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Internal Grant Opportunities

Boonshoft School of Medicine Seed Grant

The Boonshoft School of Medicine Seed Grant (BSG) program provides funding for research projects, particularly collaborative projects, which have the potential for scientific growth and impact. The BSG will fund investigators seeking to demonstrate proof of concept required to obtain extramural funding. Preference will be given to innovative start-up research projects for which pilot data funding may be difficult but advantageous to obtain.

Program Information 

The Boonshoft School of Medicine Faculty Seed Grant (BFSG) program provides funding for research projects, particularly collaborative projects, which have the potential for scientific growth and impact. The BFSG will fund Wright State University fully-affiliated investigators seeking to demonstrate proof of concept required to obtain extramural funding, or otherwise make a scientific contribution. Preference will be given to innovative start-up research projects for which pilot data funding may be difficult, but advantageous, to obtain. Seed grants will be awarded based on the perceived significance of the project, the scientific merits of the design, the need for financial start-up support, and the likelihood that study findings will translate into a subsequent proposal submission or other important impact. 

Considerations for applicants: 

  • Collaborations are strongly encouraged. Examples include:
    • A junior or unfunded faculty member with a more senior/funded faculty member. 
    • Basic science and clinical science collaboration. 
      • Involvement of clinicians from Premier Health, Dayton Children’s, or BSOM’s other partner health organizations is desirable. 
    • Collaboration of faculty from separate departments. 
  • The projected outcomes of the project should be very clear. This will typically include how the investigator(s) will be better positioned to compete for extramural funding. 
  • Applications for funding research studies that won’t necessarily lead to extramural funding are welcome, although applicants must make a compelling case for the potential scientific or educational impact of the project. 

Up to five Seed Grants will be awarded, with maximum budgets of $10,000. The funding period for this BFSG program is January 1, 2025, through December 31, 2025. Departments of applicants are requested to provide either matching funds or cost-share funding to increase the size of project budget. 

Eligibility Criteria 

  • Investigators who have received a Boonshoft School of Medicine Seed Grant in the preceding 2 years as PI or co-PI are not eligible to be on a current proposal in any of these capacities. 
  • Each applicant may submit only one proposal as a PI or co-PI. A mentor or co-investigator may not serve on more than two separate applications. 

Deadlines 

The full proposal deadline is midnight, October 14, 2024. No additional applications or application materials will be considered past this deadline. Award notifications will occur no later than November 22, 2024. 

Proposal Preparation Instructions 

All proposals should be single-spaced, one-sided with 1-inch margins and use 11-point Arial font. Technical terms and abbreviations must be defined for a non-expert audience. All pages after the cover page should be numbered consecutively throughout the application. Proposals must include the following: 

  • Cover Page:
    • REDCap application form. 
  • Abstract: No more than 150 words. The Abstract must be written for non-experts. 
  • Specific Aims: 1 page single-spaced page.
    • The Specific Aims page functions as a master plan for the research proposal and ideally convinces the reader that the research is important. The Specific Aims page should be a succinct statement of the question(s) to be addressed in the proposal, and the strategy that will be used to answer the question(s) by the end of the project. The Specific Aims page is the only part of the application that may be written in technical language. 
  • Project Description: No more than 3 single-spaced pages.
    • The project description should allow a non-expert to gain a basic understanding of the problem, comprehend how the research methods proposed can address the problem, and see that the investigator(s) have the capability to successfully complete the project. The roles and duties of all collaborating investigators should be carefully specified. 
    • Project descriptions should outline the Significance and Innovation of the proposed research, and a description of the experimental approach.
      • Significance and innovation: Why is this research needed/important (background of problem)? How will this move the field forward? How will this advance our understanding of population or health-related phenomena? This section should discuss both the significance of the larger research agenda and the contribution of the seed grant project. Clearly explain why the activities to be conducted under this seed grant are essential for making an effective case for external funding and/or why the activities are unlikely to take place if not funded through a seed grant. 
      • Approach: Describe the overall research design, including data to be collected, measures, and methods of analysis, that will accomplish the aims of the project. The methods to be used in the activities conducted under the seed grant should be described in sufficient detail to be evaluated by a scientifically literate reviewer outside the project area. You may also want to outline the proposed methods for a larger project that will be supported by the results of the seed grant. 
      • Mentoring plans (if applicable): Justify the choice of mentor(s) (e.g. scientific expertise, experience successfully applying for external funding), and describe the commitment of the mentor(s) to the project (e.g. obligations mentor(s) is prepared to assume, mechanisms through which the mentor(s) will provide input and assistance, etc.). 
  • Budget and Budget Justification: No more than 1 single-spaced page. o The detailed budget and budget justification should clearly state how seed grant funds will be used to execute the project aims. The Research Committee can fund up to $10,000 for the project, and departments of the collaborators are requested to provide either matching or cost-share funds. Projects with collaborators from two departments should secure matching or cost-share funds from both departments. Budgets may support research expenses (supplies, subject recruitment) and support for students. Involving medical students in research is highly encouraged. Faculty salary support and capital equipment will not be allowed. Cost-share funds must support direct research expenses, not faculty efforts. The budget justification narrative should be a brief explanation of each cost and its role in the project, and any detailed pricing. Please include why funding from other sources is not readily available for the proposed research or why preliminary data is needed for an extramural grant submission.
  • Strategy for Future Funding: No more than 1 single-spaced page.
    • If the research has been the subject of previous funding proposals, describe how the seed grant funds will help address stated weaknesses/gaps.
    • Applicants are encouraged to submit “Comments” from previous proposals (and scores if the proposal was discussed) as an Appendix to this application. 
    • The proposal should provide an explicit strategy for securing external funding at the close of the seed grant period. Applicants are encouraged to identify potential Funding Opportunity Announcements being considered. Subsequent application for external funding is expected within one year of the award period.
      • Identify Potential Sources of External Funding: These should be agencies with known priority for funding the type of research proposed. Note that in the review process, proposals regarded as having the best potential for securing future external funding will be favored.
      • Specify the type of funding mechanism (e.g. NIH R01).
      • Describe the proposed timeline for submitting application(s).
      • Fit with the Mission of the Funding Agency: In a brief paragraph, explain how the proposed research falls within the scientific mission of the targeted funding agency.
      • NOTE: If the project aims to have a scientific/educational impact independent of any future extramural funding, use this page to describe the anticipated impact of the study.
  • References: No page limit. o References should be listed in an accepted journal format. 
  • Curriculum Vitae/Biosketch: No page limit.
    • Required for Principal Investigator, Co-Principal Investigators, Co-Investigators, and Mentor. Please use current NIH biosketch format. Note the link on the right side of the linked page for samples and instructions. 
  • Letter of Support from Department Chair(s): No page limit. Matching or cost-share funding that will be provided should be discussed. If no matching or cost-share funding will be provided, the reason for this should be described. 
  • Letter of Agreement: No page limit.
    • Required for all Co-Principal Investigators and Mentors indicating commitment to the project and describing the role that the Co-PI or Mentor will have in the study. 

Application Submission Instructions 

Applications are required to be submitted through REDCap. The proposal should be compiled into one single PDF. If you have difficulties submitting your application, please contact the Office of Research Affairs at research.affairs@wright.edu, as soon as possible. 

2025 Faculty Seed Grant Application

Review Process 

The Research Committee will review all applications. 

  • Criteria for review include: o Scientific contribution of the proposed research. 
    • Appropriateness of Specific Aims 
    • Strength of research design. 
    • Prospects of success for external funding, including fit with funder and strength of scientific contribution; projects that have the potential for successful applications to external agencies will be prioritized. 
    • Clearly articulated need for seed funding and merits of the budget justification. 
    • Submissions from junior faculty will be prioritized. 
    • If the applicant has previously received a seed grant, past seed grant performance will be considered (publications, presentations, applications for external funding). 

Post-Award Process 

Funding will not be dispersed until the project has received IRB approval, or all on the project have been added to an existing IRB-approved project. A copy of the IRB decision should be forwarded to Research Affairs. Note, all CITI training and the Cayuse COI must be completed by all investigators before IRB submission. 

The funding period for seed grants is January 1, 2025 through December 31, 2025. Seed Grant Investigators will be responsible for fiscal oversight of their project. Expenditures must follow the approved budget. 

Reporting Requirements Post-Award 

A brief report is due six months after the award start date which should include results of work to date toward the proposed work. A final thorough report is due 60 days after the end of the award date and should include results from the proposed work and information on its use for publication or as preliminary data in a grant application to another granting agency. Please indicate the significance and future impact of the results of your study. If investigators were unable to complete the stated goals of the project, the final report should describe the challenges encountered in achieving the project aims. 

Questions Regarding Applications 

For questions relating to application guidelines and/or programmatic activities, please contact the Office of Research Affairs at research.affairs@wright.edu. 

Previously Successful Applications 

Examples of successful seed grant applications from a previous award cycle can be requested through email from the Office of Research Affairs at research.affairs@wright.edu. 

We wish you the best with your proposal and we welcome the opportunity to invest in your research.