The College of Health Sciences and Professions
Interdisciplinary Research Project Grant
PROPOSAL COVER/SIGNATURE PAGE
Title of project:
Principal investigator (CHSP Group I):
PI Address:
PI Phone and Email:
Co-principal investigator(s):
Co-PI Address:
Co-PI Phone and Email:
Start/end dates: May 1, 2015 through May 30, 2016.
(Principal investigator's signature)
(Co-principal investigator's signature)
(Typewritten name)
(Typewritten name)
(Name College )
(Name of College)
(Chair/Director’s signature)
(Chair/Director’s signature)
(Type Chair/Director’s name)
(Type Chair/Director’s name)
(Type name of College
(Type name of College)
(Date)
(Date)
The College of Health Sciences and Professions
Interdisciplinary Research Award (CHSP-IRPG)
I.
REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS & CALENDAR
A. Purpose. The primary purpose of the College of Health Sciences and Professions’
Interdisciplinary Research Project Grant (CHSP-IRPG) is to provide seed money of up to
$10,000 for an interdisciplinary research project led by a CHSP Group I pretenure
faculty member addressing bench, bedside, or community health research questions.
Different programs within a given school or department–or different disciplines across
schools/departments or colleges–are eligible to apply if the proposal demonstrates how
the collaboration of disciplines/programs enhances the ability to solve research problems
that could not be accomplished in a strictly disciplinary line of research.
B. Goals.
1. Encourage interdisciplinary partnerships;
2. Facilitate grants leadership experience among CHSP’s pretenure Group I faculty
investigators;
3. Position scholars to seek larger extramural grants.
C. Preference will be given to:
1. Proposals that clearly and persuasively articulate how the proposed is novel and
significant due to its interdisciplinary approach between or among investigators
engaged in bench, bedside and/or community health research; and
2. Individuals/teams planning to seek larger extramural grants for their interdisciplinary
research.
D. Funding available: A maximum of $20,000; up to two (2) CHSP-IRPG proposals may
funded in this cycle.
Calendar:
 On or before last Friday in January: Scholarly Activity Award Committee in place.
 On or before last Friday in January: Nomination due from department chair or school
director.
 February 18, 2015: Nominee submits complete set of materials to CHSP Dean’s


Office.*
April 17, 2015: CHSP Awards Ceremony.
Funding period for the award: 12 months: May 1, 2015 through May 30, 2016.
*Combine all pages into one(1) pdf document and submit to hornerj@ohio.edu
2
CHSP Interdisciplinary Research Project Grant (2015-2016)
PART II: IMPORTANT INFORMATION
A.
B.
C.
D.
E.
F.
G.
H.
Eligibility
Lack of eligibility
Reservation
Expenditure of Award Funds
Review Committee
Potential Conflict of Interest
Confidentiality
Funding Considerations
A.
Eligibility.
1. The principal investigator will be a CHSP full-time Group I pretenure faculty
member, leading a project with a co-investigator or a team of research investigators.
The research project must represent the collaboration of at least two academic
disciplines or program areas;
2. Proposals should articulate research aims that require an interdisciplinary
collaboration, and an approach/ methodology that explicitly describes how the
interdisciplinary collaboration will achieve the research aims;
3. Significant pilot work is eligible;
4. Proposals must articulate a plan to apply for an extramural research grant; and,
5. Projects must be accompanied by a letter of support from the Chair/Director of each
(co)investigator’s department/school to assure that the scholarly focus is consistent
with promotion and tenure policies of each department/school and college, and to
assure that the co-investigators have sufficient time and resources to fulfill the
purposes of the grant.
B.
Lack of Eligibility.
1. CHSP-IRPG funds will not be provided to projects relating primarily to teaching,
personal development, or administrative functioning.
2. Projects that are part of an advanced degree program of the applicants will not be
considered unless all eligibility criteria are met.
3. Projects for curriculum development or the purchase of instructional equipment will
not be considered.
4. Projects funded by other sources (intramural or extramural) are not eligible, unless
the proposal provides highly persuasive reasons for supplemental funding.
C.
Reservation. The CHSP Dean reserves the right to fund one or more proposal, or no
proposals; the right to suspend the program due to lack of funding availability or other
reasons; and, if an award is made, to adjust the budget requested. Furthermore, if
serious deficiencies in progress are noted at the time of the progress report, the Dean
may elect to curtail/withdraw funding.
D.
Expenditure of award funds. Award funds must be expended during the 12-month
period stipulated in the award letter. Unused funds will be returned to CHSP at the
conclusion of the 12-month funding period. There will be no exceptions.
3
CHSP Interdisciplinary Research Project Grant (2015-2016)
E.
Review committee. Proposals will be reviewed by the CHSP Scholarly Activity Award
Committee comprised of faculty representatives from each of CHSP
Department/Schools.
F.
Potential conflict of interest. CHSP Scholarly Activity Award Committee members will
be expected to acknowledge potential conflicts of interest that may unduly influence their
evaluation of individual proposals under consideration. Committee members will be
excused from discussing or voting on proposals if, for example, the committee member
is an applicant, or if the committee member is a spouse, partner, mentor/trainee, a coauthor, or a co-investigator of the applicant. Applicants concerned about potential
conflicts of interest on the part of any committee member are welcome to express those
concerns in confidence to the Associate Dean for Research.
G.
Confidentiality. The standard for peer-review of grant proposals is that members of the
review committee will respect the confidentiality of all proposals reviewed, including the
substance of the proposals, the credentials of contributing faculty, the final merit review
appraisal, and any information of a novel or proprietary nature.
H.
Funding considerations. The maximum dollar amount for a CHSP-IRPG is $10,000.
Projects funded by other sources (intramural or extramural funding entities) are not
eligible, absent a persuasive proposal regarding need for supplemental funding. CHSPIRPG funds may be used, with appropriate justification, for the following:
1. Up to 20% of the budget may be allocated to summer salary support for the CHSP
P.I.
2. Up to 10% of the budget may be allocated to travel for the purpose of disseminating
the project grant findings.
3. Graduate hourly hires are permissible; Graduate Assistant employees are eligible
only if the school/department will commit to providing the tuition waiver.
4. Other eligible costs include:
a) Reasonable hourly rate for other key non-faculty personnel or consultants;
b) Supplies and small equipment (no single item may be >$5,000);
c) Participant costs (human or animal);
4
CHSP Interdisciplinary Research Project Grant (2015-2016)
PART III: PROPOSAL PREPARATION GUIDELINES
A. Proposal (10 pages maximum)
1. Proposal Cover/Signature Page (1 page)
2. Cover Letter by Applicant (1 page)
3. Support Letter by PI’s Chair/Director (1 page)
4. Narrative (5 pages)
5. Detailed Budget and Justification (2 pages)
B. Supplementary material (no page limit)
1. Biosketches for PI and major faculty collaborators
2. Reference List
3. Appendices
C. Evaluation Criteria
D. Reporting Requirements and Other Expectations
Basic proposal requirements include:
1.
2.
3.
4.
Use an Arial, 11 points.
Use single-spaces throughout the proposal; double-space before major headings.
Do not count the biosketches, reference list, or appendices in the total.
In the Appendix, include a letter of support from each of the major collaborators, and
other key personnel or contributors.
5. Consolidate all parts of proposal into one document (PDF) for the purpose of electronic
submission to CHSP’s Associate Dean for Research hornerj@ohio.edu.
A. Proposal (10-page limit).
1. Proposal cover/signature page (provided); the cover page is page 1 of the
proposal. Signatures should be obtained by the applicant and are required only on
the original copy (and a version scanned to PDF).
2. Cover letter by applicant (single-spaced, maximum 1 page; the cover letter is
page 2 of the proposal). Briefly describe the purpose, specific objectives and
approach. Describe the interdisciplinary collaboration and its novelty and
significance. If the PI has existing funding (start-up funding, intramural Ohio
University grants; extramural grants) explain how the CHSP internal grant award is
essential for project completion. Finally, explain the plan for submitting an extramural
grant proposal at the end of the project year.
3. Letter of support from principal investigator’s chair or school director (singlespaced, maximum 1 page). The Chair/Director should express support for the
importance of the proposed interdisciplinary project, the need for funding through the
CHSP-IRPG mechanism, and support for the proposed line of research in the
context of the PI’s annual performance plan, promotion and tenure progress, and
other considerations.
4. Narrative (single-spaced, limit 5 pages). The interdisciplinary research proposal
should clearly address objectives, methodology, procedures, and interpretation of
5
CHSP Interdisciplinary Research Project Grant (2015-2016)
results. This section should not exceed seven (5) single-spaced pages and should
address the following areas, using the headings below.
a. Rationale & specific aims. What do you intend to do? Describe precisely the
aims, the hypotheses (if applicable), and what will be accomplished by this
project.
b. Research strategy with the following components.
i.
Significance
ii.
Approach
iii.
Innovation
iv.
Investigators
v.
Facilities/Environment
5. Detailed budget and justification (2 page limit). The maximum award is $10,000.
All budgetary items must be justified as to their relevance to the project. Enter dollar
amount of requested funds and state intended use of these funds on the budget
page. Do not include fund requests that will be covered from sources other than
CHSP-IRPG. Do not request funds for computer, secretarial services, publication
page charges, or reprint costs, as these are not eligible for payment with CHSPIRPG funds.
a. Personnel:
i.
Salary: Up to 20% of the budget may be allocated to support the CHSP
P.I. during the summer. Regular 9-month salary is not eligible under this
CHSP-IRPG mechanism. If more than one CHSP investigator is involved
in this project, the combined salary support may not exceed 20% of the
budget.
ii.
Student research assistant stipend or wages: Graduate hourly student
hires are permissible, but graduate assistant employees are not eligible
unless the school/department agrees to provide tuition waiver(s).
iii.
Other key personnel (e.g., collaborators, consultants): Reasonable
hourly remuneration is eligible for funding, with justification. The role
and/or task of any personnel on the project must be defined in the budget
justification.
b. Travel: Up to 10% may be used for travel to disseminate findings. In the
Detailed Budget, travel expenses must be broken down into the intended
scientific conference (name/location), registration fee, transportation, meals, and
lodging categories. This CHSP-IRPG will not provide support for activities of a
professional development nature such as attendance at short-courses, symposia
and conferences.
c. Consumable supplies/small equipment: Describe the item, the item’s purpose,
and the cost. No item may exceed $5,000.
d. Participant costs. To the extent that the interdisciplinary research project incurs
costs for participation of animals or humans, and the project is approved by the
6
CHSP Interdisciplinary Research Project Grant (2015-2016)
institution’s IACUC or IRB, these costs are allowable within this CHSP-IRPG
mechanism.
e. Total: Enter total dollar amount requested (may not exceed $10,000).
B.
Supplementary material (not included in proposal page limit).
1. Biographical Sketches (limit each biosketch to 2 pages for the principal
investigator (Group I CHSP faculty member; lead investigator) and all other
major faculty collaborators). Biosketch should include name, highest academic
degree, position at the University, experience, and recent publications and
accomplishments of the applicant. Do not list memberships, participation in
workshops or conferences, courses taught, scholarships, or committee memberships
unless they have direct relevance to the proposed study or project. Include all grants
previously funded (include sponsor, principal investigator or other role on the project,
the title of the grant, date of award, and dollar amount). List all proposals submitted
to outside agencies for this or any other research project within the past three years,
whether funded or unfunded. If the proposed work is part of a long-range study or
effort, indicate potential sponsors for continuation support.
2. Reference list (no page limit; include cited articles only; single-spaced). A
carefully selected bibliography should be presented as appropriate to strengthen the
proposal by demonstrating that the applicant is aware of significant and current
literature in the field. The author should cite only those references used in the
proposal.
3. Appendices (no page limit). Attach letters of support from co-investigators and
relevant support units in the appendix. If applicable, letters from any agencies or
institutions involved in the project, indicating their willingness to participate or offer inkind support, should be included in this section. If they significantly strengthen the
proposal, the P.I. may include copies of test instruments, questionnaires, or survey
forms that will be employed. Submit only essential appendices as part of the
electronic submission; do not include reprints. If the review committee desires
additional information, they will request.
C. Evaluation criteria.1 The review committee will consider these factors.
Significance: Does this proposal address an important problem amenable to
interdisciplinary investigation? If the aims are achieved, will scientific knowledge
or the creative endeavor be advanced? Will the proposal have a significant effect
on the methods, technologies, treatments, services or preventive interventions
that drive the relevant scholarly discipline? The rater should consider the
probability that the proposed activity will lead to future external funding and/or
refereed publication(s).
Approach: Is the conceptual, clinical or creative framework, design, methods and
analysis adequately developed, well integrated, well-reasoned and appropriate to
1
NIH’s Enhanced Review Criteria. Retrieved December 17, 2010, from http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/notice-files/NOT-OD-09025.html; NIH Scoring Guidelines retrieved December 17, 2010, from
http://grants.nih.gov/grants/peer/guidelines_general/scoring_system_and_procedure.pdf
7
CHSP Interdisciplinary Research Project Grant (2015-2016)
the aims of the project? Do the applicants acknowledge potential problem areas
and consider alternative tactics?
Innovation: Is the proposed interdisciplinary project original and innovative? For
example, does the project challenge existing paradigms or creative approaches,
address an innovative hypothesis or creative technique or critical barrier to
progress in the discipline? Does the project develop or employ novel concepts,
approaches, methodologies, tools, or technologies for this area?
Investigators: Are the investigators appropriately trained and well suited to carry out
this work? Is the work proposed appropriate to the experience level of the
principal investigator and other researchers? Does the team bring
complementary and integrated expertise to the project? The rater should
consider the applicants’ training, past performance record, and estimated
potential for future accomplishment.
Environment: Does the scientific/creative environment in which the work will be done
contribute to the probability of success? Does the proposed study/creative
endeavor benefit from unique features of the environment, or employ useful
collaborative arrangements?
Other: (a) How the successful completion of this interdisciplinary project will enhance
the reputation of the applicant, Ohio University, and the larger community of
scholars; (b) evidence that applicant has sought, is seeking, or will seek other
sources of support outside the University.
Overall merit score. In light of the purposes, goals, and preferences of this
Interdisciplinary Research Award mechanism, each proposal will be judged on its
own scientific and technical merit, while the ultimate recommendation for funding
will consider the relative merit of competing proposals. After reviewing all
proposals according to the above criteria, the review committee member will
score each proposal on its overall merit using the following scoring system: 1
(exceptionally strong) to 9 (serious and substantive weaknesses), or, if it
chooses, merely rank order the proposals (as agreed upon among the chair and
committee members).
Final rating. The CHSP Scholarly Activity Award Committee Chair will rate proposals,
either by consensus or by simple majority of the reviewers as:
Recommend highly for funding;
Recommend for possible funding; or
Do not recommend for funding.
Recommendation to the Dean. For proposals rated as “recommend highly for funding,”
the chair of the CHSP Scholarly Activity Award Committee Chair will send a
funding recommendation to the CHSP Dean. This CHSP-IRPG mechanism has
$20,000 available, so up to two meritorious proposals may be funded. When
multiple proposals are highly ranked, the committee will provide a rank order
based on merit. Based on the Dean’s review of the peer review information, the
original proposals, and the availability of funds, the CHSP Dean will make final
decisions regarding whether to fund any individual proposal.
8
CHSP Interdisciplinary Research Project Grant (2015-2016)
D. Reporting requirements and other expectations.
1. Final report (4-5 pages, single-spaced). No later than 90 days following the
expiration of the funding period (September 30), the applicant will send the draft of
the extramural research proposal (the primarily “deliverable” as a condition of
accepting this research grant). Send to CHSP Associate Dean for Research.
2. Unused funds. At the conclusion of the 12-month funding period, unused funds
must be returned to CHSP.
3. Notification of the college. CHSP has an expectation that when the project comes
to fruition in the form of peer-reviewed publication, or extramural grant award, the
principal investigator(s) agrees to notify CHSP with the citation details.
4. Acknowledgment of the college. CHSP shall be acknowledged as the funding
source in any publication or presentation.
Date printed: October 13, 2014
Inquiries: Associate Dean for Research, Dean’s Office, W380 Grover, 740.597.1263, hornerj@ohio.edu .
9
CHSP Interdisciplinary Research Project Grant (2015-2016)