OI Seed Grant How to Apply

UGA Obesity Initiative Seed Grant Program

 

Applications are due by 4:59p.m. EST on December 18, 2020.

 

The University of Georgia Obesity Initiative promotes multidisciplinary, collaborative research that will inform effective and sustainable obesity prevention and treatment across the lifespan. Through these research efforts, we aim to address the epidemic of obesity and overweight that faces our state and our nation.

 

Competitive seed grant funds are available up to $12,000 to support pilot studies that are multidisciplinary in nature and involve investigators from at least 3 different departments or colleges. Matching funds of up to $1,500 from VPR may be available if the PI’s college/department agrees to contribute equally.  This will allow for a possibility of $15,000 total for the research team to do an obesity-related pilot project. One award will be given this cycle.

 

Priority will be given to proposals that make a compelling case for generating preliminary data to enhance a specific external grant proposal (applicants must commit to applying to one or more specific grant mechanisms by the specified deadlines and should identify specific RFP/PA when possible)

 

The goal of the seed funding is to stimulate multidisciplinary, obesity-related research teams to be more competitive in obtaining large-scale external funding.

  • Faculty may not use this funding to work on a project that is already supported by university funds, directly or indirectly through a center/institute/program.
  • Each team should be led by a tenure-track or tenured faculty member. Teaching, research, and service faculty who are not tenure-track or tenured may participate as a member of the team.
  • The pilot project must have investigators from at least 3 departments or colleges at UGA, and the research must be related to obesity.

 

OI funded proposals will be required to utilize budgeted funds by June 30th, 2021.

 

Please send proposals, limited to no more than two pages and with a maximum budget of $15,000 or less (assuming matching funds have been obtained by college/department), to obesity@uga.edu as a single PDF file by the deadline of 4:59p.m. on December 18, 2020.  Late applications will not be accepted.  Reviews will be completed by the end of January, 2021.

 

How to Apply: 

The following format should be followed for the preparation of a proposal (2 page limit):

Title:

Investigators and Colleges/Depts.: contact information (email) of the PI/Co-PIs

Project narrative:

  1. Abstract (written with educated, non-experts in mind)
  2. Specific Aims/Hypothesis
  3. Rationale and Significance
  4. Approach
  5. Project Timeline

Budget and Budget Justification (not included in page limit).

Key References Cited (not included in page limit)

 

Budget Requirements and Reports-

Examples of acceptable uses of seed grant funds are: payment of participant incentives; purchase of small datasets or software to conduct data analyses; data collection costs (which may include travel if necessary); research supplies to carry out experiments. Financial support for students is limited and will be evaluated in relation to the proposed use of funds. Any equipment purchased with seed grant funds will be returned to the Obesity Initiative upon completion of the project. Seed grants may not be used for faculty salary (either summer or academic). Grantees are also required to submit a program summary no later than October 31, 2021, describing how the seed grants were used, as well as the outcomes of the project, including plans for future grant submissions. Finally, any publications or presentations that are a result of the funded project will be required to acknowledge the UGA OI as a funding source.

 

Selection Process-

Proposals will be judged on the basis of their competitiveness for the indicated funding opportunity. Criteria will include the strength of the research team, quality of science, potential impact and leverage potential for a major research project, probability of obtaining specific aims of the proposed project, the relatedness to obesity, and budget.

 

If you have questions please contact Dr. Jamie Cooper or Ms. Donna Holcomb at obesity@uga.edu.