Pilot Grant and Grant Plus Programs

Letters of Intent and Abstracts are due Friday September 29, 2023

Pre-Proposal Applicants must submit the following:

• 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.

The Pilot Grant (PG) Program is a funding mechanism to engage faculty members and staff at NV 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. 

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 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.

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 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 face to face 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 NV INBRE outside of PG+ funds.

Eligibility: Applicants must have a full-time appointment at one of the NV INBRE Participating Institutions listed below. PG awardees will devote effort appropriate for the project. Priority will be given to first time INBRE PG applicants.

Milestones and Progress: Funded projects will be required to report milestone achievement and progress on regular intervals into the NV INBRE tracking database. PG+ recipients are required to submit a pre-print manuscript (e.g. Bioarchive, MedArchive) or a manuscript to a peer-reviewed journal. Funding for subsequent PG/PG+ applications will not be considered until this requirement is met.

PG & PG+ Checklist (required and optional items that NV INBRE may assist with):

• Report to NV INBRE via the tracking database upon requested (required)
• Attend and present progress at the NV INBRE Statewide Meeting (required)
• Present progress and research results to the External Advisory Committee (EAC) (required)
• Meet with mentor face to face or by teleconference at least once (optional for PG, required for PG+)
• Based on NV INBRE research, submit a pre-print manuscript (e.g. Bioarchive, MedArchive) or a manuscript to a peer-reviewed journal (optional for PGs, required for PG+ grantees who are submitting for a subsequent PG/PG+)
• Attend the NISBRE Conference in 2024 (optional)
• Attend the NIH IDeA Western Regional Conference in 2025 (optional)
• Attend a grant writing workshop (optional)
• Submit a grant proposal (optional)

NV INBRE Annual Statewide Meeting - PG awardees will be required to attend the annual NV INBRE Annual Statewide Meeting and must budget travel funds accordingly. Applicants from NV INBRE Partner Institutions are eligible to apply:

• Nevada State University
• College of Southern Nevada
• Great Basin College
• Truckee Meadows Community College
• Western Nevada College

Pilot Grant Program Key Dates

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, and is due Friday September 29, 2023.

Based on the letters of intent/abstracts, the NV INBRE will send eligible applicants and invitation to participated in a required INBRE Pre-Proposal Workshop for full application submission details.  Invitations for Pre-Proproposal Workshops are expected to be sent out to applicants by October 12, 2023.

Required pre-Proposal Workshops will be held in late October/early November 2023.(details TBA).  Full application documents and access will only be given to those who complete the pre-proposal workshop.The Pre-Proposal Workshop will cover covering the specific information needed to complete the 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 IRB Approval, Planned Enrollment Reports, etc. The NV INBRE will hold multiple in-person Pre-Proposal Workshops in Reno on November 6 and Las Vegas on November 8. Arrangements can be made if applicants are unable to attend the in-person Workshops.

Application Due Date: December 8, 2023

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 PG scope of work will be an important review criterion.

**Please note that you may only submit one proposal.**

Funding of Pilot Grants depends upon the successful renewal of the NV INBRE grant and the timely arrival of NIH funds. The earliest possible start date is April 1, 2022, but may be delayed.

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