1. SCORE Program Informational Town Hall Meeting WELCOME FACULTY!
Monday February 20, Faculty center JPL F
Time – am

2. Program Administration
Program Director:
Dr. Jose Lopez-Ribot, Phone: (210)  
Program Specialist:
Monica Carreon, Phone: (210) , Building: BSE 2.304F

3. NIH’s SCORE PROGRAM
The Support of Competitive Research (SCORE) program provides research capacity building support to under-resourced institutions with limited NIH R01 funding (less than 6 million dollars per year of NIH R01 support -total costs- in each of the last 2 fiscal years) that have explicitly stated historical missions or historical track records focused on training and graduating students from backgrounds nationally underrepresented in biomedical research.
The SCORE program offers opportunities for faculty research career enhancement, which are expected to increase their research competitiveness and productivity and enable their transition to non-SCORE support.

4. UTSA’s SCORE MISSION Program Description:
As a minority-serving institution, historically one of the main missions of UTSA has been to significantly increase the number of students from underrepresented backgrounds conducting biomedical and behavioral research.
Within this overarching goal, the major mission of the SCORE program is to increase the research competitiveness of UTSA faculty, including minority faculty as well as those who are engaged in the training of minority students.
A major goal is to develop Institutional research and the research capabilities by fostering the development of faculty.
A second goal of our SCORE program at UTSA is to integrate SCORE program activities with those of the RISE and MARC and other diversity programs at UTSA to enhance student research training.

5. UTSA’s SCORE at a glance
Maximum of 20 awards (includes funded and submitted)
Currently the SCORE program sponsors 12 NIH-supported research projects at UTSA
Biology (5 projects)
Biomedical Engineering (2 projects)
Chemistry (1 projects)
Electrical Engineering (1 project)
Mechanical Engineering (1 project)
Physics (2 projects)
Total NIH commitment is approximately $11.3 million.
7 additional SCORE grant applications have been submitted in the two previous cycles

6. The following SCORE Submittal Dates for NIH
January 25, 2017
May 25, 2017

7. The SCORE Program estimates 1 or more new or revised investigator-initiated research proposals to NIH by the next submission deadline of MAY 25, 2017

8. SCORE Grant Types at a Glance
Research Advancement Award (SC1) - for investigators with a track record of research activity who are seeking to enhance their research productivity in order to transition to non-SCORE support in a limited period of time.
Pilot Project Award (SC2) - for those who are at the beginning stages of a research career, applying for their first independent award, and who are interested in testing a new idea, or generating preliminary data – “Mentored award”.
Research Continuance Award (SC3) - for investigators who have been engaged in scholarly research and published, and who seek to continue to conduct competitive research of limited scope to increase their publications and eventually transition to non-SCORE support

9. SC1: Research-Related Programs -- Research Enhancement Award
Individual investigator-initiated research projects aimed at developing researchers at minority-serving institutions (MSIs) to a stage where they can transition successfully to other extramural support (R01 or equivalent).
“For investigators with a track record of research activity who are seeking to enhance their research productivity in order to transition to non-SCORE support in a limited period of time”
The PI cannot have any other funding by the time award is made
Not to exceed $250,000 direct costs per year. Support Period: 4 years maximum.

10. SC2: Research-Related Programs -- Pilot Research Project
Individual investigator-initiated pilot research projects for faculty at MSIs to generate preliminary data for a more ambitious research project.
“For those who are at the beginning stages of a research career, applying for their first independent award, and who are interested in testing a new idea, or generating preliminary data” - must commit a minimum of 50 percent of full time-effort
Mentored award: The advisor should be an established, NIH-funded investigator in the proposed research area and must have a track record of success in advising research scientists in the acquisition of external support and the maintenance of an independent research laboratory. The advisor may be from the applicant institution or any other domestic institution.
No preliminary data is required. The PI cannot have any other funding by the time award is made
The SC2 awards may not exceed $300,000 (direct costs) for the entire length of the award which may be one to three years maximum. Yearly requests need not be of the same amount but must be determined based on $25,000 module increments and may not exceed $100,000 per year.   

11. SC3: Research-Related Programs -- Research Continuance Award
Individual investigator-initiated research projects for faculty at MSIs to conduct research of limited scope in environments with limited research infrastructure/facilities.
“For those investigators who have been engaged in scholarly research and published, and who seek to continue to conduct competitive research of limited scope to increase their publications and eventually transition to non-SCORE support”
PI can have up to $75,000 total cost of other active support at the time award is made
Not to exceed $75,000 direct costs per year.
Support Period: 4 years maximum for new and renewal applications.

12. Eligibility Questions
Must have full-time regular faculty appointment (tenure/tenure track appointment)
Postdoctoral fellows, research instructors, research assistant professors, research scientists, etc. are ineligible
Emeritus or distinguished/retired investigators/professors are ineligible
Current PD/PIs of R01 or of other federal or non-federal investigator initiated research awards or of program projects, center grants, cooperative agreements or other institutional research awards are ineligible to apply for/receive any of the SCORE awards.
Investigators who have other developmental/enhancement grant support with goals similar to SCORE are ineligible to apply for SC awards until the completion of these awards,
(i.e., SCORE awards are not intended to duplicate other individual or institutional developmental awards; these include K awards and research support provided as part of institutional centers, program projects, cooperative agreements such as from RCMI, BUILD, etc.)
An applicant may not be the PD/PI of any other SCORE or any other federal or non-federal investigator initiated research grant at the time an SC award is made.
Concurrent or duplicate application to any of the SCORE mechanisms (SC1, SC2, or SC3) by a single PD/PI is not allowed. A PD/PI may only apply for/receive one SC award at a time.
SC1 awards may not be transferred from one PD/PI to another or from one institution to another.

13. Eligibility Questions
For information on research areas that are supported by NIH, please go to:
For information on the NIH SCORE program, please go to:

14. Eligibility Questions
After reviewing the links, if you still have questions, please contact:
Dr. Jose Lopez-Ribot, Director of the SCORE Program at UTSA
Phone: or
Monica Carreon, SCORE Program Specialist
Phone: or
Dr. Hinda Zlothik, SCORE Program Director,
National Institute of General Medical Sciences at NIH
Phone: (301) or
RSC-Research Service Center
COS-Nancy Markum (210)
COE-Linda De La Cruz (210)
COLFA-Margot Oviedo (210)
COEHD-Jesse Hernandez (210)

15. Target Dates for Current NIH Deadline Submission
February 3, Campus Announcement to all full-time TTR faculty
March 3, Deadline for Title, Abstract, Specific Aims, Student Training Table, and Proposed funding Mechanism (SC1, SC2, or SC3) by to:
April 5, Completed proposal submitted through the Cayuse system to UTSA SCORE Program Office by 5:00PM. All proposals will be subject to external/internal reviews.
April 19, Completion of Internal and External Reviews
April 20, Announcement of approved SCORE Proposals by UTSA SCORE Program
May 25, Submission of approved SCORE to NIH

16. Internal Review Process
The UTSA SCORE Program reviews and approves all new and revised SC proposals for submission to NIH, based on the number of new, pending and funded SC proposals available in a submission cycle (which occurs two times in a calendar year).
Because of the changes in the number of new, pending and funded SC proposals from one submission cycle to another, the approval of the submission of a SC proposal to NIH for a particulate deadline date CANNOT BE EXTENDED to a subsequent date.

17. CRITERIA SELECTION
Strong scientific merit and relevance to research areas of NIH (biomedical and behavioral)
Strong potential for the development of faculty and institutional research
Excellent past record, or commitment to training of minority students
Responsiveness to the NIH-SCORE program announcements

18. COMMON PROPOSAL SUBMISSION ERRORS
Research proposal outside of the NIH mission
Non-compliant with the application forms and instructions (e.g. excessive number of pages)
Lack of institutional data
Lack of the PI's developmental objectives
PI’s who are fully developed and thus not eligible to apply for SCORE
PI’s who are not at a SCORE eligible institution
For SC2 applications, lack of a mentor, his/her biographical sketch and of explanation
of the mentor's role in the PI's development plan
Co-PI’s or co-investigators (which are unallowable)
Lack of budget page or personnel justification
Lack of a progress report if a PI has had previous SCORE support
Lack of an introduction in revised applications

19. Q & A

20.  UTSA SCORE Contact Information
Program Director:
Dr. Jose Lopez-Ribot, Phone:   
Program Specialist:
Monica Carreon Phone: , Building: BSE 2.304F