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CIMR Pilot Grant Application Guide

Applications must be submitted online via the IRSP REDCap portal on the UMMC Research Intranet. Instructions on how to apply will be available on the UMMC Research Intranet and the CIMR website.

CIMR Pilot Grants are made for a one-year period. The deadline for application submission is May 1st.

Format Specifications for Text (PDF) Attachments

All files must be uploaded with the correct file name and prepared using Arial or Helvetica typeface in black font color. Font sizes must be 11 points or larger. However, the font size for text that is part of figures, graphs, diagrams, charts, tables, figure legends, and footnotes may be smaller but must be in black font color and easily readable when printed. Final PDF documents should be formatted to be no larger than standard paper size (8 1/2" x 11) and should have at least 0.50 inch margins (top, bottom, left, and right) for all pages.

All page limits indicated throughout the application will be strictly enforced.

  1. Applicant Information
    Please provide the information for both applicants (PIs).

    • Applicant Name
      Please provide your full name in Last, First format. i.e.: Smith, Mary
    • Degree
      Please select your professional degree(s) from the drop-down menu.
    • School
      Please select the school with which you have your primary faculty appointment.
      • School of Dentistry Faculty: If School of Dentistry is selected, please select your primary department from the drop-down menu.
      • School of Medicine Faculty: If School of Medicine is selected, please select your primary department from the drop-down menu.
      • Department of Medicine Faculty: If Department of Medicine is chosen, please select your primary division from the drop-down menu.
      • School of Population Health Faculty: If School of Population Health is selected, please select your primary department from the drop-down menu.
    • Title
      Please select your faculty title from the drop-down menu.
    • Email Address
      Please provide your UMMC email address
    • Applicant Type
      Please select the applicant type from the available options.

      Early Stage Investigators include those within ten years of completing their terminal research degree or within ten years of completing their medical residency who have not previously been successful in competing for an IRSP or R01 or R01-like funding
  2. Is this in response to a targeted IRSP request for proposals (RFP)?
    Select "yes" and choose "CIMR Pilot Grant Award" from the drop-down menu.
  3. Project Information

    • Project Title
      Please provide the title of the proposed IRSP project. Titles are limited to 200 characters, including spaces.
    • Application Type
      Please select the application type from the available options.
    • Project Type
      Please select the project type from the available options.
    • Proposed Start Date
      Please select the proposed start date. The earliest start date is August 1st, 2025.
    • Proposed End Date
      Please select the proposed end date. The CIMR grant is awarded for 12 months only.
    • Proposed Percent Effort
      Please specify your percent effort for this project. 
    • Total Funds Requested
      Please specify the total funds requested for the project. Total funds cannot exceed $40,000.
    • Attachment 1: Project Abstract (Limit: 130 lines of text)

      Upload as "Project Abstract"

      The Project Abstract is meant to provide a clear and concise overview of the proposed work.
      • State the broad, long-term objectives of the application along with specific aims and relevance to human health.
      • Outline the research design and methods for achieving the stated goals. This section should be informative to other persons working in the same or related fields and, in so far as possible, be understandable to a scientifically or technically literate lay reader.
    • Attachment 2: Specific Aims (Limit: 1 page)
      Upload as "Specific Aims"
      • State concisely the goals of the proposed research and summarize the expected outcomes(s), highlighting the potential impact the research results will have on the field(s) involved.
      • List the specific hypotheses and/or goals of the proposed research, such as testing a hypothesis, solving a specific problem, challenging an existing paradigm, or addressing a critical barrier to progress in the field.
      • Briefly explain how the aims of the proposal align within the interdisciplinary framework of CIMR.
    • Attachment 3: Research Strategy (Limit: 6 pages)
      Upload as "Research Strategy"

Organize the Research Strategy according to the specified order, following the instructions below. Start each section with its respective heading – Significance, Innovation, and Approach. Cite relevant experimental details in the Research Strategy section and provide full references in the Bibliography and References Cited section.

  • Significance
    • Explain the importance of the problem or critical barrier to progress in the field that the proposed project addresses.
    • Describe the strengths and weaknesses in the rigor of the prior research (both published and unpublished) that serves as the key support for the proposed project.
    • Explain how the proposed project will advance scientific knowledge in one or more broad fields.
    • Present preliminary work that is pertinent to this project
  • Innovation
    • Explain how the application challenges and seeks to shift current research paradigms.
    • Describe any novel theoretical concepts, approaches or methodologies, or interventions to be developed or used, and any advantage over existing methodologies or interventions.
    • Explain any refinements, improvements, or new applications of theoretical concepts, approaches, or interventions.

      This may be listed as bullet points.
  • Approach
    • Briefly describe the research design and methods that will be used to accomplish the specific aims of the project.
    • Discuss potential problems, alternative strategies, and benchmarks for success anticipated to achieve the aims.
    • Point out any procedures, situations, or materials that may be hazardous to personnel and the precautions to be exercised.

Attachment 4: Bibliography and References Cited (No page limit)
Upload as "Bibliography and References Cited"

Provide a bibliography of any references cited in the application. Each reference must include the names of all authors (in the same sequence in which they appear in the publication), the article and journal title, book title, volume number, page numbers, and year of publication.

  1. Assurance Compliance

    Please indicate whether your proposed research involves animal subjects, human subjects, biohazardous material, or laser/radiation. If yes, for any assurance area, please indicate whether that protocol has been submitted to the respective committee.

    If a protocol has been submitted to the respective committee, please indicate whether that protocol has been approved. If yes, please attach the respective approval notice(s). If no, please attach the respective proof(s) of submission.

    Attachment 5: Assurance Approval Notices or Proof of Submission (No page limit)
    Upload as "Committee Name_Type of Document"

    Protocols for IRB, IACUC, IBC and Laser/Radiation must be submitted to the respective committees before the application deadline; applicants who have not submitted protocols by the time of submission will not be considered for funding. Protocols do not need to be approved at the time of submission. Approval notices or proof of submission must be uploaded.

    Attachment 6: Vertebrate Animals (Limit: 2 pages)
    Upload as "Vertebrate Animals"

    If live vertebrate animals are involved in the project, address each of the following criteria:

    • Description of Procedures: Provide a concise description of the proposed procedures to be used that involve live vertebrate animals in the work outlined in the "Research Strategy" attachment. The description must include sufficient detail to allow evaluation of the procedures. Identify the species, strains, ages, sex, and total numbers of animals by species to be used in the proposed work. If dogs or cats are proposed, provide the source of the animals.
    • Justifications: Provide justification that the species are appropriate for the proposed research. Explain why the research goals cannot be accomplished using an alternative model (e.g. computational, human, invertebrate, in vitro).
    • Minimization of Pain and Distress: Describe the interventions including analgesia, anesthesia, sedation, palliative care and humane endpoints that will be used to minimize discomfort, distress, pain, and injury.

Each of the criteria must be addressed. Failure to adequately address the criteria may negatively affect the application's impact score.

In addition to the 3 criteria above, you should also:

  • Identify all project performance (or collaborating) sites and describe the proposed research activities with vertebrate animals that will be conducted at those sites.
  • Explain when and how animals are expected to be used if plans for the use of animals have not been finalized.
  1. Funding Plans 

    Applicants holding external funding that appearssimilar to the proposed CIMR pilot project must also include a one-page discussion on how the proposed CIMR project constitutes a significant departure from their other awards. 

    Attachment 7: Significant Departure Discussion (Limit: 1 page) 
    Upload as "Significant Departure Discussion" 

    Summarize the substantial differences between the proposed CIMR pilot project and your current award(s). 

    Attachment 8: Extramural Funding Plans (Limit: 2 pages) 
    Upload as "Extramural Funding Plans" 

    Describe in detail the expected results of the project and how it will lead to securing research funding from external granting agencies once this project is complete. Include possible specific aims for a future extramural application and describe how the current project will support the development of such an application.

  2. Effort allocation

    Discuss each PI's proposed percent effort, roles, and duties on the project. Evidence of protected time via a letter from the chair(s) is required. (Upload the Letter as part of the Letters of Support).

  3. Personnel

    List any additional co-PIs, co-investigators and/or consultants and their roles on the project. (John Smith, PhD – Co-Investigator)

    Attachment 9: Biosketches (No overall page limit; Biosketches are limited to 5 pages per person)
    Upload biosketches for all co-PIs, co-investigators, and consultants on the project. Upload as one document.

    Use the NIH Format: https://grants.nih.gov/grants/forms/biosketch.htm

    Attachment 10: Other Support (No page limit)

    Upload other support documentation for all co-PIs and co-investigators on the project, include the funding source, project number and title. Upload as one document.

    Other Support includes all financial resources, whether Federal, non-Federal, commercial or institutional, available in direct support of the individual's research endeavors. For individuals with no active or pending support, indicate "None."

    Use the NIH Format: https://grants.nih.gov/grants/forms/othersupport.htm

  4. Attachment 11: Letters of Support (No page limit)

    Upload letters of support from all co-PIs, co-investigators, and collaborators that demonstrate their support of the project. Also include a letter from your department chair(s) outlining their approval of the project and commitment to your effort on this project. Your application will not be accepted without a letter of approval and support from your department chair. Upload as one document.

  5. Attachment 12: Budget
    Upload as "Detailed Budget"

    Use NIH form PHS398, pg 4: https://grants.nih.gov/grants/funding/phs398/fp4.pdf

    Personnel

    Name: Include the names, starting with the Principal Investigator, of all personnel who will be involved in the project, whether funds are requested or not. Faculty salary support is not allowed.

    Cal. Months: Enter the appropriate calendar months committed for each person. (Acad. Mnths: Not applicable. Summers Mnths: Not applicable.)

    Inst. Base Salary: Enter the base salary for each person.

    Salary Requested: Enter the amount of salary requested based of the base salary multiplied by person months/percent effort.

    Fringe Benefits: Enter the amount of fringe benefit support requested. Current rates can be found at: /Research/Resources/Researchers/Fast-Facts.html

    Total:     Enter the amount of salary plus fringe benefits.

    Subtotals: Subtotal the amount of salary requested, the amount of fringe benefits requested and the total amount requested.

    In the budget justification, list the names, roles, associated months, and salary and fringe benefits for all personnel. Include a brief description of the work to be performed by each person.

    Consultant Costs – Consultant costs are not allowed.

    Equipment
    List the estimated costs for all equipment, including shipping and maintenance and service agreements. In the budget justification, specify each piece of equipment, including an estimated amount. Equipment is defined as an item of property that has an acquisition cost of $5,000 or more and an expected service life of more than one year. Allowable items are limited to research equipment and apparatus not already available to conduct the work.

    General-purpose equipment, such as computers, are not eligible for support unless primarily or exclusively used in the actual conduct of scientific research and meet the equipment definition above.

    Supplies
    List total funds requested for materials and supplies. In the budget justification, indicate general categories such as glassware, chemicals, animal costs, including an amount for each category. Categories less than $1,000 are not required to be itemized.

    Travel - Travel expenses are not allowed.

    Other Expenses
    Add text to describe any "other" direct costs. Use the budget justification to further itemize and justify. List the total funds requested for other direct costs.

    Consortium/Contractual Costs
    If applicable, include costs for any subcontracts with other institutions. In the budget justification, list the name of each institution and a breakdown of costs for each budget category.

    Subtotal Direct Costs for Initial Budget Period
    Include a total of all of the direct costs.

    Facilities and Administrative Costs - Not Applicable

    Total Direct Costs for Initial Budget Period
    Include a total of all of the direct costs

    Attachment 13: Budget Justification (No page limit).
    Upload as "Budget Justification"

    All budget categories must be fully justified.

  6. Attachment 14: Facilities and Resources (Limit: 2 pages).
    Upload as "Facilities and Resources"

    Identify the facilities to be used (Laboratory, Animal, Computer, Office, Clinical and Other). If appropriate, indicate their capacities, pertinent capabilities, relative proximity and extent of availability to the project. Describe only those resources that are directly applicable to the proposed work. Provide any information describing the Other Resources available to the project (e.g., core facilities) and the extent to which they would be available to the project.