Idaho INBRE Developmental Research Project Program (DRPP)

University Of Idaho, Moscow ID

Investigators

Linked publications & trials

Abstract

Project Summary/Abstract Developmental Research Project Program (DRPP) Component The Developmental Research Project Program (DRPP) will select and support the most promising and meritorious emerging biomedical research in Idaho with emphasis on early stage investigators. The DRPP will be an integral part of the programmatic goals of INBRE-5 by providing research opportunities to faculty and students that meet high standards of research excellence. More than 1,080 Idaho faculty are eligible for the DRPP support. To accommodate research/teaching appointments, three stratified levels of faculty research participation, each with specific obligatory milestones, will be available. The top-tier, a Research Project Leader (RPL), requires >50% research effort. The tier-two level, a Pilot Project Leader (PPL), requires >25% research effort. Although faculty at the INBRE lead institution are eligible, emphasis will be to: (i) strengthen the research environment at the primarily undergraduate institutions (PUIs); (ii) integrate research into the PUI educator’s career; and (iii) expose PUI students to meritorious research. To further encourage research at the PUIs, a third tier of participation will be the Preceptor (<20% research effort) in the Student Research Program (SRP). The Preceptor will be an educator with an established or developing project that focuses on providing students with high-impact participatory research experiences. Scientific Mentors to RPLs, PPLs, and Preceptors will provide guidance and ensure productivity milestones are met. DRPP participants will be recruited through an internal statewide INBRE funding opportunity announcement (FOA). The tier-one RPL application will use the NIH R15 template to propose a problem, its significance, give background, a hypothesis, specific aims, experimental approach, expected outcomes, pitfalls, and alternatives. The PPL and Preceptor applications will use an abbreviated 2-page NIH R15 template. All will include Biosketches, justified budgets, and meet federal compliance requirements. External scientific review scores and funding recommendations will be vetted by the INBRE-5 governance committees that include statewide Steering and Executive Committees and an External Advisory Committee. Meritorious projects will be prioritized based on review score, available INBRE infrastructure, and, as needed, NIGMS approval. The effective INBRE-4 policies and practices for solicitation, submission, external review by a panel of experts, selection criteria, and prioritization of awards will continue in INBRE-5. This successful approach funded 147 projects from 2019 to 2022, yielded 25 new NIH grants (+18 pending), and 77 new non-NIH awards. These projects generated 308 scientific publications, 1,743 national presentations, and mentored 1,736 students. Additional INBRE-5 initiatives will include a regional alliance (RAIN) with all seven Western INBREs and DRPP faculty-responsive short duration funding. Statewide benefits to the lead and partner institutions from the DRPP investments will be measured, tracked, and evaluated to justify and make improvements. Assessment will be done by Evaluation Director Bogar and the INBRE governance committees.