subordinate roles (Co-Is).
  3. Other Support (no page limit) to include a description of other support from all external and internal funding sources including, but not limited to grants, contracts, endowments, gift accounts, departmental reserves, and departmental start-up funds and the amounts and dates covered by such support.
  4. Budget and Budget Justification including the percentage effort of the Principal Investigator(s) that will be devoted to the project (one-half page).
  5. Scientific Plan. The scientific plan should include:  Specific Aims, Background and Significance, Experimental Plan, and References. The Scientific Plan should be a maximum of four pages including any figures, graphs, diagrams, and charts.  References are excluded from the four-page limit. Font size, line spacing, and margins of the Scientific Plan should follow NIH Guidelines. Font sizes for figure legends should be no smaller than 10 point.  Smaller text in figures, graphs, diagrams, and charts is acceptable, as long as it is legible when the page is viewed at 100%.  Appendix material and hyperlinks will not be accepted.
  6. Collaborative Effort description if applicable, stating the specific contributions of each investigator (one-half page).
  7. Mentoring description if applicable (one-half page).
  8. A letter of support from the investigator’s chairperson, which includes an approval of the Principal Investigator’s percentage effort devoted to the project and a statement that the proposal has been reviewed and found scientifically meritorious by a departmental peer-review committee. Peer review committees should review the applications based on the criteria listed in section IV. The peer-review process should be described in detail.

IV. Review Criteria

Applications will be judged on the following criteria:

    1. Scientific merit and innovation
    2. Adequacy of peer review
    3. Potential for leading to a competitive R01 within one year
    4. Budgetary considerations

V. Deadline

All applications must be received by February 1, 2025.

The Research Committee will require a progress report at the end of the term of the award. Award will be made with the understanding that investigators will submit an R01 or its equivalent during the pilot period.

Submit all application materials in .pdf format to the Research Committee for review to [email protected]

For questions, please contact [email protected]