Health Sciences Grant Funding

The Health Sciences Research Grant Committee is currently soliciting applications for research support for funds beginning January 1, 2016. Incomplete or undocumented applications will be deferred to the Committee's next regularly scheduled meeting.

The next deadline for submission of applications is October 15, 2015. Applications received after October 15, 2015 will be returned to the applicant without exception.

Application Process

PDF and Word versions of the application are available on this page. Applications must be typewritten and completed in full. The Committee discourages the addition of supplemental material; therefore, please comply with the instructions pertaining to the length of your research proposal. Project descriptions that exceed two (2) pages will be returned and appendices will not be distributed for review.

To apply, combine the following materials into a single PDF file and return it via email to mnull@ucsd.edu:

1. The two (2) page proposal description, which must include:
   1. Statement of hypothesis
   2. Description of sample size including a power analysis calculation, if appropriate
   3. Description of methods of statistical analysis
   4. Description of the PI's role
2. Your c.v. in the NIH "Biographical Sketch" format for sections on Personal statement, Research and Professional Experience, Honors and Awards, and Publications for the last three years and earlier relevant ones - maximum three (3) pages

Please contact Michelle Null (mnull@ucsd.edu, extension x42130) if you have any questions.

Eligibility Information

Members of the Academic Senate are eligible to apply for individual grants. In exceptional cases, financial support may be provided for individuals who are not members of the Academic Senate (i.e. Adjunct and Clinical Professors, Research Scientists, and assistant-level Project Scientists). For non-Senate members, a letter from the Department Chair or the Division Chief endorsed by the Department Chair is required in support of the applicant's request and advising the Committee of his/her status in the department. Applications for a non-Senate member received without a support letter will not be considered. The Committee does not support individuals such as associate and full project scientists, post-docs, clinical instructors and non-salaried faculty.

Guidelines

Project descriptions should be written in general terms and comprehensible to non-specialists. Justification of all items requested is essential. An application for seed money or for a project leading the investigator in an exciting new direction should represent innovative, currently unfunded projects or pilot studies that are likely to lead to extramural support. Incremental changes or additions to a currently funded project are rarely considered favorably. These applications generally do not exceed $10,000.

In exceptional cases, the Committee will consider a small number of larger applications. An application for bridge funding is restricted to faculty who, after several years of demonstrated research productivity, have lost extramural research grants, and although they have proposals in the review cycle, bridge funds would support continued research activities in the short term. These applications may not exceed $25,000.

Early career faculty and Academic Senate members will be given priority over non-Senate members; however, all Academic Senate members are encouraged to apply for grants for innovative, unfunded projects; in particular, pilot studies that could lead to more substantive support from extramural agencies. The Committee seldom funds faculty who have received support on three consecutive occasions. Investigators who have had three previous grants should realize funding will be given only for projects leading them into a different research direction.

1. Priority will be given to meaningful new projects, especially by early career faculty who have limited funding and are operating independently.
2. Funds may be awarded for supplies, field work, assistance, and equipment (attach price quotation).
3. Multiple Use Equipment: Applications will be accepted to purchase equipment to be used by three or more investigators on separate research projects. The total award may not exceed $10,000.00 per investigator which will be apportioned equally. The number of prior applications received from each of the individual investigators, as well as budgetary constraints, will be taken into consideration. Describe each project fully; do not exceed the two (2) page limit.
4. The Committee does not award funds for: books; curricular, administrative and teaching aid studies; individual subscriptions or periodicals; professional society dues; publication costs; reprints; telephone charges; postage; typewriters, calculators, office furniture; minor office and computer supplies (paper, pens, pencils); maintenance and repair of equipment, photocopying (unless directly related to the research project), salary support for postdoc fellows, PGRs, or other appointments in academic series.
5. Research involving the use of human subjects (including the use of questionnaires, body fluids, and tissues) must be approved by the Human Subjects Committee before being initiated. Application forms and assistance in filling them out are available in the Human Subjects Committee Office. Provide approval number and date only on the Research Grant Application.
6. Research involving the use of animals must be approved by the Animal Subjects Committee. A copy of the approval or protocol number should be appended to the application. Animal Use Protocol forms and assistance in filling them out are available from the Animal Subjects Committee Office. Provide approval number and date only on the Research Grant Application.

Use of Funds

Expenditures of research grant funds must conform to the Committee allocations by categories and purpose (pre-approval of changes in use of funds is mandatory).

The grantee is responsible for the administration of the grant, any overdrafts, and must review the budget and encumber or return promptly any funds that will not be spent before the ending date of the grant. Any unexpended funds on that date will automatically revert to the Committee for redistribution.

Any equipment purchased from an Academic Senate research grant becomes the property of the University upon acquisition and reverts to the University upon completion of the project for which the funds were awarded.

All expenditures are subject to applicable University regulations. Policy and Procedure Manual References:

• General Policy:  150-75 through 150-79
• Human Subjects: 100-5
• Animal Subjects: 100-6
• Accounting: 300-60 & 300-80
• Travel: 365-1 through 365-7