The Office for Research and Graduate Education announces the availability of Bridge Funding Grants (BFGs) to provide interim research support for investigators whose extramural funding is ending. Because federal awards that provide full indirect costs generate much of the funding pool for this program, applications bridging similar awards (i.e., full indirect cost rates) will be prioritized.

Applications are accepted on a rolling basis, as described below.

Eligibility

  • PIs whose competing renewal was reviewed extramurally but not funded.
  • Career Development Awards and administrative components of Program Project or Center grants are not eligible for BFG support. R03 and R21 grant applications, regardless of submission status, are also not eligible.
  • The principal investigator (bridge funding applicant) must have a critique for the application advanced for bridge funding and must have a resubmission opportunity available and a strategy and timeline well-articulated in the request.
  • Bridge funding is available to HSC faculty at the level of Assistant Professor and above.

General Guidelines and Restrictions

  • The amount and duration of each award will be based on the reasonable ongoing costs for the project, not to exceed $75,000 and 18 months. All requests must be clearly justified.
  • Bridge funding may not be used to support PI or Co-I salaries or student stipends.
  • Allowable expenditures include funding of technical staff and postdocs, as well as laboratory supplies. Travel specifically required for the project is also acceptable (but not travel to a scientific meeting). Purchase of capital equipment is prohibited.
  • If the BFG-supported project is extramurally funded during the bridging period, remaining BFG funds will be returned to the Research and Graduate Education office.
  • Simultaneous requests for support from a Department or Center for the same project must be disclosed in the application.
  • The PI must agree to internal review of the application prior to re-submission by the HSC Internal Study Section review panel.  This pre-review is a requirement and Bridge funding is contingent upon this agreement. The HSC internal study section provides constructive feedback in a timely manner to support increased competitiveness of extramural proposals.

Review Process and Criteria

  • Applications may be submitted at any time.
  • The Office of Research and Graduate Education will rely heavily on the NIH summary statements, or equivalent agency reviews, associated with each application.
  • Grants receiving enthusiastic reviews from the extramural agency (a 25th percentile, or comparable score from an agency other than NIH) will be prioritized for immediate funding.
  • For all applications, consideration for funding will focus on:
    • The strength of the plan to address concerns raised in the external reviews.
    • Other concerns that may affect the competitiveness of a revised proposal.
    • Appropriateness and justification of the budget.
    • IRB, IACUC, and IBC concerns or questions.
  • Funding decisions will usually be made within 2 weeks of applicant submission.

As the total pool of available bridge funds is limited, not all applications can receive bridge funding. The Senior Associate Vice President for Research and Graduate Education will make final funding decisions. In addition to a summary statement and clear plan for revision and resubmission, the impact of the work on building teams around thematic areas of emphasis at the HSC will be considered. Priority will be given to those studies that have broad impact versus those limited to a single laboratory/PI.

Required Application Components (as PDF files) for all applications

  • The extramural proposal for which bridging is requested.
  • The entire summary statement from the review of the A0/A1 version.
  • A one- to three-page statement detailing how the review critiques will be addressed.
  • Agency and deadline for re-submission.
  • Recommendation of external reviewer/s for revised application prior to re-submission.
  • Brief statement of how bridge funding will increase the likelihood of extramural funding.
  • A statement from the Department Chairperson or Center/Institute Director describing their direct interaction with the PI to discuss the status of the project, and their assessment of the PI's plans for revision and resubmission. In addition, Chairs should indicate resources that have been, or will be, allocated to the PI for the purpose of improving the proposal's competitiveness. 
  • Budget justification and deadline for resubmission.
  • Bridge Grant Cover Sheet

Completed Applications

Completed applications must be submitted electronically to Logan Miller.

Research Forrest