1. Funding Opportunity Description

The Mississippi IDeA Network of Biomedical Research Excellence (MS-INBRE) invites faculty with research interests in the biomedical sciences at Predominately Undergraduate Institutions (PUIs) to apply to the Research Initiation Grant (RIG) of the MS-INBRE Developmental Research Project Program. This FOA is intended to strengthen the science education at the PUIs by providing funding for biomedical research performed by faculty and students. This 1-year funding requires the involvement of classroom-based activities and is intended to expose as many students as possible in the research enterprise. Applicants must show evidence of institutional support with letters indicating agreement of administrators to introduce new laboratory activities into course offerings and sufficient facilities to conduct research activity.

2. Eligibility

Eligible Applicants include full-time permanent faculty members with rank of Assistant Professor or higher at the PUIs in Mississippi. Investigators from the Mississippi research intensive universities (USM, MSU, JSU and Ole Miss) are not eligible to apply.

3. Amounts

Total allowable direct costs: $20,000/year for 1 year

Indirect costs (F&A) are in addition to the allowable direct costs.

4. Key Dates

Proposals are received at any time.

Funding Period: September 1, 2024 - August 31, 2025

5. Pre-Proposal Format

• Specific Aims of the project (limit 1 page)
  https://www.biosciencewriters.com/NIH-Grant-Applications-The-Anatomy-of-a-Specific-Aims-Page.aspx
• Estimated budget
• NIH Biosketches of the applicant and other significant contributors

6. Content and Form of Application Submission

A. AOR Letter

Attach a letter signed by your Authorized Organizational Representative (AOR) stating they have reviewed and approved the proposal as submitted and approve any institutional commitment.

B. NIH Research & Related Budget Form

Please be sure to attach budget justification to Section L.

Budget justification instructions: Justify in detail all proposed expenses. All items requested in the budget are to be used during the award period. Use continuation pages as needed. Note: If you have sub-awards, please be sure to include the necessary documents and attachments for sub-awardee institutions.

https://grants.nih.gov/grants/how-to-apply-application-guide/forms-g/general/g.300-r&r-budget-form.htm

C. NIH Biographical Sketches

For the Investigator and other Significant Contributors.

NIH Grant Forms: https://grants.nih.gov/grants/forms.htm

D. Research Plan

Six-page limit, not including the Project Summary, Specific Aims page and the Literature cited/References section. Please be sure to limit your Project Summary/Abstract to 30 lines of text.

1. Project Summary/Abstract
   Limited to 30 lines of text.
2. Specific Aims
   Limit 1 page. The proposal will be organized around two specific aims. The first aim will focus on a traditional activity to be conducted in the laboratory space of the submitting faculty, while the second will describe experiments conducted in a classroom setting.

3. Research Strategy
   Six-page limit.

   a. Significance

   b. Innovation
   Limit the Significance and Innovation to 1 single page for both sections.

   c. Approach

   d. Subsections are highly recommended for each Specific Aim:

   • Rationale, Hypothesis and Overall Strategy
   • Experimental Design, Methods, Rigor, and Reproducibility
   • Expected Results and Outcomes
   • Potential Problems, Pitfalls and Alternative Strategies
   • e. Involvement of Undergraduate Student(s)

   f. Course evaluation plan to assess effectiveness in improving student outcomes.

4. Literature cited/References section
   No page limit.

https://grants.nih.gov/grants/how-to-apply-application-guide/format-and-write/write-your-application.htm

E. Resources & Major Equipment

1. Identify the facilities to be used (classroom, teaching and research laboratories, clinical, animal, computer, office, other as needed for the project).
2. Describe the scientific environment of your institution and how it will contribute to the probability of success of your project (instrumentation, institutional support, physical resources).
3. Describe any special facilities used for working with biohazards or other potentially dangerous substances.

F. Additional Sections

1. Animal and Human Research Protection (if applicable)
2. Select Agent and Biohazard (if applicable)
3. Resource Sharing
4. Authentication of Key Biological and/or Chemical Resources

G. Supporting Materials

1. Letter(s) of Collaboration/Support (if applicable)
2. Copy of IRB or IACUC Letter of Approval (if applicable)

H. NIH Other Support Page

List all your current and pending research support using the NIH format.

I. Data Management and Sharing Plan

https://sharing.nih.gov/data-management-and-sharing-policy/planning-and-budgeting-for-data-management-and-sharing/writing-a-data-management-and-sharing-plan