Frequently Asked Questions re Award Opportunities at Advance RI-CTR-N

Below are a list of questions from prospective applicants to our Health Research Core Award Programs.

If you have a question that is not addressed below, please email us at AdvanceRI@brown.edu.

Eligibility Questions

Q: Who is eligible for Advance RI-CTR-N Awards?

• While funding for each mechanism can have additional eligibility criteria, the standard criteria for PIs is that they must be part of Brown University, URI and/or part of a partner Health System (Brown University Health Care New England, or the Providence Veterans Medical Center).
• PIs must be Faculty or Clinical Fellows
• Faculty can be PhDs, MDs, DO, PharmD, etc. but must hold a faculty appointment at Brown University or the University of Rhode Island
• Clinical Fellows must meet the NIH criteria (PhD fellows are not eligible) and must be employed by one of our partner health systems. More information on clinical fellow eligibility can be found below.

Q: Who qualifies as a “Clinical Fellow”?

• We are using the NIH criteria which means applicants must be graduates of an accredited medical, dental, or osteopathic school. They must have completed a prescribed period of post-graduate training (such as an approved internship or at least one year of an ACGME-accredited residency).

Q: Can PhD post-doctoral fellows apply

• Unfortunately, no per the NIH criteria above, PhD fellows are not able to apply as clinical fellows. However, if you have a pending faculty appointment beginning before or around the time the project would begin, please reach out to see if you would be eligible under the faculty criteria.

Q: Can those with K awards apply for the Pilot or Developmental Awards?

•  There are no restrictions on current or former K-awardees applying. However, be mindful of budgetary/scientific overlap and what is allowable in your specific circumstances

Q: Can someone with current or previous NIH R-award apply for the Developmental Project Awards?

• Yes, they are eligible to apply for this award.

Q: I’m not sure if I am eligible. Who should I contact?

• Contact Emily Mercer (emily_mercer@brown.edu) explaining your specific circumstances.

Application Questions

Q: Can I submit the same application for multiple awards?

• No, you must select one category for the application.

Q: Can I submit an application for the Pilot and Mentored Scholar categories? Can I submit one application for both the Pilot and Mentored Scholar categories with the Pilot covering my research and the Mentored Scholar covering the FTE for the research?

• No, you must select one category to apply for.

Q: Can I be awarded two types of awards at the same time?

• No, NIGMS restricts IDeA funding to one award per investigator at a time.

Q: How do I gain access to UFunds?

• If you have a Brown email, you can access UFunds with that SSO
• If you do not have a Brown email, contact Emily Mercer (emily_mercer@brown.edu) to have a login created.

Collaboration and Mentor Questions

Q: Can I collaborate out of state?

• Collaborators cannot be from non-IDeA program states. Such collaborations would require cost-share from the non-IDeA state
• Non-IDeA states can receive funds in a fee-for-service situation

Q: Can I apply with a collaborator from the same department, discipline or institution?

• While collaborators may be from the same department, discipline or institution, we strongly encouraged interdepartmental, interdisciplinary and inter-institutional collaborations

Q: Can an MPI also serve as the mentor?

• Yes, the same faculty member can serve as an MPI and Mentor.

Q: Should mentors be senior faculty or can they be junior faculty?

• Mentors are expected to be at the Associate Professor or Professor rank (or equivalent) unless there is compelling reason to have an Assistant Professor (or equivalent) as a mentor (e.g., unique expertise in relevant methodology or research technique). 
• Ultimately, the reviewers will look at the mentoring team overall to ensure it makes sense for both the proposed research and the applicant.

Budget Questions

Q: What is funding approval and start date contingent upon?

• Funding is contingent on various approvals ranging from institutional level approvals up to NIGMS approvals. 

Q: Do the Pilot and Developmental projects allow for effort to be budgeted?

• Yes, effort can be included in the budget. All PIs must have some effort on the project whether that be covered by the Advance RI-CTR-N funds, or a cost-share from the PI’s department.

Q:  Is requesting funding for equipment in the scope of the pilot grants?

• Budgeting equipment (defined as durable items valued at $5,000+) is not allowed for this award mechanism