Developmental x HWSPH Grants

Eligibility

• Projects that feature an investigator who has not been awarded HIV research funding at the time of LOI submission are strongly encouraged.
• Each proposal must have at least two PIs; one must be a member of SD CFAR and one must have a faculty or project/research scientist appointment in HWSPH. Priority will be given to Assistant or Associate Professors or faculty starting a new collaboration. Either investigator may submit the application.
• Submissions are required to focus on research that is relevant to HIV/AIDS and public health. This includes areas related to: 1) Epidemiology, 2) Optimizing HIV Care, 3) Relieving Health Disparities, 4) Finding a Cure, 5) Implementation Science, and 6) Developing Vaccines. Proposals must clearly state how results from the pilot award will inform a larger, competitive, NIH R-level or similar extramural award that is aligned with the institutes funding priorities.

Restrictions

• All work must be conducted within the United States, as foreign components are no longer allowed under the current NIH–CFAR funding structure.
• Projects cannot support clinical trials, nor can they support any studies involving new drugs, new treatments, new devices, or off-label use of a licensed drug. Feasibility trials of behavioral interventions are allowed.
• Postdoctoral fellows may not receive salary or serve as PIs on these applications.
• Requests for faculty salary support are not permitted under this mechanism.

Requirements

A Letter of Intent is required prior to submission and, if approved, applicants will be invited to submit a full application.

Each proposal must have at least two PIs; one must be a member of SD CFAR and one must have a faculty or project/research scientist appointment in HWSPH. Priority will be given to Assistant or Associate Professors or faculty starting a new collaboration.

Application Details

Application Components to be submitted via REDCap to include:
• Cover and Face Page
• A 500-word abstract that should include a) the research question, b) its relevance to public health and HIV/AIDS, c) proposed methodologies that demonstrate rigor and feasibility, and d) a clear description of how this will be future extramural funding.
• NIH biographical sketches of PI(s) and Co-I
• A 4-page proposal (Aims, Research Strategy). Literature Review follows and is not included in the 4-pages.
• Budget and Justification
Please carefully consider the scope of your project in terms of timeline, funding, and resources related to infrastructure, personnel, and any external collaborations to ensure feasibility is aligned with the proposed budget.

Evaluation Process

There will be a review panel comprised of HWSPH faculty and SD CFAR researchers.
Proposals will be evaluated and ranked for merit in terms of:
• Feasibility
• Relevance to focus areas in public health and HIV
• Approach – rigor of research design and methodology
• New or expanded collaborations
• Potential for future R-level or similar extramural funding

Notification

Applicants are typically notified of the decision within four to six weeks of the submission deadline. Along with the decision notice, applicants receive copies of the reviewers’ critiques without the reviewers’ names. The critiques are intended to help applicants improve their studies regardless of the funding decision.

Funding Source