MIDAS Center for Excellence

1. The Principal Investigator is required to be a full-time faculty member of any rank from any school, department, or center at the University of Pittsburgh, UPMC, RUPHI, affiliated Institution associated with the University of Pittsburgh MIDAS National Center of Excellence and/or MIDAS National Network.
2. Individuals already funded by a MIDAS Project are ineligible for additional salary support.
3. The project should address research topics related to the University of Pittsburgh MIDAS National of Excellence themes (e.g., public health dynamics, environmental influences, human behavioral changes, social networks, complex systems, systems thinking, policy, etc).
4. All pilot investigators and research team members must meet University requirements for conducting research, including current certification for research ethics training. If you are outside of the University of Pittsburgh/UPMC system, you must provide evidence of current research certifications from your home Institution.
5. Proposals demonstrating collaboration between investigators from two or more disciplines are a priority.
6. Publication of findings in peer-reviewed journals and applications for NIH-research grant funding (K awards, R03 and R01 awards, etc) are expected from recipient(s) of a Development Grant.

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Budget

Funds may be used to cover investigator effort on Development Grants. However, effort is required by the principal investigator, must be reflected on the budget page, and must be cost shared equally by the department or other entity that will support such effort. Funds may be used to cover supplies, or other purposes related directly to the conduct of the research. The monies awarded will support direct costs only; no indirect support will be provided.

Funds may not be requested for travel expenses. Personal computer purchase will be approved only when it can be demonstrated that the computer is essential for the exclusive use of this research project. Justification must be provided for any equipment item costing more than $500. Costs that also are not allowable include dues for professional societies, subscription to journals, and major equipment (<$5K). Individuals already funded by a MIDAS Project are ineligible for additional salary support. Any salary support requested in a submitted budget should reflect federal fringe benefit rates at their Institution.

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Application Process:

The application for the Pilot Research Grant Program must contain the following:

1. A cover letter detailing the type of award requested (Seed Grant or Development Grant). The cover page should include the title of the proposed project and the name, degree, academic title, primary department affiliation and contact information (telephone number, fax number and email address) of the Principal Investigator.
2. A 1-page abstract summarizing the study goals, design, methods (not to exceed 250 words) and expected outcomes.
3. NIH Biographical Sketches and Other Support information are required for the Principal Investigator and all other participants.
4. A description of the pilot project, including specific aims, innovation, approach and significance (not to exceed 4 pages).
5. A description of how the preliminary data, if successfully obtained, will be used in a grant application in the future, including a description of the overall aims and a broad overview of the methods of the future grant proposal (not to exceed 1-page).
6. A description outlining the collaborators multidisciplinary research and discipline (not to exceed a ½ page).
7. A letter of support from postdoctoral applicant’s current research faculty member (applies to Seed Grants only).
8. A letter of support from the Principal Investigator affiliated/associated with University of Pittsburgh MIDAS National Center of Excellence and/or the MIDAS National Network (applies to Developmental Grants if applicant is outside of the University of Pittsburgh/UPMC system).
9. A budget and budget justification (not to exceed 2 pages).
10. Copy of Certification for required documents (Conflict of Interest, Research Integrity – internal applicants only). If outside the of the University of Pittsburgh/UPMC system, a copy of current research certifications/training will be needed.
11. A departmental account number will be required for cost sharing purposes for internal applicants. A letter outlining the cost sharing proposal will be needed for external applicants.

The application must be clear, readily legible and conform to the following three requirements: 1) the font must be 11-point; 2) margins, in all directions, must be at least ½ inch; 3) text in figures, charts, tables, figure legends, and footnotes may be smaller in size but must be in black ink and readily legible. If these are not legible, there may be a negative impact on the evaluation of the application. Adherence to type size and line spacing requirements is necessary for several reasons. No applicant should have the advantage, by using small type, of providing more text in his or her application. Small type may also make it difficult for reviewers to read the application.

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Resources:

One of the goals of the pilot research grant program is to help investigators new to the area obtain experience in computational modeling and simulation of infectious disease. Therefore, the Public Health Dynamics laboratory at the University of Pittsburgh is available to serve as a resource for pilot awardees in developing interdisciplinary approaches using computational models to improve the understanding of theory and practice of complex issues that arise in public health (www.phdl.pitt.edu).

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Review Considerations:

The University of Pittsburgh MIDAS National Center of Excellence Pilot Grant Review Committee will review applications based on the criteria listed below:

1. Responsiveness to the request for applications
2. Standard NIH research criteria: significance, approach, innovation, research environment, applicant, collaborators
3. Potential for future independent funding
4. Feasibility within cost and time constraints
5. Multidisciplinary collaboration with a MIDAS research project.
6. Value to the University of Pittsburgh MIDAS National Center of Excellence.

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Submission, Review and Award:

Applications are to be submitted electronically in pdf format to the MIDAS Education & Outreach Coordinator, Dr. Phillip Palmer (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.). Dr. Palmer will send an e-mail message acknowledging receipt of the electronic application within one week of submission. Investigators should contact Dr. Palmer if this messages is not received.

Applications must be received by 11:59 pm (EST) on April 16, 2012.

Applications will be reviewed by the Pilot Research Grant Review Committee. The recommendations of this committee will be carefully considered by the University of Pittsburgh MIDAS National Center of Excellence leadership in determining which applications will receive awards. All final decisions regarding the awards are subject to the approval of the Principal Investigator of the University of Pittsburgh MIDAS National Center of Excellence, Dr. Donald S. Burke.

All budget items must be explicitly justified. As noted, applications involving junior investigators or investigators who are seeking to integrate modeling and simulation into their research programs are of high priority.

It is anticipated that 2 Seed Grants and 4 Development Grants will be awarded.

RFA Release Date: January 18, 2012

Proposal Due Date: April 16, 2012

Project Start Date: September 1, 2012

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Obligation of awardees:

The MIDAS Pilot Grants have been established as 12 month awards. Awardees must complete expenditures by June 30, 2013. The Principal Investigator is expected to provide a written progress report every 6 months during the period of the award. These biannual progress reports are similar in format to an NIH progress report, listing the specific aims and any deviations from them, results, publications and any related or follow-up applications or awards for funding. All awardees must inform the MIDAS Project Coordinator, Ms. Katie Philp (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.), of any publications that arise from this funding source and acknowledge the NIGMS MIDAS Grant 5U54GM088491. Any requests for revision of aims or budget during the course of the project should be sent in writing to the Director of the MIDAS Education & Outreach Core: Dr. Joan M. Lakoski (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.).

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Questions Regarding the Program:

Scientific and other questions can be addressed to the Director of the MIDAS Education & Outreach Core: Dr. Joan M. Lakoski (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.) or the MIDAS Education & Outreach Coordinator: Dr. Phillip Palmer (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.), Suite M-252A Scaife Hall, 3550 Terrace Street, Pittsburgh, PA 15261, Phone: (412) 648-9572, Fax: (412) 624-3858.

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