Developmental Research Projects Program (DRPP)

点击翻译按钮获取中文摘要

Project Summary The overall goal of the Developmental Research Project Program (DRPP) is to support the career development of promising early stage investigators at PR-INBRE lead and network institutions. The DRPP is central to the success of the PR-INBRE by providing mentoring and financial support to enhance the research capacity of the network. We will use the infrastructure and protocols that were established during the current cycle for: publicizing the DRPP funding and mentoring opportunities, the rigorous peer-review procedure, and the funding decision process involving the INBRE Administrative Core, Steering Committee (SC), External Advisory Committee (EAC), and the NIH Program Office. The DRPP will identify promising investigators in the early stages of their careers and postdoctoral associates, and provide them with not just financial support, but individualized mentoring and a cohesive research infrastructure by the following Specific Aims. First, to increase and develop the talent pool in PR, a structured mentoring program and related developmental activities will be implemented, with an emphasis on fulfillment of Individual Developmental Plans (IDP) and reinforcing grantsmanship and writing skills. Second, to reverse the general decline in federal resources for biomedical research, we will provide funds for meritorious research that proposes to use evidence-based findings to improve human health and fill critical gaps in our current knowledge base in the thematic areas of Neuroscience/Behavior, Molecular Medicine/Cancer, Drug Discovery/Development, and Bioinformatics. Third, the research infrastructure of the PR-INBRE will be buttressed by limited awards for small instruments for teaching and research needs of the PUIs. This Aim will also grant collaborative mini awards to INBRE investigators to augment the use of INBRE Core facilities for “OMICS” and big-data type studies at the PR- INBRE Centralized Research Instrumentation Core (CRI) and the Bioinformatics Resources Core (BiRC). As shown by our current success in obtaining R-type funding and peer-reviewed publications by the DRPP investigators, outcomes will be measured by internal and external Evaluation and Tracking of successful grant and manuscript submission and achievement of independent funding. Therefore, these Aims are designed to encourage interdisciplinary research among the INBRE and COBRE institutions, increase the number of extramural funds awarded to the DRPP investigators, augment the quality of PR-INBRE investigators’ publications, and mentor qualified investigators to obtain independent funding through R15 and R21 awards. These strategies are expected to result in a highly trained cadre of underrepresented scientists ultimately contributing to health benefits and increased diversity in the biomedical sciences. Thus, the DRPP expects to organize, establish, and develop a stimulating, highly productive, and collaborative research program that will strengthen our capabilities to compete for research prominence at the national and international level.