Multi-Investigator Proposal Support (MIPS)

It has become increasingly apparent, as evidenced, for example, by the release of the NIH Roadmap, that a paradigm shift is underway affecting the way research is conducted at universities. Federal funding agencies are placing more emphasis on team-based research over traditional single-investigator project grants. To be successful in this new organizational model, the university research enterprise must facilitate an environment in which multiple investigators from various departments and schools can unite to create collaborative efforts to address critical research problems. The Office of the Vice President for Research has resources to assist in the formation and support of research teams that wish to develop multi-investigator and multi-disciplinary (center-level) grant applications. This support includes:

• Management of team formation and proposal development process.
• Incentives for participants.
• Funding for pilot projects to generate preliminary data when needed.
• Travel to funding agencies or to collaborative sites when justified.
• Provision of institutional data needed for the application.
• Help in the formulation of the program/center management plan.
• Identification of institutional resources to support the applications and demonstrate UB's commitment to the project.

Criteria for Multi-Disciplinary Proposal Support:

• Participants must be interdisciplinary and will usually cross school boundaries
• Proposals must have budgets greater than $1 million/year total costs.
• A detailed plan and time table for a timely submission of a major grant proposal to an external sponsor.

Applications

The Office of the Vice President for Research will accept MIPS applications throughout the year. Faculty members can submit a three page project outline, list of possible participants and a copy of the RFA or solicitation of the external funding opportunity and a pre-proposal support budget. Also include a statement on how the support will help the planning to enhance the competitiveness of the proposal. The Vice President for Research, in consultation with Deans and other University leaders will determine if support is warranted. Proposals must be aligned with UB 2020 strategic strengths. Since multi-investigator proposals are complex products, sufficient lead time must be allotted to develop competitive proposals.

Submit applications to Dr. Kenneth Tramposch, Associate Vice President for Research, 516 Capen Hall.