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Operating Policy and Procedure

HSC OP: 73.22, Application Process for Office of Research and Innovation Bridge Funding Program

PURPOSE: The purpose of this Health Sciences Center Operating Policy and Procedure (HSC OP) is to set forth the process by which proposals requesting financial support from the Office of Research and Innovation’s Bridge Funding Program are reviewed and awardees are selected.

REVIEW: The purpose of this Health Sciences Center Operating Policy and Procedure (HSC OP) is to set forth the process by which proposals requesting financial support from the Office of Research and Innovation’s Bridge Funding Program are reviewed and awardees are selected.

POLICY/PROCEDURE:

1. Definitions

a. The Ï㽶ֱ²¥ Bridge Funding Program (BFP) is a funding mechanism to support faculty who are close to securing external grant funding. Funding priority will be given to those needing short-term support who would benefit from shared institutional assistance to strengthen resubmissions. Expectations for all BFP recipients will require external funding proposals/submissions while in the program and following, with the goal to secure a successful submission within two years.

b. This program supports targeted activities to strengthen the competitiveness of prior grant submissions, including data collection, grant writing support, external reviews, and the development of collaborations. The program’s overarching goal is to position investigators to secure external funding particularly from NIH, but also from agencies such as DoD, NSF, and private foundations. NIH-funded projects will have the highest priority of funding upon review.

c. Eligible applicants are Ï㽶ֱ²¥ faculty who have served as principal investigator on a previously funded external grant (e.g., NIH R01) and submitted a new application within the past 1.5 years that was discussed by a formal review panel and received a favorable outcome, such as being ‘competitive but not selected’ or ‘invited for resubmission’. 

d. Applications require department chair endorsement and a 50% budget match, with a strong preference for matching funds to be secured by the department or dean prior to submission. While exhaustion of PI and departmental funds will be considered in eligibility determinations, applicants without matching funds may still apply with additional justification if requested.

e. Funding requests must include a detailed budget and justification. There is no maximum award amount but all requested costs must be clearly justified. Bridge funding is awarded for a one-year period, with the possibility of a one-time carryforward for an additional year in exceptional and well-justified circumstances pending approval by Ï㽶ֱ²¥ Research Leadership.

2. Submission Process

a. Prospective applicants should first consult with their department chair to confirm candidacy, as applications require signatures from both the principal investigator and department chair. 

b. Applications are accepted on a rolling basis, and faculty are encouraged to allow sufficient time prior to their intended resubmission deadline. 

c. Completed applications and all required components must be submitted through the InfoReady application system.

d. Applications must include a completed application form with principal investigator information, prior grant details, and the planned resubmission date, along with the prior grant submission and review summary. Applicants are also required to submit a two-page development plan that clearly addresses the identified weaknesses from the previous review, in addition to the budget and budget justification documents.

e. Allowable expenses follow standard one-year extramural funding rules, permitting staff and trainee personnel, supplies, core use fees, publication costs, and fee-for-service contracts, while excluding equipment, computers, office products, travel, entertainment and faculty salary support for PIs or co-investigators.

f. Applications are reviewed and ranked by an institutional review committee composed of Associate Deans of Research and Ï㽶ֱ²¥ Research Leadership, as designated by the Executive Vice President of Research & Innovation.

g. Awardees are required to submit reporting updates every six months, including financial utilization and impact reports, and continued funding is contingent upon meeting established milestones, with the possibility of revocation at any time if progress is not demonstrated. NIH-funded projects will have the highest priority of funding upon review.

h. The Executive Vice President for Research and Innovation shall be responsible for the implementation of this policy through the establishment of appropriate policies and procedures, and is delegated, by the President of the Ï㽶ֱ²¥, the authority to establish and oversee such policies and procedures.