OK-INBRE Mini Grant 

2025 OK-INBRE Mini Grant Awards – Request for Proposals

SIGNIFICANT CHANGES

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) substantially revised the INBRE developmental research project program effective with the five-year award cycle beginning in 2025.  Please review these changes below.

Pilot Project Leaders (PPL) on INBRE research pilot projects are required to devote three person months (25%) effort to the project.  A brief plan detailing how the reassignment time will be provided must be included with the application.

Mini Grants will be awarded for one year with the opportunity to renew for an additional year. 

The maximum award has been increased to $30,000 per project period.

Applications from eligible individuals who have not previously received INBRE funding are encouraged to apply.

KEY DATES

              Application Due Date:                  October 31, 2024, 5:00pm

              Review Date:                                 November/December 2024

              Earliest Start Date:                      March 1, 2025

BACKGROUND
The National Institutes of Health (NIH) established the Institutional Development Award (IDeA) program to build biomedical research capacity in the 23 U.S. states and Puerto Rico that had historically low NIH grant funding success rates. IDeA funding programs collectively support biomedical research in basic, clinical, behavioral, and translational science.  The IDeA Networks of Biomedical Research Excellence (INBRE) program is a key IDeA component that funds one statewide network of higher education and research institutions in each IDeA-eligible state and Puerto Rico to build biomedical research capacity through supporting faculty research and research mentoring, student participation in research, and research infrastructure enhancement at network institutions. These networks aim to catalyze, develop, and strengthen the research culture at network institutions, support faculty for research excellence, and provide students with research opportunities to help develop a strong biomedical research workforce.

PURPOSE
The Oklahoma IDeA Network of Biomedical Research Excellence (OK-INBRE) is requesting applications for Mini Grant awards.  A primary goal of the Mini Grant program is to foster research programs for faculty at the OK-INBRE primarily undergraduate institutions so that faculty researchers may gain valuable experience in designing, conducting, and reporting biomedical research.  The program seeks to support proposals designed to generate preliminary data that enhances the competitiveness of the Pilot Project Leaders (PPL) for future extramural funding. 

RESEARCH PROJECT LEADER ELIGIBILITY
The Pilot Project Leader (PPL) must qualify as either an Early-Stage Investigator (ESI) or New Investigator (NI).  Information regarding ESI and NI policies can be found here: https://grants.nih.gov/policy/early-investigators/index.htm. The applying PPL must hold an institutional equivalent of a full-time faculty appointment at an OK-INBRE network institution (University of Central Oklahoma, Northeastern State University, Southeastern State University, Southwestern Oklahoma State University, Cameron University, Langston University, East Central University, Rogers State University, Oklahoma Panhandle State University, or the University of Science and Arts of Oklahoma). Individuals with modified titles (e.g., Research Assistant Professor) are eligible to apply if a justification/letter of support from the Departmental Chair is provided, indicating that the institution is/has provided substantial startup package resources (i.e., startup funding, independent lab space, tenure track eligibility) for the faculty member to successfully carry out the proposed project and that the institution is committed to support the faculty member in their position for the foreseeable future. The reviewers for the proposals must be confident that the applicant is supported by the institution financially and not by the grant funds of a more senior faculty member/mentor. COBRE, INBRE and IDeA-CTR Research and Pilot Project leaders are not eligible for simultaneous research funding from two IDeA programs.

MENTORING RESEARCH PROJECT LEADERS
Senior investigators will serve as PPL mentors when needed to assist with project focus, experimental design, data interpretation and analysis, and timely publication of research findings. Mentors will provide guidance on their mentee’s scientific progress and focus, examine how the data obtained impacts the field, and discuss methodological and technical problems that may arise. 

BUDGET AND PROJECT PERIOD
The project period for Mini Grant awards is anticipated to be March 1, 2025 – February 28, 2026.  Projects are eligible for renewal for a second year of funding.  The maximum allowable direct cost for Mini Grants is $30,000 per project period.

NUMBER OF APPLICATIONS
Applicants may submit more than one application, provided each application is scientifically distinct.  Only one application can be funded per applicant.

APPLICATION FORMAT AND SUBMISSION
The application should be submitted as a single PDF file to the OK-INBRE Program at OKINBRE@OUHSC.EDU by October 31, 2024, at 5:00pm.   Late proposals will not be reviewed. Please be sure to route your applications through the appropriate administrative office at your institution prior to submission. A complete OK-INBRE Mini Grant application includes the sections outlined below.  All forms and sections must be completed according to the NIH Application Guide. Applications should be prepared using Arial (11 point, 10 pitch font), single spaced, with minimum 0.5-inch margins.    

FORM PAGE 1: FACE PAGE
This form is required for NIH project approval and must be filled out in its entirety and signed by an authorized institutional official.  Be sure to indicate whether the project proposes to use vertebrate animals, human subjects, biohazardous organisms, or reagents.
FORM PAGE 2: PROJECT SUMMARY, RELEVANCE, SITE, KEY PERSONNEL
This form provides the project summary/abstract, relevance, performance site, and key personnel.  Be sure to indicate whether the project proposes use of human embryonic stem cells.
FORM PAGE 3: BUDGET AND BUDGET JUSTIFICATION
The budget period is 3/1/2025 – 2/28/2026.  Maximum direct cost for the project is $30,000. Grant funds may not be used to pay the salary of another individual for course release time.  Travel to one professional meeting for the PI and students may be requested, not to exceed $2,000 per year.  The following institutions will be required to waive F&A: East Central University, Rogers State University, University of Science and Arts of Oklahoma, Northwestern Oklahoma State University, Oklahoma Panhandle State University. Awards at these institutions will be funded by the Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education. 
NIH BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH
Provide a biosketch for the PPL.  Include a list of grant applications for the last three years and funding outcomes. Please follow the current NIH format: Biosketch Format Pages.
SPECIFIC AIMS
Limited to ONE PAGE. Describe the goals of the proposed research and expected outcomes, including the impact that the results of the proposed research will have on the research field(s) involved.
RESEARCH STRATEGY
Limited to FOUR PAGES. Illustrations or figures may be included but will be counted against the page limitation. The Research Strategy should address the Background and Significance, Innovation, and the Approach/Experimental Plan.
BIBLIOGRAPHY AND REFERENCES CITED
PROGRESS RESULTING FORM PRIOR OK-INBRE FUNDING
Limited to ONE PAGE. Applicants who have been previously funded by OK-INBRE Mini, Collaborative, or Research Project Investigator Awards should briefly describe the progress and outcomes achieved from data generated through OK-INBRE support. Also describe how the additional funding will be crucial for publication, proposal submission or new collaborations. 
PLAN FOR REASSIGNMENT TIME FOR THE PILOT PROJECT LEADER
It is required that the PPL devotes at least three person months (25% effort) to the proposed research activities. An institutionally endorsed plan briefly outlining how the reassignment time will be provided must be included with the application.
LETTERS OF SUPPORT
Letters from research collaborators, department Chairs, consultants and others are allowed. For non-tenure track or consecutive-term faculty, a letter of support or justification from the Departmental Chair is required. The letter must indicate that the institution has provided resources (e.g., startup funding, independent lab space, protected time for research) for the faculty member to successfully carry out the OK-INBRE project, and that the institution is committed to support the faculty member in their position for the foreseeable future so that the faculty member may continue to develop their research program and apply for external grant funding.
FACILITIES AND OTHER RESOURCES
Limited to TWO PAGES. Describe how the scientific environment in which the research will be done contributes to the probability of success (e.g., institutional support, physical resources). Include resources for both the investigator and collaborator.
CAREER ADVISOR (Optional)
Limited to ONE PAGE. Applicants may identify a career advisor from the applicant institution. A brief written plan describing the contribution of the advisor to the career advancement of the applicant, along with any planned activities the applicant will take part in to foster his/her career development. 
DATA SHARING PLAN
NIH policy requires that the results and accomplishments of the activities that it funds should be made available to the public.  NIH researchers are required to prospectively submit a plan outlining how scientific data from their research will be managed and shared. An optional form is available at: Writing a Data Management and Sharing Plan.
HUMAN SUBJECT AND VERTEBRATE ANIMAL USE APPROVALS (if applicable)
Human and Animal Use Approvals are not required at the time of submission, but the approval and all information required by NIH must be in place before the project can be submitted to the NIH for approval and work on the project can begin.  If the project involves vertebrate animals, provide the following in your proposal: 1) a description of procedures; 2) justification for model used; 3) address minimization of pain and distress; and 4) method of euthanasia. See the NIH guidance on the Vertebrate Animals Section for more information.  For research involving human subjects, provide a description of the protection of human subjects for each of the following sections:1) Risks to Human Subjects; 2) Adequacy of Protection against Risks; 3) Potential Benefits of the Proposed Research to Research Participants and Others; 4) Importance of the Knowledge to be Gained.
SELECT AGENT RESEARCH (if applicable)
Select agents are hazardous biological agents and toxins that HHS or USDA have identified as having the potential to pose a severe threat to public health and safety, to animal and plant health, or to animal and plant products. Information can be found at: NIH Select Agent Information
REGULATORY ITEMS (if applicable)
Regulatory items include IBC, conflict of interest, radioisotope usage, etc.
KEY BIOLOGICAL AND/OR CHEMICAL RESOURCES (if applicable)
Describe the methods/procedures for validating the identity of significant biological/chemical agents used. Key biological and/or chemical resources refers to established reagents or resources that will be used in the proposed research. For help, visit the Authentication of Key Biological and/or Chemical Resources Notice on this topic.
APPENDIX
An appendix containing other materials, data or other information is NOT ALLOWED.

APPLICATION REVIEW INFORMATION
The review will consist of a panel of expert biomedical research scientists who will provide input on each proposal and recommend whether an application should be considered for funding. The application will be ranked according to its scientific merit using the NIH scale of 10 to 90 with 10 being the theoretical perfect score.Upon completion of the peer review process, each applicant will be provided with a critique of the project. The scientific merit review will be based on the following criteria:
1.Feasibility and scientific merit
2.Soundness of the approach and research design
3.Quality and appropriateness of data analyses
4.Qualifications and experience of the investigator
5.The role played by undergraduate/graduate students/postdocs/fellows in the proposed research
6.Potential of the research to leverage into a national, state, or foundation application
7.Previous publication and grant submission productivity of the applicant

TERMS OF AWARD
For selected projects involving human subjects or vertebrate animals, all Institutional Review Board (IRB), Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC) approvals must be secured before the project can be submitted to NIH for approval and work on the project can begin.  A brief progress report will be required near the end of the project period to disclose scientific progress, utilization of OK-INBRE-funded equipment, manuscripts published, submitted, and in preparation, grant submissions, students/postdoctoral fellows mentored, conference participation, resulting intellectual property, new jobs created, and any press releases or newsworthy articles.  Publications and abstracts must acknowledge funding from the Oklahoma IDeA Network of Biomedical Research Excellence and cite grant number P20GM103447.

QUESTIONS
For questions about this Funding Opportunity Announcement or the application submission process, please contact the OK-INBRE program at OKINBRE@OUHSC.EDU. 

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