Research@UIC > Funding Opportunities > The Chancellor's Discovery Fund for Multidisciplinary Pilot Research

The Chancellor's Discovery Fund for Multidisciplinary Research - FY2012 Competition

We are pleased to announce the fourth round of the Chancellor’s Discovery Fund for Multidisciplinary Research program.  This is a pilot grant program intended to support up to five new multidisciplinary collaborations led by emerging research leaders at UIC.  The purpose of this program is to foster academic inquiry that draws on the expertise and innovations of multiple disciplines, to nurture the research career trajectories of promising early stage investigators, and to help awardees leverage extramural funding.  This latest competition includes an incentive to encourage new interdisciplinary collaborations involving the humanities.

The Chancellor’s “Discovery Fund” program supports multidisciplinary pilot research projects in the Basic Life Sciences, Clinical Sciences, Natural Sciences & Engineering, and Social Sciences & the Humanities. This support is intended to:

• Help promising early stage investigators initiate multidisciplinary research on this campus;
• Provide seed money for research in new directions;
• Nurture new and emerging research partnerships; 
• Provide support for preliminary studies to improve the potential for attracting external research support;
• Provide modest resources for important research in fields for which external support is either quite limited or unavailable.

Applications are particularly encouraged from research teams which do not have an extensive history of past collaboration with each other.  New initiatives would generally be expected to seek sustaining extramural grant support upon completion of the campus funding.  Proposals in areas not currently funded by the federal government, but representing a unique strength at UIC, will be given active consideration. With these pilot grants, we invite you to explore new collaborations.

For information on previous Grant recipients, go to
http://tigger.uic.edu/depts/ovcr/research/funding/discovery/awards.html.

Eligibility

• Proposals must have a minimum of two principal investigators.
• Principal Investigators must have a full-time (at least .8 FTE) faculty appointment.
• Tenure track and non-tenure track faculty are eligible to serve as PIs.
• At least one PI must be within eight years of her/his first career faculty appointment, as of the application deadline. This eight year time frame includes any time spent at non-UIC institutions.
• Proposals must have investigators from at least two distinctly different disciplines.
• As the intent of the program is to encourage new or nurture early stage collaborations among UIC investigators, any participation by non-UIC personnel should be limited, confined to the role of key personnel, and be well justified.
• There is no prohibition against serving as a PI on more than one proposal.

Competitive Multidisciplinary Collaborations

Multidisciplinary research has been described as bringing together different disciplines to focus on a defined problem, but keeping the disciplines distinct. Distinct disciplinary perspectives represent significant sources of strength to the overall research enterprise because each discipline has its own intellectual history, experimental and analytic approaches, and theoretical context that produce a unique way of thinking about a problem. (Source, "Interdisciplinary Research Centers -." National Center for Research Resources - NCRR. 17 July 2009 .)

• Do the PIs use similar concepts, methods and theoretical frameworks to considering the problem – or will they each bring some different or perhaps even unique approaches to the research question?
• How similar are the technologies to be used by the PIs?

A project that comes from only one college but represents two or more disciplines which do not have a strong tradition of working together could be viewed as more compelling than a proposal from three colleges with kindred disciplines and an established history of collaboration.

One intention of the Chancellor’s Discovery Fund initiative is to help cultivate relationships between researchers who may not have previously considered working together and to encourage researchers to look beyond traditional college or departmental partnerships. In general, it will count against a proposal if the PIs are only from one department, however large. However, if the applicants can make a strong case that this partnership capitalizes on unique UIC strengths, that the PIs will bring different theoretical perspectives to the problem, and this collaboration could lead to an important extramural grant that could not otherwise have been possible it might still be considered for funding.  

Awards

The Discovery Fund will award up to $30,000 over a two-year period; Up to $40,000 will be awarded if at least one PI is from a Humanities discipline.

Up to an additional $10,000 in funding is available for non-humanities PI projects if the application includes a 1:1 cash cost share from department or college sources. 

Approximately five grants will be awarded.

Deadlines

Letter of Intent

Application content and instructions

Application Instructions - General

• Forms: Applicants must use the provided forms and are encouraged to download Adobe Reader version 8.0 or later.
• Tips for completing forms accurately: (1) Save a copy of each form to your computer desktop before filling it out.  (2) Hit enter key after completing each field.

Application Instructions - Detailed

Content

1. Cover Page (PDF form): Approvals and certifications need not be in place at time of application. If necessary, attach Key Personnel form.
2. Signatures (PDF form):  Signatures are required for Principal Investigators and their respective unit heads. No signatures are required for Co-Is or key personnel. 
3. Response to prior reviews: 1 page, resubmissions only, highlighting any changes. Attach prior reviews.
4. Lay Summary: 1 page – Detailed Instructions Below
5. Narrative Summary (6 pages) - Detailed Instructions Below
6. Proposed Budget (PDF form) - Detailed Instructions Below
7. Budget Justification (PDF form)
8. CVs:  For PIs, Co-PIs, and Key Personnel. Up to 4 pages for each person, highlighting relevant qualifications to this proposal.  NSF or NIH biosketch-type formats are allowed.  If using NIH, personal statement section should be updated for this project.
9. Current and Pending Support  (PDF form):  PIs only, outline past five years of activity,  noting areas of potential funding overlap with this proposal.  Include internal and external sources of funding.  If additional forms are needed, please use the form and label “continuation”.  Do not include proposals submitted but not funded.
10. Department/College or other support letters - for cost share or other extraordinary contributions over which PIs have no control (e.g.  space, faculty time, and other resources  necessary to conduct proposal)
11. Appendices: Additional appendices should be limited to surveys, measurement instruments,  letters outlining administrative plans and agreements relevant to carrying out the research, and Department or College letters confirming investigator’s independence

Lay Summary

This should present a concise statement of what you are going to do, how you are going to do it, and why, in lay language suitable for a multidisciplinary review panel. The summary should:

1. Identify what issues or questions will be explored and the potential long-term societal impact and benefits.
2. Describe how the proposed work could be supported at a later date by an external agency, if appropriate.
3. Provide a summary time-line for the scholarship by major aims, goals, or milestones.
4. Define any terms that are unique to the proposal’s fields.
5. Highlight critical administrative plans and agreements that will be prerequisites for interdisciplinary collaboration.
6. Statement outlining department/college cost share or other commitments to the project.  This should include an explanation of how the Department Head/Dean will be involved in the ongoing external review of progress.

Narrative Summary 
The narrative summary can be single-spaced and should have a minimum of 12 point font and 3/4 inch margins.  The space allocated to figures, tables, etc. is not counted toward the six page limit. This should describe the proposed research including key questions, methodology, qualifications of key personnel, needed and available resources, timeline, and management.  Specifically, the following should be addressed in each proposal:

1. Significance and Intrinsic Merit:
   1. Multidisciplinary Approach
      Why pursuit of these questions will benefit from a multidisciplinary approach. As the intent of this program is to nurture new multidisciplinary research partnerships, describe why the composition of your research team may lead to new discoveries, significant advances, new technologies, or other broader impacts bringing distinction to UIC.  Discuss the how this new team was created, describe how it differs from or builds upon any past associations, and demonstrate why each contribution is essential.  Each PI’s expected role and responsibilities should be outlined.
   2. Nurture career trajectory of early career investigator
      Applications must demonstrate how a Discovery award would nurture the junior researcher(s) career trajectory and/or research program. 
      
      Proposals will be reviewed by multidisciplinary panels and reviewers may have different perceptions about the level of support commonly provided to various classes of junior, research, and clinical faculty.  As such, in some cases, it may bolster an application to include a letter/email in the appendix confirming a PI’s independence and/or access to resources. This letter should come from whoever has the authority to provide it. (See section 3. Resources)
   3. Leverage extramural funds
      Specific and credible plans for submission(s) to an external funding agency (if appropriate).  If available, applicant should identify the sponsor, specific program name, FOA/RFA number, mechanism (if any), anticipated deadline(s), or other information provided from correspondence with program officers, etc. If this information is not available, applicant should identify targets for inquiries/white papers and alternative strategies for securing extramural support.  Whenever possible, multiple sponsors (government, foundation, corporate, etc.) should be identified.
      
      
2. Methodology
   The major objectives and goals of the project should be described, including:
   1. The questions or problems to be addressed. 
   2. Specific strategies proposed to accomplish the specific aims of the project, noting the innovative aspects of the approach. Any new methodology and its advantage over existing methodologies should be described.
   3. Management plan that will serve to measure progress and optimize potential for completion in a timely manner.
      
      
3. Resources
   A description of the resources, working arrangements, and key administrative plans or agreements required to implement each project should be described.  The purpose of outlining key administrative plans and agreement is to demonstrate the PI will have access to resources - equipment, space, sites, material, research subjects, etc. -  outside of his/her control but necessary for the conduct of the research.  A distinction must be made between those resources that are already in place (including staff) and those resources that must be added to advance the project.

In some cases, it may help to include a letter/email in the appendix confirming the arrangement.  This letter should come from the department head, dean, or whoever has the authority to provide such a letter.  If the applicant is from the head’s lab, the letter should come from the dean.  Examples might include:

• Use of equipment managed by the UIC Research Resources Center
• Access to Chicago Park District facilities/special populations/subjects
• Access to special reagents, materials, or equipment managed by another organization
• Specific college or department resources:
• Currently available to complete the pilot research
• Pledged to complete the pilot research (dedicated space, protected faculty time, cost share funds, etc.).
• Future support for PI’s extramural submission based on the pilot data.

Budget

1. Allowable costs
   Applications require an appropriate budget with full justification of personnel, materials, supplies, equipment and other expenses necessary for the proposed project period.  Note:
   • Limited travel for purpose of professional meetings or essential collaboration may be approved.  
   • Equipment requests exceeding $2,000 must be matched on a 1:1 basis. 
   • Faculty salary support is not allowed. 
   • Graduate student salary and fringe benefits are eligible expenses. 
   • Indirect costs are not allowed except in the case of subcontracts to other institutions.
2. Factoring for Cost Share or Humanities
   In order to be eligible for up to an additional $10,000 in project support, a proposal must either include a cost share or a humanities PI.  Optional cost share must be firmly pledged at time of application and documented with a letter from the person(s) with authority over the resource.
   
   Cost share: Applicants can receive up to an additional $10,000 in grant funds if that $10,000 is cost shared in cash by the college or department.  Whatever amount is cost shared will be matched 1:1 by the program - up to $10,000.  Departments or colleges are encouraged to provide non-cash project support (e.g. dedicated space, etc.) but only cash cost share can be leveraged for additional program matching funds. Note:
   • Department/college cost share must be firmly committed at submission.
   • No cost share is required to receive a base award of $30,000.  The exception is if a budget includes equipment over $2,000.  Equipment purchases over $2,000 must be cost shared 1:1 by department/college sources. 
   • The maximum Discovery Award for non-humanities PI projects with program matching is $40,000.   
   • The maximum Seed Grant Award for humanities PI projects is $40,000.  Any additional departmental cost share, while encouraged, would not be matched by the Discovery fund.

   Cost sharing examples:

   • If your college/department cost shares $10,000:
         $30,000 base award
         $10,000 Department/College cost share
     + $10,000 additional 1:1 program match award
      = $50,000 project 
     
     

   • If your college/department cost shares $5,000:
         $30,000 base award
         $5,000 Department/College cost share
     + $5,000 additional 1:1 program match award
      = $40,000 project 
     
     

   • If your college/department cost shares $15,000:
          $30,000 base award
          $15,000 Department/College cost share
     +  $10,000 additional 1:1 program match award ($10K max)
      = $55,000 project 

   Proposals with Humanities PI

   • If your college/department cost shares $0 :
         $30,000 base award
         $0 Department/College cost share
     + $10,000 Humanities incentive
      = $40,000 project 
     
     

   • If your college/department cost shares $5,000 :
         $30,000 base award
         $   5,000 Department/College cost share
     + $10,000 Humanities incentive
      = $45,000 project

Submission

One electronic copy of the application should be submitted to the attention of Research Development Services at seedgrant@uic.edu. This should be a single consolidated file, not a series of attachments. This is an internal competition so do not attach a PAF and do not deliver to the Office of Research Services.

Review Process

Based upon the nature of a proposal, it may be reviewed by one - and possibly two - subcommittees of the Campus Research Board (CRB). The CRB subcommittee chairs will make preliminary recommendations to the Vice Chancellor for Research who will make a final recommendation to the Chancellor.    

Review Criteria

1. Significance/Intrinsic Merit: The overall quality, relevance and innovation of the work to be done; specifically:

   1. Multidisciplinary approach: Draws on the expertise and innovations of multiple disciplines;  The extent to which this collaboration represents a fresh, new teaming of personnel or expertise; Holds promise for fundamental advances, new discoveries, new technological developments, or other broader impacts bringing distinction to UIC.
   2. Nurture career trajectory of early stage investigator: Impacts the research program and/or career trajectory of the participating PI(s) who are within eight years of their first faculty appointment
   3. Leverage extramural awards: Shows high fundability potential, as demonstrated by considered and specific extramural funding plan(s).
2. Appropriateness: The need for and suitability of the initiative approach; whether this approach will add significantly to what could be accomplished through other modes of support. 
3. PI Qualifications: The qualifications and credentials of the PIs will be considered. It is expected that lead PIs will be regarded by their peers as emerging leaders in their respective fields.  . 
4. Feasibility: Appropriateness of management plans and arrangements: the adequacy of the organizational and administrative plans; the appropriateness of the budget; and the mechanism to evaluate the initiative’s progress will be considered.
5. Support: The nature and level of resources available from the colleges/departments and from other sponsoring units will be considered.
6. Regulatory Issues: Adequacy of the plans for protection of human and animal subjects, if applicable.

Post Award Obligations

Progress reports will be required while the grant is active.  Successful awardees will be asked to present their work as part of an OVCR symposium, as appropriate.  These and other details will be outlined in the Notice of Award terms and conditions. 

Questions

Questions concerning the program may be addressed to Mr. Tony Halford at seedgrant@uic.edu or 312-996-7036.

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