SOM Visionaries Pilot Program

February 23, 2015

School of MedicineVisionaries Pilot Program

Due date:Monday, April 6, 2015 by 11:59p.m. CST. Applications must be submitted to the SOM Research Dean’s Office .

Please refer questions to Courtney Peebles, MPH, Project Coordinator in the SOM Research Dean’s Office, at 210-567-6869 or .

Mission:To encourage and create opportunities for increased scientific activitythat will result in increased extramural funding within the School of Medicine, the SOM Office of the Deanhas allocated funds to support onepilot projectthat will lead to the submission of an application to NIH and/or other funders for a program project, center of excellence, or similar large award.

Thisfunding opportunity is in support of the SOM Research Strategic Plan, and a result of faculty feedback obtained during our strategic planning process.

Eligibility: Applications must have a contact PIwitha primary faculty appointment in the UTHSCSA SOM, however, additional Co-PIs or Co-Investigators can be from other UTHSCSA schools or outside institutions.

Amount and Term:Requests for funds of up to $100,000 will be considered for a project period of up to 12 months.Longer project periods (up to an additional 6 months) may be considered, but the necessity of additional time to the success of the project must be clearly justified in the original application. Funds are available for up to twoprojects, contingent upon the submission of sufficient scientifically meritorious applications. The expectation is that institutional approvals (INCLUDING IRB and/or IACUC) will be promptly obtained so projects may be initiated and funds disbursed within 60 days of award, if you anticipate taking longer to obtain institutional approvals for your project, please address this in your application.

Application Submission:Applications should be submitted by email as a single PDF file; use Arial 11 point font.

The application should include the following (see accompanying application):

  • Cover sheet and checklist
  • Project Summary/Abstract (NIH form page)
  • Budget (NIH form page)
  • Budget justification- no faculty salaries (NIH form page)
  • Specific Aims (1 page maximum)
  • Overall project narrative (6 page maximum)
  • Literature citations (1 page maximum)
  • Target funding mechanism and description of plans for external funding (1/2 page maximum)
  • NIH Biosketch for all investigators (NIH new or old format, limit to 4 pages/investigator)
  • Program announcement (if applicable)
  • Summary Statement(s)(if applicable)

Awards will be made starting on or about May 18, 2015. Progress reports will be requested six, 12, and 24 months after the initiation of funding.

For projects involving the use of human subjects or vertebrate animals, expenditures will not be permitted upon SOM Research Dean’s Office receipt of a copy of the official letter of approval by the appropriate Institutional Review Board (IRB) or Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC). The announcement is specifically intended for highly innovative pilot projects with a high likelihood of submission for external funding within 12-18 months from the time of award.Therefore, timely submission for institutional approvals and subsequent initiation of projects is expected.

Applicants must be in compliance with institutional conflict of interest disclosure policies. UTHSCSA Certificate of Proposal (COP) is required upon award of SOM Visionaries Pilot Program funds.

Budget and financial policies: The maximum budget for this award is $100,000, although proposals with smaller budgets will be considered and reviewed under the same criteria. Facilities and Administrative (F&A, indirect cost) expenses will not be reimbursed. Funds may not be used to support the salary of the PI(s),faculty-level collaborators, or graduate students. Although the PI(s) should be listed in the personnel section of the summary page, there is no minimum effort requirement. Salary (plus associated fringe benefits) may be requested for non-faculty support staff, including postdoctoral fellows. Other allowable expenses include: equipment essential for the project; PI or Co-I travel to relevant scientific meetings (maximum $1,500); consumable laboratory supplies; animal purchase and per diem; IIMS, CTRC, GCCRI, UTSA, or other core facility fees; consultation fees; computer time; software; publication / presentation expenses; costs related to human subject enrollment and management (listed as “Patient Care Costs” on budget page); and other expenditures that can be justified as being essential for the completion of the project. Account management will be centralized within the SOM.

Review process and criteria: Applications will bepeer-reviewedvia an NIH-like study section. Scientific merit will be scored based on the following criteria:

•Significance

•Novelty/innovation

•Strength of the study protocol, including:

  • Design
  • Feasibility
  • Preliminary data (to the extent available)
  • Integration with ongoing research
  • Quality of the investigative team

•Likelihood of future NIH or other competitive external funding

  • When preparing your response, please consider and incorporate how the SOM’s investment will result in a high quality, near-term application to an external funding mechanism

•Potential for ultimately improving health outcomes

•Protection of human subjects and experimental animals

Other criteria for review include:

  • Fit with priorities identified in the SOM Research Strategic Plan (visit for more information)

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