NM-INBRE Project Support

New Mexico IDeA Networks of Biomedical Research Excellence (NM-INBRE)

Support for Research 

Member Institutions of NM-INBRE

New Mexico State University (NMSU)
Eastern New Mexico University (ENMU)
National Center for Genome Resources (NCGR)
New Mexico Highlands University (NMHU)
New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology (NMT)
Northern New Mexico College (NNMC)
San Juan College (SJC)
University of New Mexico Main Campus (UNM-Main)
University of New Mexico Health Sciences Center  (UNM-HSC)
Western New Mexico University (WNMU)

 

 Section I. Description of Supported Research

A.    Purpose

The New Mexico IDeA Networks of Biomedical Research Excellence (NM-INBRE) is funded by the National Institute of General Medical Sciences (NIGMS) of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) under the Funding OpportunityAnnouncement PAR-18-262 to strengthen the biomedical research capacity in IDeA eligible states. The NM-INBRE program intends to provide funding for developmental research projects, pending the availability of continued funding from the NIH.  Awards may include:

  • One-year Pilot Projects ($5K - $25K)
  • Focus Research Projects ($5K to $25K, annual direct costs), short-term and/or small-scale
  • Full Research Projects ($50K to $75K, annual direct costs)

To be eligible for continuation, multi-year awards will be subject to an annual assessment and must shows satisfactory progress.

B.     Programmatic assessment of NM-INBRE funded research progress includes the following criteria:

  1. Publication in peer‐reviewed journals, adhering to NIH Public Access policy[1]
  2. Submission of external grant proposals
  3. Presentation at scientific meetings or conferences
  4. Student research training and mentoring
  5. Progress toward
    1. Project-specific aims
    2. Individual career development plan and benchmarks
  6. Contribution to NM-INBRE Network
  7. Community-Based Participatory Research Impacts and Relationships, as applicable
  8. Compliance with all programmatic and NIH reporting requirements

C.     Background

The NM-INBRE Program is funded by the National Institute of General Medical Sciences (NIGMS) of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), NIH Grant Number P20GM103451. NM-INBRE strengthens biomedical research at New Mexico’s universities and prepares faculty and students for participation in research programs of the NIH. For more information on the NM-INBRE visit nminbre.nmsu.edu The program’s mission is to create supportive research and training environments, facilitate communication and collaborations among participants, and provide access to core facilities.

D.    NM-INBRE Research Goals

NM-INBRE is a faculty and student‐development program that emphasizes the maturation of research projects into comprehensive research programs providing opportunities for scientific advancement, professional growth, student development, and collaboration across network institutions and beyond. NM-INBRE stresses progress toward establishing independent research programs in order to sustain research activities beyond the NM-INBRE award. The NM-INBRE therefore expects faculty investigators to take active steps toward securing external funding, and encourages investigators to submit proposals to the NIH and other federal agencies.

E.     NM-INBRE Network Research-Intensive (RI) Institutions

  1. New Mexico State University (NMSU)
  2. University of New Mexico, Main Campus (UNM-Main)
  3. University of New Mexico, Health Sciences Center (UNM-HSC)

F.     NM-INBRE Network Primarily Undergraduate Institutions (PUI)

  1. Eastern New Mexico University (ENMU)
  2. New Mexico Highlands University (NMHU)
  3. New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology (NMT)
  4. Northern New Mexico College (NNMC)
  5. San Juan College (SJC)
  6. Western New Mexico University (WNMU)

G.    Developmental Research Project Program (DRPP)

The NM-INBRE invites basic, clinical, translational, and/or community‐based participatory research projects that address important biomedical problems, health disparities, and fit within one or more of the following NM-INBRE research thematic focus areas:

  1. Thematic focus area: Structure and Function of Biomolecules

Aims to understand the molecular and structural mechanisms underlying the functions of proteins that mediate critical cellular processes

  1. Thematic focus area: Pathogens

Builds on existing knowledge in infectious disease, immunology, and inflammation, strengthening a developing biodefense community

  1. Thematic focus area: Cell and Organism

Examines complex physiological processes, such as hypertension, memory, cell division and oogenesis

  1. Thematic focus area: Population-level and Community health research

Research involving population-level studies. Especially, includes projects that aim to eliminate health disparities affecting underserved populations, particularly in native communities in New Mexico. Includes research involving investigators and community members using true community‐based participatory research methods. Also includes community health education.

Section II.   Types of Awards Available

A.    Pilot Research Projects

Funding level 1: $5,000 - $25,000

Funding duration: One year maximum

Eligible institutions: institutions listed in Section I. E. and F. above

  • Highly focused, short study that fits within one or more NM-INBRE thematic research areas
  • Senior or junior-level investigators can be awarded
  • Can be independent or collaborative* (see note on following page)
  • Aims to develop results for publication and NIH R‐type grant proposal
  • Projects involving human subjects or vertebrate animals must have IRB and/or IACUC approval in place at the time of submitting the complete invited proposal/application
  • Due to the short-term duration of the project period, projects defined by the NIH as Clinical Trials will not be permitted

B.     Focus Research Projects

Funding level 1: $5,000 ‐ $25,000 annual direct costs

Funding duration: may request multiple years, depending on application type and justification for multiple-year project.

Eligible institutions: institutions listed in Section I. E. and F above.

Small-scale research project

  • Focused study that fits within one or more NM-INBRE thematic research areas
  • Can be independent or collaborative* (see note on following page)
  • Aims to develop results for publication and NIH R‐type grant proposal
  • Can be used to transition to a Full NM-INBRE-funded Research Project
  • Priority will be given to projects that include bioinformatics tools
  • Must select a mentor with a track record of independent research funding
  • Research Enhancement Plan must address plans for faculty career development and how the investigator will work with chosen mentor
  • Must address plans for student involvement, development, and training, as appropriate to aims

C.     Mini‐Sabbatical

Funding level 1: $5,000 ‐ $25,000 annual direct costs

Funding duration: single academic term or year, depending on application type and justification.

Eligible institutions: institutions listed in Section I. E. and F above.

  • Immersion experience at a Research-Intensive institution
  • Work with investigator who has established research program
  • Develop new data for collaborative publications and/or grant submissions
  • Learn new approaches or techniques to take back to home institution

D.    Experiential Learning Development Projects (ELDP)

Funding level 2: $5,000 ‐ $40,000 annual direct costs

Funding duration depends on application type, justification for multiple-year project, and proposed assessments that demonstrate institutional impact

Eligible Institutions: PUI partner institutions listed in Section I. F. above.

Eligible APPLICANTS: Investigators who wish to develop an ELDP application must work with their Institutional Liaison to ensure the proposed curricular approach and objectives fit within those of the institution. The official applicant this award type will be Institutional Liaison (listed below in Contacts). 

Project types:

  1. Course-based Undergraduate Research Experience (CURE)
    1. Development and implementation of a student research training course that provides hands-on exposure to research and training methods and concepts that are not available through conventional classroom activities, and may not be available to every student in the form of a traditional research apprenticeship
    2. The Model may be inquiry-based (the answer is known to the instructor) or discovery-based (the answer is unknown to the instructor)
    3. Priority will be given to those projects where student work includes bioinformatics tools
  2. Course development or improvement
    1. For existing courses that can attract promising students to health-related science through didactic education
    2. May create or adapt and improve an existing course
    3. Proposals should demonstrate how the research and education environment will be improved

Budget may include supplies, infrastructure, and/or salaries

E.     Full Research Projects

Funding level 3: $50,000 ‐ $75,000 annual direct costs

Funding duration depends on application type and justification for multiple-year project

Eligible Institutions: ENMU, NCGR, NMSU, NMT, UNM-Main, UNM-HSC

Characteristics of Full DRPP Projects:

  1. Full‐term study that fits within NM-INBRE thematic research areas or Signature programs
  2. Can be independent or collaborative*
  3. Aims to develop results for publication and NIH R‐type grant proposal
  4. Annual Renewal of funds dependent on progress toward publications and grants
  5. Priority will be given to projects that include bioinformatics tools
  6. Must select a mentor with a track record of independent research funding
  7. Research Enhancement Plan must address plans for faculty career development and how the investigator will work with chosen mentor
  8. Must address plans for student involvement, development, and training

*Note: NM-INBRE seeks to foster collaborations that develop cross-institutional research relationships within the New Mexico Network. Proposals that link formally to another proposal or existing project within the NM-INBRE network are especially encouraged. Proposals from research-intensive institutions involving formal collaboration with proposals from an NM-INBRE PUI will be prioritized.

**Collaborative research must have one investigator from an NM-INBRE Institution and can include collaborating investigators from the following:

  • NM-INBRE network PUI institutions (see Section I. F above)
  • NM-INBRE network RI institutions (see Section I. E above)
  • The National Center for Genome Resources (NCGR)
  • Institutions of the Regional Alliance of INBRE Networks (RAIN): ID, MT, and WY
  • Mountain West Research Consortium (MWRC): AK, HI, ID, MT, NV, NM, Visit MWRC
  • IDeA Mountain West Clinical Translational Research – Infrastructure Network (CTR-IN). Refer to MWCTR-IN

Section III.     Eligibility

Please note: eligibility requirements differ based on award type. Please refer to the eligible institutions listed for each awardtype in Section II.  above.

Any individual or collaborative team with the skills, knowledge, and resources necessary to carry out the proposed research is invited to work with his/her organization to develop an application for support.

Individuals from underrepresented racial and ethnic groups, as well as individuals with disabilities, are always encouraged to apply for NM-INBRE support. Typically, the PI of a NM-INBRE application possesses a Ph.D. or M.D./Ph.D. degree. S/he must also have afull‐time faculty appointment at the applicant institution and for those applying for Full projects, eligibility to apply for a NIHR‐type grants (R01, R03, R15, R21, etc.) is required. Faculty appointments may include tenure, clinical, and research‐trackpositions. Preference for Full or Focus projects will be given to new investigators who have not yet competed successfully for an NIH research grant (refer to NIH New Investigator). Applications may include collaborators from other (non‐NM-INBRE partner)institutions. Applicants must verify eligibility of proposed collaborators (refer to FOA Number PAR-18-262).

Full research project investigators at the awardee and network partner institutions will be expected to devote at least 50 percentof their professional effort (equivalent to 6.0 person months) to research and career development activities. Institutions must provide release time for project investigators, thus permitting a significant time commitment to the research enterprise. To allow flexibility to investigators who cannot devote 6.0 consecutive months throughout the year, the effort can be distributed over the year to achieve a total of 6 person months (for example, 3.0 person months during academic year and 3.0 person months in summer (up to three months) to account for a yearly 6.0 person months’ effort).

Individuals who have completed an NM-INBRE-funded FULL research project or who have achieved independent investigatorstatus are eligible to apply only for Pilot Research or Experiential Learning Development Projects, as described in Section II. A. and C.,above.

Applications for ELDP support are intended to pilot curricular strategies for engaging students in authentic research that result in persistence in biomedical and/or STEM curricula, as well as student career plans that incude research. Expectations are that the institution will adopt successful strategies that align with their strategic plans for research-based curriculum. Therefore, institutional acknowledgement and letters of support for proposed projects will be required for complete ELDP applications.

To submit a preliminary proposal, applicants will submit the Preliminary Application for NM-INBRE Support and follow instructions and deadlines provided if invited to submit the complete application. Complete proposals will be subjected to formal review after the determination that the application is responsive to the requirements and intent of the NM-INBRE Developmental Research Project Program.