ÁùºÏ±¦µä

The Pilot Grant program is a funding mechanism to engage faculty members and staff at ÁùºÏ±¦µä INBRE partner institutions in research that will address biomedical sciences, increase the culture of research at these institutions, and provide research opportunities for undergraduate students.

Pre-proposal applicants must submit a letter of intent and abstract describing the proposed project and its goals to establish eligibility and programmatic responsiveness. This letter should not exceed 1 page.

Funding level and allowable expenses

Pilot Grant: Direct costs up to $10,000 per year may be requested for small research projects. Permitted expenses include salaries for the Principal Investigator (PI) and research personnel, as well as research supplies that are allowable National Institutes of Health (NIH) expenses. Travel expenses are allowed if necessary for conducting fieldwork as part of the project, accessing experts or other resources, or for giving invited presentations on INBRE-related research at a national, regional or international meeting.

Pilot Grant Plus: Direct costs up to $20,000 per year may be requested for small research projects. A mentor must be identified and a detailed mentoring plan must be included in the proposal, and the ÁùºÏ±¦µä INBRE administrative core will assist in identifying a mentor if needed. The mentor must be an established scientist with expertise relevant to the proposed research willing to meet in-person or by teleconference at least one time during the duration of the project. Permitted expenses include salaries for the PI and research personnel, as well as research supplies that are allowable NIH expenses. Travel expenses are allowed if necessary for conducting fieldwork as part of the project, accessing experts or other resources, or for giving invited presentations on INBRE-related research at a national, regional or international meeting. Mentors will be compensated $1,000 by ÁùºÏ±¦µä INBRE outside of the Pilot Grant Plus funds.

Eligibility

Applicants must have a full-time appointment at one of the ÁùºÏ±¦µä INBRE participating institutions listed below. Pilot Grant awardees will devote effort appropriate for the project. Priority will be given to first time INBRE Pilot Grant applicants.

Milestones and progress

Funded projects will be required to report milestone achievements and progress on regular intervals into the ÁùºÏ±¦µä INBRE tracking database. Pilot Grant Plus recipients are required to submit a pre-print manuscript (e.g. Bioarchive, MedArchive) or a manuscript to a peer-reviewed journal. Funding for subsequent Pilot Grant and Pilot Grant Plus applications will not be considered until this requirement is met.

Checklist (required and optional items that ÁùºÏ±¦µä INBRE may assist with):

• Report to ÁùºÏ±¦µä INBRE via the tracking database upon requested (required)
• Attend and present progress at the ÁùºÏ±¦µä INBRE statewide meeting (required)
• Present progress and research results to the External Advisory Committee (EAC) (required)
• Meet with mentor in-person or by teleconference at least once (optional for Pilot Grant, required for Pilot Grant Plus)
• Based on ÁùºÏ±¦µä INBRE research, submit a pre-print manuscript (e.g. Bioarchive, MedArchive) or a manuscript to a peer-reviewed journal (optional for Pilot Grants, required for Pilot Grant Plus grantees who are submitting for a subsequent Pilot Grant or Pilot Grant Plus)
• Attend the NISBRE Conference in 2026 (optional)
• Attend the NIH IDeA Western Regional Conference (optional)
• Attend a grant writing workshop (optional)
• Submit a grant proposal (optional)

ÁùºÏ±¦µä INBRE annual statewide meeting: Pilot Grant and Pilot Grant Plus awardees will be required to attend the annual ÁùºÏ±¦µä INBRE annual statewide meeting and must budget travel funds accordingly. Applicants from ÁùºÏ±¦µä INBRE partner institutions are eligible to apply:

• ÁùºÏ±¦µä State University
• College of Southern ÁùºÏ±¦µä
• Great Basin College
• Truckee Meadows Community College
• Western ÁùºÏ±¦µä College

Pilot Grant and Pilot Grant Plus program key dates

Applicants must describing the proposed project and its goals to establish eligibility and programmatic responsiveness. This letter should not exceed one page.

Based on the letters of intent/abstracts, ÁùºÏ±¦µä INBRE will send eligible applicants an invitation to participated in a required ÁùºÏ±¦µä INBRE pre-proposal workshop for full application submission details. Invitations for pre-proposal workshops are expected to be sent out to applicants Oct. 20, 2024.

Required pre-proposal workshops will be held in late October to early November 2024. Full application documents and access will only be given to those who complete the pre-proposal workshop. The pre-proposal workshop will cover the specific information needed to complete the ÁùºÏ±¦µä INBRE application, including the preparation of the budget, specific aims, and research strategy, as well as the details of the mentoring, milestones and progress requirements of awardees. The pre-proposal workshop will also cover required application documents such as Institutional Review Board approval, planned enrollment reports, etc.

The application due date is expected to be Dec. 8, 2024. Full applications will only be accepted from eligible applicants who have completed the pre-proposal workshop. Applications will be submitted electronically through the link provided. Scientific merit reviews will be based on the NIH criteria (overall impact, significance, investigator, innovation, approach, and environment). Proposed projects must include a tangible product (publication, event, preliminary data, etc). The External Advisory Committee will make funding decisions based on merit, programmatic priorities and institutional participation in the network. Presentation of clear, reportable milestones appropriate for the Pilot Grant scope of work will be an important review criterion.

Please note that you may only submit one proposal.

Funding of a Pilot Grant or Pilot Grant Plus depends upon the successful renewal of the ÁùºÏ±¦µä INBRE grant and the timely arrival of NIH funds. The earliest possible start date is April 1, 2025, but may be delayed.

Contact Jessica Garfield at garfieldj@unr.edu with questions.