Seed to R01 Accelerator Grants

Eligibility

• Full time (75% FTE or greater) primary academic appointment at (and employed by) the University of Minnesota, with a minimum of 1 year in the role. Early- and mid-career faculty are especially encouraged to apply. This includes:
  • MD, PhD, DVM, or equivalent advanced degree
  • All promotion tracks are accepted
• Successful completion of a past CGHSR Seed Grant cycle, active CGHSR Seed Grant, or substantial experience in externally-funded global health research (including mentored research)
• Established collaboration with international partners and institution(s) involved in the proposed project
  • Each application must have at least one UMN faculty as Principal Investigator (PI) and a Co-PI or co-investigator based at the collaborating international site who is fully engaged in the research project
• Commitment to applying for an NIH R01 or equivalent grant within three years of receiving the award 
  • Applicants who have previously received an NIH R01 grant are eligible to apply if the R01 was for a different project or a different collaborative partnership. However, applicants cannot have received an R01 grant for the proposed project or with the current collaborative partner
• Faculty should have at least 10% protected or unfunded research time for the duration of the award 
  • Basic, translational, or clinical research are eligible
• Applicants should have a primary research mentor identified (not required for full professor applicants)
  • CGHSR will work with awardees to facilitate a second mentor who is experienced in global health funded research (if needed)

Please note that students, PhD candidates, medical residents, fellows, and post-docs are not eligible for this funding. 

Selection Criteria and Review Process

• Strength of proposal in terms of specific aims, research methods, and potential for external funding
• Demonstration of strong collaboration and equitable partnership with international investigators 
• The selection process may include brief interviews with top-scoring candidates to discuss the current status of the work, next steps, and support needed from CGHSR to move the research forward  
• Priority will be given to applicants pursuing an NIH R01 grant; however, applicants pursuing equivalent funding (defined as 7-8 figure, multi-year research grants) will also be considered

Program Specification 

Successful candidates will have access to: 

• Funding to be used in the furtherance of the research project (see “Budget and Justification” in "Proposal Requirements" for details on use of funds)
• Review and feedback for the resulting NIH or equivalent application by researchers experienced with NIH-sponsored investigation
• Project management support from CGHSR research support staff (up to 10% effort each year)
• Resources for best practices in global health, including training and guidance for unique operational dynamics of working with international collaborators such as budgeting, project management timelines, travel and sample shipping logistics, etc.
• Assistance connecting awardees with current research development programs and trainings for more specific skill development

Proposal Requirements 

Letter of Intent (LOI)

All applicants must submit a “letter of intent” form by February 10, 2025. The letter of intent allows the applicant the opportunity to briefly describe their research plan and how this funding will help advance their work and lead to NIH R01 or equivalent funding. Applicants will be notified if they are invited to submit a full application by February 17, 2025. Submit letters of intent here See a preview of the full LOI form here. 

Full Proposals 

All applications should be submitted as a PDF document with ½ inch margins, Arial 11 point font, single spaced, with page numbering on the right bottom page. A document template is provided for your convenience (recommended but not required). Please either use the provided document template or refer to the list below to ensure all required components are included in each section. Completed proposals documents are submitted via a Google Form which will be sent to invited applicants. See a preview of the full proposal here

Cover page (One page maximum)

• Name and degree(s), division for each principal investigator (both UMN and international Co-PI/Co-Is)
• Project title
• Abstract (up to 30 lines of text): Concise summary of proposed research and its anticipated impact on your research career development
  • A succinct and accurate description of the proposed work.
  • Should be informative to other persons working in the same or related fields and
    understandable to a scientifically literate reader.
  • Include: the project’s broad, long-term objectives and specific aims, and a
    description of the research design and methods.

Research Project Description (Six pages maximum, excluding references) 

• Background and scientific significance (Up to 1 page)
  • Include how your approach might be considered novel or innovative
• Specific aims of the research (~½ page)
• Research plan (Up to 2 pages)
  • Include study design, methods, analysis plan, timeline 
  • If the research is a continuation of a previously-awarded CGHSR Seed Grant, please include a brief description of the outcomes of the initial project and how this funding will build on that research (1 paragraph) 
• Collaboration history with your international project partner (~½ page)
  • Include any funding previously received, and mention any joint publications
• Future plans (~1 page, be as specific as possible)
  • Include timeline for applying for external funding, specifying the NIH center(s) or
    institute(s) or any specific NIH RFA you have identified, and next steps for this
    research. For applicants pursuing alternative funding sources, indicate the
    specific grant(s) planned. Please note, awardees are expected to apply for an
    NIH R01 or equivalent grant within three years of receiving the award
  • Describe any past experience your international project partner has in obtaining
    and/or operationalizing NIH or equivalent research funding

Applicant's Career Path (One page maximum)

• Brief summary of your career path in global health research up to this point 
• Identify your current primary research mentor, including their title and the length of your mentorship relationship (not required for full professors)
• Describe how this funding will help you accomplish your short- and long-term career goals in global health and/or contribute to the growth of your individual or team’s research program. Please also explain how this funding will enhance the research capacity of your international project partner(s).

Budget and Justification

Awards are up to $50,000 each for up to two years of research activities. This funding can be used to support the applicant’s effort (e.g. protected time for research), salary support for other research staff (e.g. statistical support, research assistant, technician, postdoctoral fellow, graduate students), research costs (e.g. participant reimbursement, lab/other services, supplies), training (e.g. grant writing), and other project-specific costs including travel. F&A (indirect costs) are not allowed under this award.

• Provide a clear and detailed budget AND justification for each budget item for the
  duration of the funding cycle. Templates will be provided. 

Biosketch and Other Supporting Materials 

• Provide an NIH biosketch of the UMN PI(s) and the Co-PI/Co-I(s) at the collaborating research site
• Two letters of support: One from your UMN department head/division chair (template will be provided) and one from your international Co-PI/Co-I(s)

Important Deadlines

• Request for proposals announced: November 19, 2024 
• Letter of intent due: February 10, 2025 by 11:59pm CDT 
• Invitations for full proposals: February 17, 2025
• Full proposals due: March 31, 2025 by 11:59pm CDT 
• Interviews: April 2025
• Notification of Award: May 1, 2025
• Funding available: July 1, 2025

Reporting Requirements 

• Submit six-month check-ins and annual reports of progress. The report form template
  will be provided to awardees
• Awardees and their international Co-PI/Co-I(s) participate in periodic progress review
  meetings with their designated global health mentor
• Awardees are expected to report their progress on applying for an NIH R01 or equivalent
  grant within 3 years of receiving funding.