HIV/AIDS Institute Collaborative Faculty Awards for Research

Request for Proposals - Academic year 2007-08

Applications and Deadlines

Applications for the GW HIV/AIDS Institute Collaborative Faculty Awards for Research are now being solicited. The first deadline for applications will be January 15, 2008, and the next deadline will be May 31, 2008. A maximum of $140,000 will be awarded.

Award Objectives

The objectives of these Awards are to promote interdisciplinary, collaborative HIV/AIDS research across departments and institutions; and to provide research seed money for the generation of data and partnerships that will be used to support federal grant applications. Addressing these objectives is part of an overall plan to develop an application for an NIH Developmental Center for AIDS Research in Washington DC.

Eligibility Criteria

1. Applications must focus on HIV/AIDS research.

2. The principal investigator must be a faculty member of the GW HIV/AIDS Institute. Instructions on how to join the HIV/AIDS Institute are available through Ms Jennifer Skillicorn, Executive Coordinator, at sphjls@gwumc.edu.

3. At least one co-investigator must be included who is a faculty member of either the GW School of Public Health and Health Services (SPHHS) or the GW School of Medicine and Health Sciences (SMHS).

4. Applications are encouraged from faculty members of the various institutions participating in the HIV/AIDS Institute, including the GW SPHHS, GW SMHS, the Columbian College of Arts and Sciences (CCAS), the Veterans Affairs Medical Center (VAMC), Children's National Medical Center (CNMC), Georgetown University (GU), Howard University (HU) and the Washington Hospital Center (WHC).

5. Institutional support for collaborating faculty members from institutions other than the GW SPHHS or the GW SMHS should be sought and will increase the likelihood of funding - this can be either matching funds or in-kind support.

Applicants are requested to submit the following documents

1. Cover letter stating which Department and Institutions, and which HIV/AIDS Institute Research Interest Groups (ie RIGs - Virology/Immunology, Pharmacology, Clinical, Epidemiology, Social and Behavioral, and Policy), are represented in the application.

2. Curriculum vitae of participating faculty members.

3. Research proposal, not to exceed ten pages, that includes the following sections: title, background, objectives, methodology, expected outcomes, and a statement of how the funding of this proposal could lead to a federal grant application. Appendices should include information about the study timeline, staffing, budget, and budget justification.

4. Letters of support from collaborating faculty, and if possible letters of matching support (funds or in-kind support) from collaborating institutions.

Award Details

1. Awards of between $5,000 and $50,000 will be considered. The number of awards made will depend on the number and quality of submissions and on the availability of funds. Consideration will be given so that funded proposals include a broad representation of institutions and Research Interest Groups.

2. Awards will be made for a one year period. Renewals may be considered if the award program is continued, and if excellent scientific progress has been made as measured by submitted publications and federal grant proposals.

3. Progress reports will be expected every six months.

4. Awards can be used to support research-related activities such as GW SPHHS and GW SMHS faculty salary support, student salary support, supplies, and local travel. Matching faculty salary support from institutions other than the SPHHS and the SMHS is strongly encouraged, namely from CCAS, VAMC, CNMC, GU, HU, and WHC.

5. Inclusion of paid graduate student positions in study proposals is strongly encouraged, with particular attention to students enrolled in the Institute's Graduate Certificate in HIV/AIDS Studies Program.

Submission and Review of proposals

1. Applications should be submitted electronically to the GW HIV/AIDS Institute Executive Coordinator, Ms Jennifer Skillicorn, at sphjls@gwumc.edu.

2. Applications will be reviewed by the Executive Committee of the HIV/AIDS Institute or other senior Institute faculty members at the request of the Executive Committee. Applications will be scored on a 100 point scale as follows:

60 points for the scientific merit of the proposal
20 points for strength of collaboration across departments and/or institutions and/or Institute Research Interest Groups
10 points for strength of plan regarding how the proposed study will lead to submission of a federal grant application
10 points for strength of support to be provided by collaborating institutions other than GW SPHHS and GW SMHS

3. Following the application review process, recommendations about funding will be made by the Institute Co-Directors to the Vice President of the GW Medical Center, who in turn will make the final decisions about awards. Awards will be announced within one month of the submission deadline, with funds made available soon after the date of the announcement.