NIH Blueprint Program for Enhancing Neuroscience Diversity through Undergraduate Research Education Experiences

NIH Blueprint Program for Enhancing Neuroscience Diversity through Undergraduate Research Education Experiences (R25 Clinical Trial Not Allowed) Solicitation

Please see the full solicitation for complete information about the funding opportunity. Below is a summary assembled by the Research & Innovation Office (RIO).

Program Summary 

The over-arching goal of this NIH Blueprint R25 program is to encourage individuals from diverse backgrounds, including those from groups underrepresented in the biomedical, behavioral, and clinical research workforce, to pursue further studies or careers in research. 

To accomplish the stated over-arching goal, this FOA will support creative educational activities with a primary focus on Courses for Skills DevelopmentResearch Experiences, and Mentoring Activities.

The fully integrated educational activities should prepare undergraduate students from diverse backgrounds, including those from groups underrepresented in biomedical and behavioral sciences to enter Ph.D. degree programs in the neurosciences.  To accomplish this goal, this initiative will provide institutional awards to develop neuroscience research education programs comprised of collaborative partnerships integrated across different educational institution types. Each partnership must include: a) one or more institutions that either: 1) have a historical and current mission to educate students from any of the populations that have been identified as underrepresented in biomedical research as defined by the National Science Foundation NSF, see http://www.nsf.gov/statistics/wmpd/) (i.e., African Americans or Blacks, Hispanic or Latino Americans, American Indians, Alaska Natives, Native Hawaiians, U.S. Pacific Islanders, and persons with disabilities) or 2) have a documented track record of recruiting, training and/or educating, and graduating underrepresented students as defined by NSF (see above), which has resulted in increasing the institution's contribution to the national pool of graduates from underrepresented backgrounds who pursue biomedical research careers; b) a research-intensive institution that has an established neuroscience or neuroscience-related program; c) integrated curriculum/academic enhancement and research experience activities designed to increase participants' preparation to enter doctoral programs in the neurosciences; and d) well-described plans to provide early communication and interaction between participating students and graduate neuroscience programs across the country.

Deadlines

CU Internal Deadline: 11:59pm MST November 13, 2018

Sponsor Letter of Intent Deadline: January 15, 2019

Sponsor Application Deadline: 5:00pm MST February 15, 2019

Internal Application Requirements (all in PDF format)

  • Project Summary (up to 3 pages): Please include the following elements: proposed research education program, program PI/faculty/participants, institutional environment and commitment, recruitment plan to enhance diversity, and evaluation plan.
  • PI CV (up to 2 pages)
  • Budget Overview (up to 1 page): A basic budget outlining project costs is sufficient; detailed OCG budgets are not required.

To access the online application, visit: https://colorado.secure-platform.com/a/solicitations/home/6280

Eligibility

The PD/PI should be an established investigator in the scientific area in which the application is targeted and capable of providing both administrative and scientific leadership to the development and implementation of the proposed program. The PD/PI will be expected to monitor and assess the program and submit all documents and reports as required.

The PD/PI should hold a basic or health professional degree (e.g., Ph.D., M.D., or equivalent), and have clearly demonstrated training/mentoring credentials. The PD/PI must have a regular, full-time appointment (i.e., not adjunct, part-time, retired, or emeritus) at the applicant institution and should have research, teaching, and/or academic administrative experience. 

The sponsoring institution must assure support for the proposed research education project. Appropriate institutional commitment to the project includes the provision of adequate staff, facilities, and educational resources that can contribute to the planned research education project.

For the purposes of this FOA, the number of institutions that constitute a collaborative partnership are two or more. Components of large multi-component organizations that are sufficiently independent to constitute, in effect, separate organizations will be considered separate institutions. For example, the multiple campuses of the University of California system are considered different institutions. Multiple departments and/or schools within the same institution e.g., neuroscience department and the school of medicine at the same institution, will be considered a single institutional site in this type of collaborative multisite program.

Limited Submission Guidelines

Only one application per institution is allowed.

Award Information

Award Amount: Although the size of award may vary with the scope of the research education program proposed and there are no specific budget limitations, the requested direct costs must be reasonable, well documented, fully justified and commensurate with the scope of the proposed program.

Award Duration: Up to 5 years.

Number of Awards: 6-10

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