School of Medicine Bridge Funding – Deadline Dec 15

Duke University School of Medicine Bridge Funding Program

The following outlines a bridge funding plan to help investigators in the School of Medicine who have had a lapse in R01- or P01-level support.  Up to $100,000 per lapsed R01 grant or up to $200,000 per lapsed P01 grant will be provided by the Dean’s Office following application by the affected individual’s chair, anonymous review of merit by two appropriate referees in the School of Medicine, and a positive recommendation by the Bridge Funding Committee.  R21-level proposals will no longer be considered for bridge funding.

1. Eligibility

• Candidates include School of Medicine faculty members who were unsuccessful with a first submission of a competitive renewal of an independent investigator award (NIH R01 or NSF equivalent) or a program project grant.

Applications that were unsuccessful but received a priority score will be most competitive, and the candidate must effectively address the concerns outlined in the summary statement.

• Applications for bridge funding of an unsuccessful (A1) resubmission of a competitive renewal will be considered if the applicant received a strong priority score, and the applicant effectively describes how the summary statement will guide development of a new application.
• Applications for bridge funding of an unsuccessful first submission of a new R01 proposal will be considered only if the new proposal represents replacement funding for a previous R01-level, NIH-funded line of investigation that has run its course within the last 2 years, or the applicant has completed a K08, K23, K12, or K01 grant or an equivalent NIH K grant intended for transition to independence and has received a priority score on the original R01 submission.

Questions regarding eligibility prior to submission of an application can be addressed to Sue Jinks-Robertson (sue.robertson@duke.edu)

2. Mechanism for application

Applications may be submitted for deadline of December 15. Application materials should be submitted via the investigator’s department chair and must include the following items in the order listed:

• The chair’s letter of endorsement that also includes a commitment of department resources to pool with institutional bridge funds, unless a compelling case exists for the lack of departmental funds
• Recommendations by the chair of at least three School of Medicine faculty members outside the candidate’s primary department who can provide an expert and unbiased review of the application
• The summary statement of the unsuccessful application for which bridge funding is requested.  In the case of replacement funds for a K-type award or a grant that has run its course, the number of the grant being replaced must be included
• The investigator’s response to the summary statement of the unsuccessful application
• The investigator’s updated NIH biosketch
• Plans for expenditure of the requested bridge funds
• A complete summary of other funds available during the bridge period (e.g. discretionary funds, gift accounts, training grants)
• Plans to secure funds (e.g., other applications, mentoring plan, grant writing course)

Please assemble these components of the application as a single pdf in the order listed above.

3. Application review process

• Assessment of all application materials by two faculty members in the School of Medicine with appropriate expertise and without a primary departmental affiliation with the candidate, selected with input from the candidate’s chair
• Preparation of a brief statement by the reviewers describing the merits of the case and the likelihood of external funding following bridge support
• Review of the two faculty assessments and all application materials by Bridge Funding Committee
• Recommendation by Bridge Funding Committee to the Dean of the School of Medicine