Request for Proposals 2023-2024

The Primary Care Innovation Program of the Division of General Internal Medicine is pleased to invite submission of one-year project applications. The primary goal of this opportunity is to support pilot novel and innovative education and research projects in the broad field of primary care that will lead to competitive extramural grant applications and publications in high impact journals. The Primary Care Innovation Program intends to commit over $100,000 to fund 3-4 faculty awards (up to $25,000 each); 3 resident/fellow awards (up to $5,000 each); and 4 medical student awards (up to $2,500 each). Proposals are due March 1, 2023, at 5pm EST. The funding period is anticipated to be July 1, 2023 – June 30, 2024.

Topics

This opportunity seeks to support the development of novel, innovative research broadly related to the practice of primary care. Topics may focus on innovative strategies to improve the quality of care, curricular development, practice redesign, application of new technologies to enhance patient care and health promotion, projects to enhance medical learning or patient education, projects that advance patient-centered care, novel and innovative models of care, health equity in primary care, remote patient monitoring during COVID-19 and in other settings, amongst others. Applications that propose potentially high impact pilot studies that are well thought out and have a clearly defined path to extramural funding are particularly encouraged.

Guidelines for Faculty Projects: 

Eligible Applicants

The lead investigator should have a primary faculty appointment in the Departments of Medicine, Pediatrics, Obstetrician-Gynecologist, or Psychiatry, and collaborative multiple PI projects (involving more than one investigator from complementary areas of other Departments) are strongly encouraged. Investigators are strongly encouraged to take advantage of the General Internal Medicine Research Work in Progress meeting to present their projects to get feedback prior to submitting their application and if awarded will be required to present at this venue to give periodic project progress updates (to schedule a time to present, please contact Dr. Lisa Kern at lmk2003@med.cornell.edu. Recipients of the other seed-grant awards can only be considered if there is no scientific or budget overlap. For proposals with existing funding support, please explain any cost sharing. 

Funding

Application budgets are limited to no more than $25,000 total direct costs for the one-year project period, and will support faculty, project personnel, supplies, and costs of patient incentives/honoraria.  Funds may not be used to support capital equipment, travel to scientific meetings, or indirect costs.

Application Instructions & Checklist (Faculty Projects)

Cover Page: use attached cover-page template;

Abstract: ½ page

Lay Summary: ½ page

Novel-Direction Statement: brief statement (< ½ page) describing how the proposed project is a new direction focused on transforming some aspect of primary care, and how it is not covered by any existing grant funding;

Research Proposal (3 page limit): include the following sections only (NIH format): Specific Aims, Significance, Innovation, and Approach. Preliminary data, if available, should also be included;

References (not included in the Research Proposal page limit); 

Extramural Funding Plan: brief plan (~ ½ page) for submission of an application for continued, extramural support of the project. Plan should include a timetable for potential submission of project for extramural support. Plan should highlight how seed funding will enhance the likelihood of success for extramural funding. Proposals which can generate preliminary data to prepare for a more competitive grant funding will be highly sought;

Statement on Collaborations: for collaborative interdepartmental projects, include a brief statement on how the proposal reflects collaboration between investigators at WCM and how they will jointly contribute to the project and collaboratively benefit from the funding.         

NIH formatted Biosketches for key personnel;

Budget (itemized); 

Budget Justification;  

Other Support Page: include all active research support.

Please utilize the provided application template, with the set margins/font.

Guidelines for Resident, Fellow, and Medical Student Projects: 

Eligible Applicants 

Resident, Fellow, and Medical Student (NYP-WCM) must have a faculty mentor in order for their project to be considered. Awardees of the other Resident/Fellow/Medical Student awards can only be considered if there is no scientific or budget overlap. For proposals with existing funding support, please explain any cost sharing. Resident/Fellow/Medical Students can align this with their program research requirements, i.e. AOC project, summer internship/work study.

Funding 

Application budgets are limited to $5,000 total direct costs for the one-year project period for resident and fellow awards, and $2,500 total direct costs for the one-year project period for medical student awards, and will support study costs such as project personnel, supplies, costs of patient incentives/honoraria, and travel to scientific meetings. Funds may not be used to support faculty salaries, capital equipment, or indirect costs.

Application Instructions & Checklist (Resident/Fellow/Medical Student Projects)

Cover Page: use attached cover-page template;

Research Proposal (2 page limit): include the following sections only (NIH format): Specific Aims, Significance, Innovation, and Approach. Preliminary data, if available, should also be included;

References (not included in the Research Proposal page limit); 

NIH formatted Biosketches for Resident/Medical Student and Mentor;

Letter from Mentor to include qualifications of the mentor, relationship between mentor/mentee, time allotted for this project, resources available to the student/trainee, and how the mentor will interact with the mentee.

Budget & Justification (1 paragraph) 

Please utilize the provided application template, with the set margins/font.

Application Deadline

All applications should be submitted as a single PDF to GIMIPCI@med.cornell.edu by March 1, 2023, at 5pm pm EST. For additional information on this opportunity, please contact Dr. Fred Pelzman, Associate Professor of Clinical Medicine at fpelzman@med.cornell.edu.  

Selection Process

Awards will be chosen on a competitive basis arbitrated by an ad hoc patient centered committee of impartial experts. Selection criteria will include potential for subsequent extramural funding, scientific merit, innovation, feasibility, and programmatic impact. The Lead PI will be notified via e-mail in June if the project is selected for funding. The effective award date is July 1, 2023.