Division Seed Grant and Bridge Funding

Scientific careers can be challenging, especially during the transition from trainee to faculty or from junior to mid-level faculty. This webpage has been created to bring together local resources that can help to make these transitions more successful. You will find resources listed below that will help you to obtain and sustain R-level independent funding, and to obtain F and K-level mentored funding. You will also find internal funding mechanisms to help with these transitions. 

COLLABBORATE DOM (Collaborative Opportunities for Advancing Research and Translational Efforts in the Department of Medicine)

The Department of Medicine Collaborative Opportunities for Advancing Research and Translational Efforts (COLLABORATE) program aims to advance research and discovery efforts across the Department by promoting collaboration between basic, translational, and clinical researchers. Scientific discovery and its translation to the clinic increasingly require interdisciplinary collaboration between researchers with expertise from diverse fields across the translational spectrum. This RFA seeks to support new collaborations among DOM Divisions, along with new collaborations between Department of Medicine

investigators and those in other CU Anschutz Departments/Schools.

These awards are designed to facilitate the development of new teams to perform interdisciplinary research in any field. This program has two phases: 1) team formation, and 2) pilot award phases. For the team formation phase, $3,000 will be awarded for a period of 6 months to develop a proposal describing the team members, their role in the project, and provide specific aims and a description of the needed preliminary data and timeline to submit a multi-principal investigator (MPI) NIH R01 grant, SOM ASPIRE application, or equivalent. Up to six team formation awards are available per year.

The follow-on, pilot award phase will provide $40,000 over 12 months to develop the preliminary data in support of the MPI application. Up to three pilot awards will be funded per year. Pilot awardees will be expected to: 1) submit a co-authored manuscript to a peer-reviewed journal within 12 months of pilot award initiation (can be a review paper), and 2) submit a MPI R01 or equivalent within 18 months of pilot award initiation or SOM ASPIRE application within 12 months of pilot award initiation.

Award Amount - $3,000 Team Formation Phase and/or $40,000 Pilot Award Phase

CU Anschutz SOM Programmatic Incubator for Research (CU ASPIRE) Program

Overview

The School of Medicine, CU Chancellor’s office, and Cancer Center are pleased to partner on this effort to foster the development of interdisciplinary, programmatic research on the CU Anschutz campus. The goal of the CU ASPIRE Program is to increase submission and success of program project, center grants, and large multi-project team science programs (not multi-PI R01s) on campus by supporting milestone-driven collaborations between investigators across campus. The CU ASPIRE Program is designed to facilitate collaborative research groups on the Anschutz Medical Campus working on unmet needs in basic and translational science or clinical medicine that can only be addressed by a team of investigators.

During the funding period, the investigative group is anticipated to:

• Establish preliminary findings to support the unifying scientific theme of the program, including joint publications.
• Develop a plan to programmatically integrate the investigators, projects, and cores.
• Identify a funding agency and establish a timeline and plan for grant submission.

The anticipated outcome of the milestone-driven CU ASPIRE Program is an external programmatic application to the NIH, DOD, or other external public or private funding agencies. Program funding may be used for research support (such as supplies and PRA salaries) to generate collaborative preliminary data, to purchase essential equipment that will be used jointly by the multiple investigators, or to support joint publications. Funding may not be used for salary support for investigators, administrative activities, support conferences, or travel (unless approved by the CU ASPIRE Program).

Successful applications will include 3-5 investigators with complementary scientific backgrounds that are focused on solving a complex unmet need in basic and translational science or clinical medicine. There will be 2 categories of applications considered:

Category 1. School of Medicine oriented applications The PI and project leads must have a primary appointment in a Department within the School of Medicine. The team can include investigators solely from the School of Medicine but may also include investigators with primary appointments in different CU Anschutz Schools/Colleges (Medicine, Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Dental Medicine, Nursing or Public Health), departments, or divisions.

Category 2. Cross-campus applications The PI and project lead primary appointments must represent at least two different CU Anschutz Schools /College. (Medicine, Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Dental Medicine, Nursing or Public Health).

For both categories, preference will be given to investigative teams that have a history of prior collaboration. When appropriate and the resources are available, administrative in-kind support will be provided at the conclusion of the award to assist with the development, preparation and submission of a future grant proposal

Research Investment in the Scientific Enterprise (RISE) program 

Introduction 

The goal of the Research Investment in the Scientific Enterprise (RISE) program is to provide direct support for the Department of Medicine’s research faculty. For faculty who have obtained eligible extramural research funding, the program provides a fixed dollar amount of unrestricted funds that may be used for research expenses, including PI and staff salaries along with any other expenses related to research. The RISE program is also designed to reward productivity and funding success by providing more funding for additional extramural grant/s awarded. Research is a key pillar for the Department of Medicine, and the RISE program provides researchers with funding to use at their discretion to bolster the spectrum of basic, translational, clinical, outcomes, implementation, and health services research across our Department.

Eligibility Criteria

• Must have primary faculty appointment in the Department of Medicine, regardless of work location (CU-Anschutz, Denver Health, National Jewish, or the VA).

• NIH R01, P-, and U-level Principal Investigators (PIs) are eligible. All R01, P- and U-equivalent grants from other external funders are also eligible, including those from the Department of Defense (DoD), Veteran’s Affairs (VA), professional societies, and foundations. Grants from internal (CU) funding sources are not eligible.

• Must be the PI, MPI, or co-PI on at least one eligible award, with direct costs ≥$250,000 annually to qualify. In recognition of the fact that applications are rarely submitted at exactly the maximal allowed dollar amount of $250,000, award eligibility is set at $245,000 in direct costs. NIH equivalents must also be at least $245,000 annually in direct costs.

• If MPIs or co-PIs are all in DOM, they will each receive credit for the full award amount (except some P grants; see MPI Conditions below).

• There is no FTE requirement to receive RISE funding. • Eligible grants do not include: supplements, training, or conference awards, including the following NIH mechanisms: K, T, R03, R13, R21, R24, R25, R34, R35

Award Amount      Funding ranges from $20,000 to $50,000 per year

Across the Finish Line (AFL) Awards

"Across the Finish Line" or AFL awards are designed to help both junior faculty and established faculty moving into a new area of investigation. Funds will be used to generate pilot data that can be leveraged into a new R01-type grant submission (or re-submission). Applications will be reviewed twice a year by the standing Strategic Infrastructure for Research Committee (SIRC).

Priority will be given both to investigators who are perceived to have a high likelihood of funding success and to junior faculty who have limited resources available to support data generation. 

The AFL funding application must include the tentative specific aims of the proposed R01-type grant and should identify gaps in preliminary data that need to be filled before finalizing the submission. If the grant is a resubmission, the relevant reviewer comments can also be provided. In addition to the above, applications must be accompanied by a Biosketch of the applicant and by a letter from the applicant documenting the importance of the work and the challenges inherent in generating the relevant preliminary data. The applicant must also include a “current support” page that lists current sources of funding, and a letter from the unit head confirming ongoing salary and infrastructure support for the applicant and his/her research program.

Award Amount - $100,000

Bridge Funding at University of Colorado

The Bridge funding program of the CU School of Medicine was established in 2006 when reductions in the National Institutes of Health (NIH) budget began to threaten the viability of faculty research projects. The programs purpose is to provide support to principal investigators while they re-apply for funding. The Bridge Funding Committee is advisory to the Dean. Applications are reviewed twice a year. 

Eligibility

For Beginning Investigators

• Faculty members at the beginning of their research careers are eligible if they have had at least 3 years of full start-up funding and that funding has run out without their gaining independent research support. The applicant must also have applied at least once for major outside funding.
• The applicant must have, and must describe, assigned research space that is independent of that of any other investigator.
• Provide a dollar figure for departmental start-up research support (excluding salary).
• Investigators with research support from any source that totals less than $75,000 are eligible. Funding for the investigator’s salary support should not count against this total.

The Chair’s letter should describe a mentoring plan for the applicant as well as a pledge of full salary support. The Dean’s bridge funds should not be expected to take the place of departmental start-up investment.

For Established Investigators

• Previously funded investigators who have sustained a complete loss of major grant funding (or will do so within the next few months) are eligible to apply.
• “Loss of major grant funding” pertains to loss of any type of research funding based on national competitive peer review, not just that from the NIH. Investigators with funding for conducting research that totals less than $75,000 are eligible; funding from any source should be included in this total. Any funding for the investigator’s salary support should not count against this total.
• Applicants who have previously received two awards of Bridge Funding will not normally be considered for a third award, unless exceptional circumstances exist. These individuals would need prior approval from the Committee and the Dean before being allowed to submit a proposal.

Award Amount $50,000

Bridge Funding at National Jewish Health

Contact Irina Petrache, MD: (PetracheI@njhealth.org) for additional information and to apply for funding. 

National Jewish Health provides transitional and bridge funding for faculty whose primary focus is research. 

For Beginning Investigators

• Endowed or Named Fellowships are available and depending on the area of research these can be used to support part of salary or additional research cost
• Divisional/Departmental/ Institutional funds can also be used to support part of salary or additional research cost, the latter in form of startups or mini-grants with specific focus.

   

  For Established Investigators

• Divisional/Departmental/ Institutional funds are used to support part of salary and/or additional research cost.
• The support is higher and of longer duration for tenured vs. untenured faculty
• The support is tailored to setting and meeting milestones.

Award Amount: Variable