Small Grants Program

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Project Summary for the Small Grants Program During Phases I and II of Centers of Biomedical Research Excellence (COBRE) funding, the Pacific Center for Emerging Infectious Diseases Research (http://pceidr.jabsom.hawaii.edu/) was transformed into a translational science center of excellence for the development of rapid diagnostics, effective therapeutics and affordable vaccines for infectious diseases, that disproportionately affect underserved communities in the Asia-Pacific region. The overall objective of the Phase III COBRE is to enhance the conditions that accelerate the pace of scientific discovery, heighten research productivity and increase competitiveness for extramural funding by sustaining the COBRE cores and implementing a collaborative Small Grants Program. The proposed Small Grants Program will embrace the key tenets of the IDeA Program: namely, to foster collaborative interactions; promote data and resource sharing; identify and disseminate best practices; and develop strategies to identify additional opportunities for core sustainability. Thus, the COBRE Small Grants Program will harness the rich human capital and exceptional core resources at COBRE, IDeA Networks of Biomedical Research Excellence (INBRE) and Institutional Development Award Program Infrastructure for Clinical and Translational Research (IDeA-CTR) programs to conduct team-science research on emerging infectious diseases. To be more responsive to the needs of faculty at different career stages and provide additional opportunities for mentoring and specialized training, the Small Grants Program will offer modest support on a competitive basis through three distinct funding mechanisms: (1) Pilot Projects Program; (2) Bridging Funds Program; and (3) Faculty Exchange Program. A rigorous application and review process, designed according to NIH guidelines, will be implemented to identify the most meritorious science and to select the applicants with the greatest potential for long-term success. At the same time, COBRE Mentors will also provide personalized mentoring to unfunded applicants, thereby optimizing the professional development of local talent for careers in infectious diseases research. Based on our experience in managing collaborative pilot projects and bridging funds program in other NIH center grants, the expectation is that the proposed Small Grants Program will have a significant impact on heightening research productivity and enhancing grants success. A significant return on investment, as measured by extramural funding in the form of R-, U- and K-series grants, will serve as the scientific and economic engines to drive future research and funding to sustain the Center and its cores.