Call for Applications: ITRRC pilot grant program deadline extended

The Indigenous Trauma & Resilience Research Center (ITRRC) is announcing a pilot grant program for 2024-2025. These 1-year pilot grants are designed to fund research addressing the impact of historical and unresolved trauma on health inequities within the American Indian (AI) and Alaska Native (AN) populations.

Background/Purpose: The ITRRC is funded through the National Institutes of General Medical Sciences (NIGMS) Centers of Biomedical Research Excellence (CoBRE) program. The goals of the CoBRE program are to develop a critical mass of investigators competitive for peer-reviewed external research funding and establish research centers in states with historically low levels of NIH funding. The ITRRC has several cores to assist investigators in preparing their applications and conducting their research projects, including:

Human Subjects Core (HSC): The goal of the HSC is to build human subjects research capacity at UND while promoting effective and appropriate tribal engagement. Contact Roselle Martin (roselle.martin@UND.edu) for assistance with human subjects research and compliance.

Community Engagement and Outreach Core (CEOC): The goal of the CEOC is to increase culturally appropriate research with AI/AN communities through bidirectional outreach and training. The CEOC offers a Research Ethics Training for Health in Indigenous Communities (rETHICS) training toolkit through the UND continuing medical education portal. Contact Julie Smith-Yliniemi (julie.smithyliniemi@UND.edu) for more information.

Administrative Core (AC): The AC provides administrative support for the ITRRC and pilot projects program. Contact Darcia Pingree (darcia.pingree@UND.edu) if you have any questions regarding the development of your application.

Application Due Date: 11:59 p.m. (CST) on Jan. 8, 2024

Maximum Award: Up to $75,000 per year (direct costs). The number of grants awarded is contingent on NIGMS funding.

Eligibility: All basic science/clinical/translational/population health or other faculty members throughout UND are encouraged to apply. Funding preference will be given to junior faculty investigators. Individuals holding postdoctoral training positions are not eligible to lead grants. Salary support is an allowable budget item. Collaborators are allowed, but funds can only be provided to collaborators from North Dakota institutions.

Application Format: Applications should be prepared in general accordance with the NIH PHS 398 application guidelines. Applications must include the following:

• Face page (signed by institutional signing official) and project summary (Form pages 1 and 2).
• Research strategy section including specific aims, significance, and detailed description of the research project, preliminary data (if applicable), research plan, and references (6-page, single spaced limit, excluding references and 1 page for specific aims).
• NIH biosketch (new format).
• Detailed budget and justification.
• Appropriate UND documents which indicate approval by the department chair and college dean.

If the proposed study involves human subjects, the following will need to be submitted before final approval from NIGMS:

• Current PHS Human Subjects and Clinical Trials Information Form: https://grants.nih.gov/grants/how-to-apply-application-guide/forms-e/general/g.500-phs-human-subjects-and-clinical-trials-information.htm.
• Institutional Review Board (IRB) approval
• Human Subjects Education Certification (required even when research is exempt).

Each grant application must identify a Project Mentor with expertise and a record of accomplishment in the research area described. The mentoring activities will include regular communications, at least one mentor visit to the project director’s site/lab, and the submission to the AC of an annual mentorship activity summary.

Selected applicants should be aware that the NIH requires progress reports which will be included in the RPPR at the end of the calendar year.

Evaluation: Applications will be reviewed by the ITRRC Principal Investigator, Internal Advisory Committee (IAC) and External Advisory Committee (EAC). All applicants will receive summary review comments. Revised applications may be accepted based on perceived potential for applicants to address any weaknesses identified by reviewers.

Approval Process: Upon approval from IAC and EAC, proposals will be routed through Novelution per UND guidelines. Recommendations for funding will be shared with NIGMS, and prior approval by NIGMS is required before the commencement of any pilot projects.

Proposals should be submitted by email to Darcia Pingree (darcia.pingree@UND.edu) by 11:59 p.m. on Jan 8, 2024.