Student Diversity Research Awards (SDRA)

• Tenured and tenure-track faculty at Kentucky Colleges and Universities engaged in research potentially fundable by the National Institutes Health. 

• Faculty from the University of Louisville and University of Kentucky are not eligible. 

• Supported undergraduate students must qualify as (a) member(s) of an underrepresented population (see link).

• Postbaccalaureate students are eligible for a SDRA given they meet the following conditions:

  • • Are taking a "gap year" immediately after earning their degree.

    • There should be an intent to apply to graduate school.

    • Postbac students must maintain a student status. 

    • Must qualify as (a) member(s) of an underrepresented population (see link above). 

Awards

• Requests for funding may include expenses for supplies, equipment, use of core facilities, travel, and student salaries (summer and/or academic year). 

• Awards will be limited to a maximum of $10,000 in direct costs for one-year (no more than 5 grants will be awarded per year). 

• Awards begin on May 1st and end on April 30th.

• Facilities and administrative (F&A) costs are allowable in addition to direct costs. 

• The faculty-investigator/mentor must identify undergraduate student(s), who are members of underrepresented populations, to serve as research associates. 

• Candidate Eligibility Statement: A signed statement from an institutional official establishing the eligibility of the students for support under this program is required.

• The students must be involved in all aspects of the proposed research (experimental design, execution, analysis, dissemination of results) of the submitted proposal.

• Both faculty and students must be registered in eRA (NIH) Commons.

• Applications for faculty and students must include NIH Biosketches.

• Applicants planning to use human or animal subjects in their research must submit an official institutional IRB or IACUC protocol approval along with their research proposal.

• The faculty mentor/PI must provide student tracking information to the KY INBRE office for a period of five years after the project period ends.

• Students are also encouraged to present their research at regional or national meetings. In this case, the student may apply for additional travel support from the KY INBRE.

• Faculty and student awardees are expected to publish the research results in a peer-reviewed PubMed journal and faculty are encouraged to submit an NIH R15 or R16 SURE-First proposal to support continuation of their research.

• All publications and presentations must acknowledge support from NIGMS grant # P20GM103436.

• Awardees must submit an annual progress report to the KY INBRE office. 

• A letter of intent to apply with the anticipated proposal title should be submitted by the annually announced due date.

• Students are expected to present their research progress at the KY INBRE Annual Research Conference. Expenses to attend this conference will be covered.

KY INBRE Program staff will review requests for Student Diversity Research Awards to determine their overall merit. The administrative review criteria described below will be considered in the review process: 

• • The qualifications of the student candidate(s) including career goals, research potential, and any relevant experience. 

  • The qualifications of the mentor including research and evidence of adequate mentoring experience and success. 

  • The plan and timeline for the proposed research and career development experiences.

  • Relevance of the research to the NIH mission.

  • Evidence that the proposed experience will expand and foster the research capabilities, knowledge, and/or skills of the candidate(s). 

  • Evidence that the activities of the candidate(s) will be an integral part of the project, including their participation in the execution, analysis, and reporting of the research.

  • Evidence that the candidate(s) will receive research career mentoring. 

  • If the mentor has received previous KY INBRE funding, evidence of research progress will be evaluated (e.g., publications, student accomplishments, or external grant proposal submissions).

Submission

A letter of intent to apply with the anticipated title should be sent by the annually announced due date.

All proposal components should be saved as a single, flattened PDF and submitted via email by the posted due date.

Letters of intent and completed proposals should be sent via email to the KY INBRE Program Coordinator, Dr. Bruce Mattingly, email.

If any additional clarification is needed, please contact your institutional lead faculty (if applicable), the KY INBRE Program Coordinator: Dr. Bruce Mattingly, email or the KY INBRE Principal Investigator: Dr. Martha Bickford, email.

Assemble your application in the order listed below using the NIH PHS 398 forms available here. NIH “Instructions for Grant Applications using PHS 398” should be followed unless other specific instructions are given below. Incomplete proposals will be returned without review.

Required components:

1. • Form page 1 – Face Page – signed by authorized institutional official

   • Form page 2 – Summary, relevance, project/performance sites, senior personnel, etc

   • Biographical Sketch for each candidate. The personal statement section should include a description of the candidate’s academic major/minor, GPA and credit hours to date, scientific interests, specific research objectives, and career goals. If the candidate has no previous research experience, the “Contributions to Science” section may be omitted. State if the candidate has received any current or previous grant support; if the candidate has, include the grant title or number and inclusive dates of support.

   • Biographical Sketch for each faculty investigator who will contribute to the research mentoring. The personal statement section should include a description of the investigator’s experience and track record as a mentor. If the investigator lacks experience, it may be appropriate to include an experienced co-mentor.

   • Facilities and other Resources. Identify the facilities to be used (laboratory, clinical, animal, computer, office, other). If appropriate, indicate their capacities, pertinent capabilities, relative proximity and extent of availability to the project. Describe only those resources that are directly applicable to the proposed work.

   • Form Page 4: Detailed budget and justification

   • Budget Justification

   • Specific Aims (1 page maximum)

   • Research Strategy (not to exceed 6 pages)

The research strategy should include the following 3 components:

1. • 1. Description of the Research to be conducted (not to exceed 3 pages). This should include rationale and hypotheses, experimental approaches, and expected/alternative outcomes of the proposed studies. Preliminary data are not required.

     2. Research Training Activities for the Candidate(s) (not to exceed 2 page). Describe how the student(s) will be involved and supervised in conducting hands-on, rigorous research, including their participation in the execution, analysis, and reporting of the research. Explain how the appointment of the candidate(s) will further the goals of the NIH’s Interest in Diversity (NOT-OD-20-031). Describe how the mentored research will enhance and foster the research capabilities of the candidate(s). The plan should take into account any barriers and impediments encountered by the trainee(s) to ensure a successful entry and progression into the biomedical workforce. Include an integrated timeline detailing the proposed research activities and anticipated outcomes/milestones.

     3. Career Development Plan for the Candidate(s) (not to exceed 1 page). Describe how the mentor will assist the candidate(s) in achieving the objectives and goals described in their Biographical Sketch and facilitate transition to the next stage of their research career. Provide details of the interactions between the candidate and mentor(s), research team and professional colleagues relevant to the overall research experience. The career development plan should be structured, specific and stage-appropriate for the candidate and include parameters such as the frequency of meetings, topics to be discussed, and how progress will be monitored. The timeline should include anticipated outcomes such submission of publications and/or conference presentations.

1. • References Cited

   • Support letters:

     1. Letter from Departmental Chair or Dean indicating support for the project and that mentor participation is approved.

     2. Candidate Eligibility Statement. The application should include a signed statement from the candidate, mentor, and an Authorized Signing Official regarding the candidate, including eligibility requirements as described in PA-21-071. The statement should also indicate that participation at the stated level of effort is approved and will not detract from or interfere with the student's course of studies.

     3. Human subjects (if applicable). IRB approval, human subjects protection section, Human Subjects Education Certification (CITI), and Targeted/Planned Enrollment Table.

     4. Vertebrate animals (if applicable). IACUC approval