Mentored Scientist Award in Global Health Research

Project Award Amount $50,000

Description

The Mentored Scientist Award in Global Health Research is a mentored grant for Early Stage Investigators (ESI) at UCSF to conduct a global health-focused research project. These awards, granted by the Institute for Global Health Sciences (IGHS), are intended to be used to acquire preliminary data with a clear path to independent extramural funding, such as future NIH or equivalent grants.

The Institute for Global Health Sciences is committed to supporting collaborative research projects that pursue innovative, cross-disciplinary science and actively promote collaborative partnerships to address critical issues in global health. Research proposals should focus on health topics of global importance, with involvement from mentors and collaborators across different fields and institutions (e.g., from diverse schools/centers across UCSF, international institutions, and local partners). Proposals in any area of clinical, epidemiological, implementation, or basic research will be considered, and topics may include, but are not limited to, health systems strengthening, prevention and treatment of infectious and non-communicable diseases, maternal and child health, and environmental health impacts. Proposals should clearly describe the research as well as how the applicant will work in partnership with global teams and colleagues. Proposals should include a clear strategy for partnership and sustainability, showcasing how they will enhance global health research through interdisciplinary collaboration and active engagement with local stakeholders. Proposals should also describe the global relevance of the proposed research, whether based in the United States or internationally, with an emphasis on how the project outcomes will contribute to reducing health outcomes worldwide.

Each project will have a maximum budget of $50,000 and a timeline of one year; no-cost extensions will be considered on a case-by-case basis. A progress report is required at the end of the funding period and 1 year after project completion, identifying resulting publications, subsequent funding obtained to support expanded/extended projects, and partner outcomes (e.g., policy changes). Any resulting publication must directly acknowledge the Institute for Global Health Sciences and the partner(s).

Program Contact: Should you have any questions regarding submission or reporting procedures, please contact the program coordinator.

Eligibility

Eligibility requirements need to be met as of date of submission, no waivers will be accepted.

Who's Eligible:

  • Early-stage investigators according to standard NIH definitions who are also UCSF Faculty in any series (Ladder Rank, In Residence, Clinical X, Health Science Clinical, Adjunct) with at least >51% faculty appointment in early career ranks (Instructors, Assistant), fellows, post-doctorates, and appointees to the Professional Research Series and the Librarian Series may apply.
  • Applicants who are faculty or staff must either be core or affiliate members of IGHS.

Note: Professional Research Series and Specialist can apply

Who's Not Eligible:

  • Residents, Associate Professors and Professors in all series.
  • Individuals who have previously received R-01 level or equivalent funding.

Special Considerations for Current NIH T32 and K Awardees:

  • Current T32 awardees can apply for IGHS funds provided no salary/stipends are taken from the IGHS award.
  • IGHS allows current K awardees to provide complementary effort on their Mentored Scientist Award in Global Health Research with salary within their remaining 25% effort, if they also maintain the 75% required on the K-award as long as the specific aims differ from those on the “K” award. Please see the guide notice for details: https://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/notice-files/NOT-OD-17-094.html.

Submission Rules

DESIGNATION OF MENTOR

All mentored award applications require a faculty research mentor at the time of submission (see below for the mentor’s letter of support requirements). IGHS requires your research mentor to advise and guide the research portion of your application before submitting it to RAP.

NOTE: The mentor is allowed but not required to have supervisory authority over the applicant during the project period. The mentor should be recognized as an accomplished global health investigator and should be able to demonstrate past success in training/mentoring independent investigators. The mentor’s role is to provide oversight on the planning, direction, and execution of the proposed research. In addition, the mentor must commit to mentoring the applicant throughout the duration of the research project.

AWARD RESTRICTIONS

CRITERIA FOR REVIEW / EVALUATION OF APPLICANTS
Completed applications which meet eligibility requirements will be evaluated for scientific and technical merit by an appropriate review committee convened by the UCSF Resource Allocation Program in accordance with NIH review criteria: 1. Significance, 2. Approach, 3. Innovation, 4. Investigator, 5. Environment. Each of these criteria will be addressed and considered in assigning the overall application score.

The proposal will be evaluated based on the following questions: click here to view the review form for this grant mechanism.

SELECTION OF AWARDEES
IGHS makes funding decisions based on several factors, including – scientific review score, potential of the proposal to enable the PI to become an independent investigator in global health, applicant’s strategy for partnership and sustainability, showcasing how they will enhance global health research through interdisciplinary collaboration and active engagement with local stakeholders.

TO APPLY:

STEP 1) Complete the electronic application form.  Please note there are several pieces of information that need to be provided directly via the electronic application form (selecting the appropriate grant mechanism, providing demographic information, uploading an abstract, etc.).

Click here to preview an inactive template of the electronic application form.

STEP 2) Upload your proposal as a SINGLE PDF that includes all the things listed in numeric order in the instructions below.

Instructions for Proposal PDF

Proposal Length: Maximum 6 pages, including figures and tables, excluding table of contents, literature cited, additional investigator background (if applicable), protection of human subjects, and letters.

Format Requirements: Arial font; 11 pt; minimum 0.5 inch for all margins; no appendices; include page numbers and table of contents.

1. Investigator Name; only one application is permitted per cycle.

  • Country of citizenship
  • Country of permanent residence

2. Project Title

3. Proposal - Sections included within the 6-page limit:

  • Aims (list at least two aims). Do not submit an application that describes an idea that is the same or similar to one used in a previously funded RAP grant. If it is a similar idea, describe how the new proposed research is uniquely different.
  •  Feasibility: Describe what steps you are taking to ensure the proposed project can be completed within the one-year project period for this grant (approximately 300 words max).
  • Background and Significance
  • Preliminary Studies
  • Experimental Design and Methods (include timetable): a) Hypothesis, b) Rationale, c) Experimental approach, d) Interpretation of results
  • Explain how this project is important for your career goals, e.g., leads to future funding, etc. (1-2 paragraphs)

Not included within the 6-page limit:

  • Additional Investigator Background (optional). If applicable, explain the career impact of your personal or professional contextual background involving economic disadvantage, gender or underrepresented investigator status. Also explain any life experience, positionality, or perspective that may strengthen the application or make you uniquely qualified to conduct the research. (300 words max)
  • Literature cited

4. Detailed Budget - Use the following form: PHS 398 Form Page 4 "Detailed Budget for the Initial Period":  http://grants.nih.gov/grants/funding/phs398/phs398.html

The maximum award amount per proposal is $50,000 in direct costs for a one-year project period; round up to the nearest thousand (e.g., instead of $49,869 list $50,000).

The budget may include consultant costs, equipment, supplies, travel to perform the study or to present findings from the study, and other expenses. Travel, along with all other costs, must be fully justified.
Please contact us for assistance with your budget and/or sub-contract if you have any questions.

Budget Preparation Resources:
    OSR: Develop a Budget
    Standard Budget Components, including information on personnel costs (salary and benefits)

For questions related to budgets, please email: Heidi Frank, Director of Grants Management at the Institute for Global Health Sciences ([email protected]).

General Guidelines:

*The NIH base salary cap applies. PIs are required to list their effort whether it is paid or in kind.

PI partial salary support should be well-justified with respect to project activities. Due to their small size, RAP grants are designed for project support and are not intended to provide PI salary support unrelated to the project.  PI salary amounts greater than ~10% of the requested award amount (e.g., $5,000 of a $50K award proposal, not 10% FTE) must be well justified and it should reflect work done by the PI to conduct specific scientific tasks on the project (e.g. data collection, computation) and not merely general supervision of project goals and personnel.

  • The 10% limit on salary support is a guideline and includes SALARY & FRINGE BENEFITS.
  • Update: General Automobile and Employee Liability (GAEL) are NOT allowable costs.
  • The award amount is DIRECT COST ONLY. 

* Computers are only allowable when essential to the conduct of the proposed research. If the computer is planned to be used for other projects/responsibilities in addition to the proposed project, we require that the cost of the computer be shared with those other project budgets, in accordance with the amount of use anticipated by each project.

** Travel for awardees is allowed only if required to conduct the study or to present findings from this study at a conference (not simply to attend a conference).

**** Refer to the UCSF Charging Practices and Guidelines of allowable Expenses
https://controller.ucsf.edu/quick-reference/contracts-grants-accounting/cost-accounting-standards-cas-guidelines

6. Budget Justification: Clearly and fully justify all costs. Budget Overlap - If the proposed study is closely related or a sub-study of existing funded research listed in the applicant’s bio sketch, clarify the relationship between the two projects and confirm that there is no overlap in funding.

For all personnel, clearly identify any discrepancies between the actual effort (i.e. real percent time) the individual will contribute to the project, versus the amount of salary effort they are requesting.  This is particularly important for personnel/PI's who expect to contribute project effort with little or no salary, such as those whose salary is above the NIH base salary cap.

Recall: PI salary amounts greater than ~10% of the requested award amount must be well justified.

7. NIH Bio-Sketch of Principal Investigator and Co-Investigator(s) and UCSF Faculty Mentor(s) (if applicable), (5 page format):

8. Other support pages of Principal Investigator(s) and Co-Investigator(s) and UCSF Faculty Mentor(s) 

9. Letters of Support – Department Head and Mentors

1.     Department Head or Unit/Division Head (should indicate support for the application)

2.     Mentor’s Letter of Support: Include a letter of support from all research mentors you include in your proposal (up to 3) that includes the information outlined below:

  • Description of the mentor’s expertise, specific areas in which mentoring will be provided/mentor’s role
  • Mentor’s background in mentoring
  • Description of how the project will enable the mentee’s career development
  • Description of the mentor’s working relationship (previous and/or current) with the applicant
  • Description of the mentoring plan/plan for oversight of this project by the mentor(s) including the specific role of the mentor

3.   Partnership Letter of Support: Include a joint letter from the applicant and the partner that describes the existing or planned partnership, a plan for strengthening the collaboration, capacity building and professional development, mechanisms for community input and oversight, and a plan for data sharing and authorship. Please refer to the MEI Equity Toolkit for specific examples and tools.