HSC-Wide Intramural Research Program

 

LSU Health Science Center
Wide Intramural Research Program (WIRP)


General Information

The HSC-Wide Intramural Research Program (WIRP) was established to fund research conducted by investigators from multiple schools of LSU Health – New Orleans. The goals of the project are twofold. The first goal is to foster research that encourages investigators to collaborate with their primary appointments at least two different HSC schools, and the second is to assist these investigators in obtaining the data necessary to develop extramurally funded projects. Applications will be evaluated based on their potential to generate data that will attract support from National funding agencies and foundations. The duration of these projects is up to two years. However, the second year of funding is contingent on the project's scope, submission of a report demonstrating productivity under this proposal, and presentation of research progress at an annual symposium.

Eligibility

All full-time faculty of LSUHSC–New Orleans, as well as research staff holding a terminal degree (e.g., MD or PhD), are eligible to apply for this grant program.

Application Format

  1. Title Page. Include the title of the research project, applicant information (name, degree, academic rank, campus address, e-mail address, and telephone number), dates of the requested project period, signature of the applicant, signature of the departmental Head, and the signature of the Deans of the respective HSC schools with dates signed. The form page can be obtained at this link (HSC- Wide title page)
  2. Abstract (limited to 250 words)
  3. Introduction (only for resubmission of a proposal that was previously reviewed). For resubmitted grants, applicants may provide a 1-page response to the previous critiques. 
  4. Specific Aims(1-page limit). Provide a concise description of the research aims to be addressed during the period of WIRP funding. These specific aims should describe the research that will be conducted for the WIRP application and not necessarily all the specific aims that will be proposed for extramural funding if those aims cannot be completed during the period of funding (i.e., describe exactly what specific aims can be accomplished in 1-2 years).
  5. Research Strategy (6-page limit). The goal of this section is to provide a detailed description of the rationale, experimental design, anticipated results, and the problems and alternative approaches for the project (as above, this section should not just be a regurgitation of the extramural grant application if the WIRP application is only proposing a subset of the aims planned for the extramural grant application).
    1. Significance (recommend 1-2 pages) The goal of this section is to present the rationale for the proposed research and to summarize the literature supporting this line of investigation
    2. Innovation (recommend ¼-½ page)
    3. Approach (recommended 3-4 pages
      1. Experimental design
      2. Anticipated results
      3. Problems and alternative approaches
  6. Proposed Budget. Each investigator is required to submit the budget for their portion of the study. The budgets should include personnel, equipment (if required), supplies, and other expenses (such as publication costs). Salary support will only be considered for faculty to provide release time for clinical activities. The salary support requested for all clinical faculty involved with the proposal cannot exceed $25,000, including fringe benefits. The Basic Science PIs and project faculty cannot request salary support. Travel will only be considered as an integral part of data gathering. The total period of support cannot exceed 2 years and will not exceed $100,000 per year (for all investigators). Two-year grants will require submission of a budget for both years. No-cost extensions of up to six months will be considered on request to the chair of the review committee (currently Dr. Qingzhao Yu qyu@lsuhsc.edu). No expenditure of award funds may occur after the period that includes the award period and the approved no-cost extension. The form page can be obtained at this link (HSC-Wide budget page).
  7. Budget Justification.Separate budget justifications must accompany each budget. It is important that the budget be appropriate for the scope of the study. In addition to the scientific merit of the proposal, both the duration and amount of funding requested will be reviewable by the study section.
  8. Plans for obtaining extramural support (1-page limit). Describe a clear and feasible strategy for securing extramural funding to advance the project’s competitiveness. The plan should identify targeted funding agencies and specific grant mechanisms. Include measurable benchmarks and a realistic timeline outlining key steps toward submission. Progress toward these milestones will be documented and evaluated through the annual report.
  9. Current Research Support. List all current research supported by agency number, title, and total direct costs awarded.
  10. NIH-type biographical sketch. The form page can be obtained at this link (HSC-Wide Biosketch).

The proposal must be submitted electronically as a single PDF. The title page must include all signatures to advance to the review stage. This proposal should be submitted to the Grant Evaluation Committee through Ms. Yaling Li (yli6@lsuhsc.edu). WIRP is an internal grant proposal. Please do not route your proposal through The Office of Research Services. 


Grant Deadlines

There are two competitions per year. The deadlines are September 15th and March 15th.


Evaluation

Upon receipt, applications will be considered by the HSC-Wide Evaluation Committee, composed of LSU Health faculty members. The criteria to be evaluated will include (1) scientific merit and significance of the proposed project; (2) qualifications and productivity of the applicants; (3) potential for securing extramural grants; (4) appropriateness of funding for this mechanism; and (5) appropriateness of the budget. The committee will score proposals and make recommendations to the Senior Vice Chancellor.

 

Reporting

Request for second-year funding – For projects approved as two-year awards, release of second-year funding is contingent upon submission of a 1–2-page progress report (see template). The report must demonstrate evidence of productivity and progress, including:

  • A list of grant applications submitted during the funding period, along with any associated summary statements;
  • A list of manuscripts published, in press, or under review; and
  • Documentation of progress toward and completion of proposed benchmarks.

The progress report will be used to evaluate performance and determine eligibility for continued funding.

Submit the report to Ms. Yaling Li (yli6@lsuhsc.edu), clearly indicating in the subject line the program name (i.e., HSC-WIRP), the name of the PI, and that this is a request for second-year funding.

Additionally, for individuals who received funding, a symposium will be held to present their findings to the HSC community. The first of these annual symposia will be scheduled about one year after the first funding cycle. The speakers will include both past and current grant recipients.

Final report – Principal investigators are required to submit a final report (see template) within three months of the grant’s completion. The report should include a one- to two-page summary of progress on the proposed project, a list of manuscripts published during the funding period, and a record of grant applications submitted along with their funding status. Principal investigators who fail to submit the required final report will not be eligible for consideration in future WIRP applications.

This information should be sent electronically to the administrative coordinator of the HSC-Wide Program, Ms. Yaling Li (yli6@lsuhsc.edu), clearly indicating in the subject line the program name (i.e., HSC-WIRP), the name of the PI, and that this is a final report. 

It is important for documenting the success of this program and for future funding requests that we receive any information about grants funded with assistance from this program – even after the final report is submitted.

 

Termination

An awardee should promptly notify the program administrative coordinator (yli6@lsuhsc.edu) of any change in the status of either investigator as a member of the full-time academic staff. The award will terminate on the date of the change to ineligible status, unless the ineligible investigator is replaced by an investigator from that same school and a justification for the new investigative team is provided.