Collaborations are an ideal way to enhance a research project by introducing new approaches and complementary expertise. To support collaborative efforts by NIGMS grantees, we’re continuing our Supplements for Collaborative Science (SCS) program with two submission deadlines in 2013: January 15 and May 15. Investigators can request supplements of up to $90,000 per year in direct costs for two collaborating labs or up to $135,000 per year for three collaborating labs.
To be eligible, an NIGMS parent R01 or R37 award must be actively funded through July 31, 2014, for the January deadline and through November 30, 2014, for the May deadline. Proposals may request support to cover a period up to the end of the parent project.
The proposed research must be within the original scope of the project and should propose approaches not used previously by the principal investigator. All collaborators should be able to make significant intellectual contributions, and we especially encourage proposals that involve less commonly combined areas of expertise.
One new aspect of the submission process is the requirement that the collaborating investigators provide a letter of commitment and “other support” page countersigned by their institutional official. For more details, see the funding opportunity announcement. Send any additional questions to me at andersonve@nigms.nih.gov or to Sue Haynes at hayness@nigms.nih.gov.
The SCS program is very competitive, so if you are interested in submitting an application, we recommend that you first discuss your potential proposal—and its new and novel aspects—with your program director.
Hi, we have a NCI R01 grant, not NIGMS grant. Can we apply for this opportunity? Or does NCI offer this opportunity?
Thank you
This is an NIGMS only program. The funds have to be provided as a supplement to an NIGMS award, so the applicant PI must have an NIGMS grant. The collaborating laboratory is required to have outside funding; it can come from any institute or agency (i.e., NSF or DOD). NIDCR has a similar program, but that is the only other NIH institute or center I am aware of with a similar program.
How will sequestration and budget cuts affect this program?
Once we have a better idea about the budgetary outlook for the rest of the fiscal year, we may have to decrease the number of new SCS awards that we can make.