| Funding Opportunities: Extended Research Bridging Program for Instructional Track Faculty |
(revised 5/9/12)
University of Michigan Medical School
Research Bridging for Instructional Track Faculty
After Recent Termination of Major Research Funding
Deadline: Applications are accepted on a rolling basis.
About the Program:
Some of our faculty members, after successful careers as independent investigators, have had difficulty securing outside funding to continue their research program. It is in the Medical School’s interest to maintain our faculty as contributing members of the academic community. Therefore, in selected cases, it is appropriate for the Department and/or School to provide support to the faculty member to sustain his or her laboratory at a minimal level to maintain research integrity. This assumes some degree of staff reduction and/or cost-cutting measures have been implemented or have been planned. We especially encourage application to Extended Bridging before the A1 application of the PI's sole remaining funded grant. This program is intended to provide a fair and transparent process for determining levels of bridging support that does not vary with departmental membership.
Please note that we encourage applying for BMRC bridging to prepare for an A1 application when other funding is sufficient to maintain the PI's lab at standard levels.
Eligibility:
Bridging support will be considered for instructional track faculty with a record of significant continuous external funding who currently lack external funding, or are scheduled for impending fund depletion, for their research. To be eligible, a faculty member must have received as PI at least two NIH R01 grants (or equivalent federal or non-federal grants). Only faculty members with recent reviews based on failed outside submissions will be eligible for consideration.
Funding:
Bridging (including Departmental matching funds) will be provided for up to two years. A R01 application must be submitted in the first year of funding to be considered for a second year. The Chair and Dean, or their designees, will negotiate the final amount and sources of these funds.
Faculty members will be required to submit a budget justification for requested bridging funds.
The faculty member’s chair and division or section chief must sign off on the application for bridging funds, monitor the faculty member’s progress towards agreed-upon goals with formal reporting at 9 months and periodically thereafter, and be responsible for the faculty member’s progress towards competitiveness and independence. If timely progress toward the agreed-upon goals is not accomplished, funding will terminate.
Review Process and Funding Criteria:
A review committee will be convened for each review. The applicant will make a 30-minute oral presentation (“chalk talk”) describing the proposed experiments and their relationship to recent reviews and future applications. The review committee will provide feedback regarding preparation for resubmission or new funding, and the likelihood of success. The committee will continue the discussion privately and provide their recommendations regarding funding. The review committee is advisory to the Chair and Dean who will make the final decision.
Application Submission Process:
Please submit the following materials electronically to (ExtBridging@umich.edu). PLEASE NOTE THAT E-MAIL SUBMISSIONS ARE NOT ERROR-PROOF. WE ACKNOWLEDGE RECEIPT OF ALL ELECTRONIC SUBMISSIONS. If you do not receive a response from us by the end of the next business day, please call the Medical School Office of Research at 734-615-8802 or 734-615-1630.
Grant Application:
Application materials should be submitted in a single PDF file in the order listed below.
- Application cover pages including completed signature pages and budget summary.
Download the Application Form (Word)
- Budget Justification (Not to exceed one page):
A narrative which fully explains the relationship of costs to the proposed activity and the basis for cost estimates. If salaries are included, please itemize the salary and fringe benefits for each person. The PI must check with his/her department administration to determine whether salary for their role is covered, and to what percentage. Requests are limited to the minimum funding necessary to maintain the laboratory for a defined period of time up to a maximum of two years. Awards may not cover budget reductions in existing awards from external sponsors, cost overruns, or travel.
- Complete Summary Statements from most recent Study Section review, including score and percentile.
- Current NIH-style Biosketch.
- Current NIH-style Other Support page.
Year 2 Application: (revised 12/12/12)
The Year 2 application must be submitted to Office of Research (ExtBridging@umich.edu) within four months following the end of the Year 1 budget period.
If a second year of bridge funding is needed, the application must be submitted within 4 months of Year 1 funding expiration. Also note that an R01 grant application must have been submitted within the first year of funding to be eligible for Year 2 funding.
The application to request Year 2 funding should include the following items in the order listed in a single PDF file and should be submitted to (ExtBridging@umich.edu):
- A letter from your Chair recommending second year funding based on progress of Year 1 goals.
- A research progress report including status of grants with relevant summary statements or anticipated dates of decisions, and dates when funds may be available.
- Outline of approach and plan for Year 2, including revised aims.
- Publication list generated in Year 1.
- Itemized budget and budget justication for Year 2. Please include dates for Year 2 funding period.
NOTE: When new external funding is obtained, the balance of bridging fund must be returned.
Questions?
Please feel free to contact Camille Mrozowski (cmrozow@umich.edu or 734-615-8802) or Chris Black (ckblack@umich.edu or 734-615-1630).
