Texas Resource Center on Minority Aging Research (Texas RCMAR)

Call for Pilot

University of Texas Medical Branch Resource Center for Minority Aging Research (RCMAR)

Supported by Grant Number P30AG05930101 from the

National Institutes of Health/National Institute on Aging

Request for Letter of Intent and Research Proposal

Funding will support 1-year pilot grants of

$25,000+ total costs each, for academic year 07/01/22 to 06/30/23

Who Should Apply:

We encourage applications from faculty who are interested in conducting research on health (broadly defined) of older adults from groups under-represented in health research. We will accept applications from faculty in other institutions outside UTMB.

Application Timeline:

January 15, 2022 – Letter of intent due

February 1, 2022 – Applicants notified if selected to submit a full pilot proposal

February 28, 2022 – Full pilot proposals due

March 28, 2022 – Applicants notified if selected for funding

April 15, 2022 – Final proposals and supporting documents due for submission to NIA/NIH

July 1, 2022 – Funding will become available, following notice of award and IRB approval.

Application Process:

Applicants should first submit a 1-page letter of intent indicating qualifications, eligibility, and career goals; and a brief overview of the proposed project to Dr. Kristen Peek, mkpeek@nullutmb.edu

The full 6-page pilot proposal should include:

Title of project
Description of proposed pilot project including study design and data to be collected or used in the pilot project;
Statement about how this pilot project will inform the applicant’s future research and how the pilot will strengthen a request for funding to the National Institutes of Health (NIH) or another agency;
Statement about how the proposed pilot project is related to the Texas RCMAR;
Brief timeline that documents the feasibility of completing the pilot project in one year, and how results will be used to support the larger proposal;
A description of the applicant (s) and their role on the project; and
Proposed mentor(s) with affiliations and their involvement/role in the pilot project.

Full applications should include, in addition:

Pilot principal investigator’s NIH Biosketch in the current format.
All Mentors and/or senior key personnel’s NIH Biosketch in the current format.
Institutional Letter of Support. Letter from either department chair or division chief confirming that principal investigator will hold a junior- or mid-level faculty appointment between 07/01/2022 and 06/30/2023 and adequate “protected time” during that period to conduct the proposed pilot project.
Brief 1-page summary of budget and budget justification.

Research teams that include investigators from multiple disciplines are encouraged.

Evaluation Criteria:

Pilot projects will be selected according to:

Significance and scientific quality of proposed research
Credentials of investigator (s)
Relatedness of proposed research to the Texas RCMAR mission
Feasibility of proposed pilot to be completed in 12 months
Likelihood that proposed pilot would lead to subsequent National Institute on Aging (NIA) full proposals.

About the Texas RCMAR:

The overall purpose of the Texas RCMAR is to provide an infrastructure that facilitates the development of research on health and aging in minority populations with special focus on the Hispanic population in the United States as well as in Mexico. Special focus is given to mentoring researchers from underrepresented populations. The Texas RCMAR is based at the University of Texas Medical Branch with the University of Texas at Austin being the primary collaborating institution. For more information please see the Texas RCMAR website, https://www.utmb.edu/texasrcmar.

For questions regarding the scope, budget, personnel, and how to submit the pilot proposal, contact Dr. Kristen Peek, mkpeek@nullutmb.edu.

Each awarded Pilot PI must ensure compliance with NIH Financial Conflict of Interest requirement.

Contact Info

https://www.utmb.edu/texasrcmar