Purpose

The Puerto Rico IDeA Network of Biomedical Research Excellence (PR-INBRE), supported by NIH/NIGMS award P20GM103475, invites applications for Full Projects under the Developmental Research Projects Program (DRPP) for the 2026-2027 grant cycle. The DRPP provides research support to promising investigators, implements a structured mentoring program, and strengthens research infrastructure at partner institutions. This cycle prioritizes proposals with strong biomedical relevance regardless of research focus or institution.

Eligibility

Full projects are open to faculty at all network PUIs and ORIs listed below. Applicants must be early-stage investigators: assistant professor rank, preferably within 10 years of completing the terminal degree, and not more than five years as an Assistant Professor. Full project grantees are expected to obtain independent R-type funding (R15, R16, R01, or MIRA) by the end of the award.

The lead institutions, the University of Puerto Rico Medical Sciences Campus and UPR Río Piedras Campus, are not eligible for DRPP project funding but host the PR-INBRE core facilities available to all awardees.

Award Information

Allowable costs include supplies, student stipends, core facility user fees, publication costs, and travel to one scientific meeting per year. Indirect costs are not allowed. Equipment over $5,000 requires prior justification.

Timeline

Required Documents

• PHS 398 Form Page 1 (Face Page) and Form Page 2 (Project Summary, Relevance, Performance Sites, Senior/Key Personnel)
• Form Page 3 Table of Contents
• Form Pages 4 and 5: Detailed budget for the initial period and for the entire period, with budget justification
• Specific Aims (1 page)
• Research Strategy (12 pages): Significance, Innovation, Approach, timeline, potential pitfalls and alternatives, and Mentoring Plan
• Bibliography and References Cited
• NIH Biosketch for the PI and all senior/key personnel
• Resources format page (facilities, equipment, and planned use of PR-INBRE core facilities)
• Letter of support from the department chair confirming full-time faculty employment and at least 50% release time
• Letter or e-mail from the mentor describing the mentoring relationship and meeting schedule
• Resource Sharing Plan
• Evidence of IRB or IACUC approval or submission, if applicable; Planned Enrollment Report for human subjects research
• Checklist form

Submit a single PDF to inbre_proposals@hpcf.upr.edu or upload through the PR-INBRE RFx portal.

Formatting Requirements

• Use PHS 398 forms (Rev. 03/2020). SF424 forms will not be accepted.
• Arial 11 point or larger, at least 0.5-inch margins, single-spaced. Prepare forms in Microsoft Word and convert to PDF. Do not scan forms.
• Project title no longer than 81 characters, identical to the LOI and to any IRB or IACUC protocol.
• Project Summary must be entered on Form Page 2 (30 lines maximum), not as a separate attachment. Relevance statement: up to three sentences in plain language.
• Bibliography is not counted toward the page limit.
• Biosketches use the new NIH Biographical Sketch Common Form and Supplement (personal statement up to 3,500 characters; up to five contributions to science, 2,000 characters each).

Review Process

Applications are reviewed in three tiers:

• First tier (scientific peer review): each application is assigned to one reviewer from the PR-INBRE Administrative Core, one reviewer based in Puerto Rico, and one or two NIH-funded reviewers from outside Puerto Rico.
• Second tier (Internal Review Committee): applications with an impact score of 35 or better for pilot projects and 30 or better for full projects are discussed for technical merit, scientific excellence, and programmatic relevance.
• Third tier (External Advisory Committee): the EAC recommends the final slate, followed by approval from the NIH/NIGMS Program Office for compliance.

Review Criteria (NIH Simplified Review Framework)

Reviewers also assign an Overall Impact score on the NIH 1-9 scale, where 1 is exceptional and 9 is poor (lower is better). Programmatic relevance, the mentoring or collaboration plan, and the likelihood that the investigator will compete for independent NIH funding are also considered.

Contacts

Program information and updates: http://inbre.hpcf.upr.edu/. For projects involving omics data or statistics, consult the PR-INBRE Bioinformatics Resource Core (Dr. Humberto Ortiz) before submission. To use core services, contact the Centralized Research Instrumentation (CRI) Core Director, Dr. Carmen Cadilla (carmen.cadilla@upr.edu), and include a letter of collaboration from the cognizant core director.