Intramural Research Support Program

The IRSP program was created to strengthen the biomedical research environment at the University of Mississippi Medical Center through the use of flexible funds that enable faculty to respond quickly and effectively to emerging opportunities and unpredictable circumstances that develop during the course of active research programs. The highest priority for awards will be for those projects that are most competitive for future extramural funding. Applications are solicited in four (2 per category) cycles each year.

The IRSP provides support in the form of 12-month awards of $30,000 or less to members of the UMMC faculty to pursue a research project. Applications are accepted in two categories: Basic Science and Clinical/Population Research.

Grants are awarded in the following three categories:

• Initial Research Support for New and Newly-Relocated Investigators
• Pilot Studies
• Bridge Funding

***Clinical/Population Cycles Only: Investigators who have not been previously funded by peer-reviewed external sources are required to send a Specific Aims (1 page) and names (2-3) of your grant mentoring team to Meagan Follett at least four (4) weeks prior to the IRSP deadline.

Mentors must have active or prior external funding and submit a letter noting their support of the proposed aims. Failure to comply with this guideline may result in the application not being reviewed by the study section.

Investigators who need the names of potential mentors should contact Dr. Bradley Walters.

Things to note

No awards will be made for faculty salary or travel expenses.

Protocols must be submitted to the respective review committees (e.g. IRB, IACUC, IBC, Radiation Safety) by the application deadline; applicants who have not submitted protocols to the appropriate committees by this time will not be considered for funding. Selected awardees will be allowed only 30 days after the anticipated award date to obtain assurance approvals. A delay in obtaining assurance(s) approval will not extend the end date of the award period.

The following can be found on the Research/IRSP intranet:

• Application
• IRSP application guide/instructions

Non-competing IRSP funding

The Non-Competing IRSP Funding Program was created in 2016 to ensure timely resources are available to strengthen resubmissions for investigators who receive highly-scored but unfunded extramural applications.

To be eligible for this program the following guidelines must be met:

• The PI must have a rank of assistant professor or above.
• Extramural application must be for the NIH R mechanisms or similar (DOD Investigator-Initiated; AHA Grant-in-Aid, etc).
• The extramural application must be ranked within the 20th percentile. If ranked outside of the 20th percentile, a letter of recommendation from the PI's department chair must accompany the request.
• Two mentors must be identified to assist with writing and reviewing the resubmission application.
• Preference will be given to those classified as Early Stage Investigators (ESIs) and to those who do not have active research funding (including enhancement and startup funds).

Up to $30,000 is provided for 12-month projects. The same budget guidelines are in place as for the competitive IRSP program.

Applications will be accepting on a rolling basis. Requests will be reviewed by the IRSP Chair, and, if necessary, an ad-hoc review committee. All recommended applications will be submitted to the Research Council for final approval.

An application cannot be submitted to the NC-IRSP and be submitted/under review for the IRSP simultaneously.

The following can be found on the Research/IRSP intranet:

• Application
• NC-IRSP application guide/instructions