1. Information Session February 6, 2017 4:00-4:45 pm
RFA:
Questions regarding the RFA to:

2. Sponsoring Units Penn State College of Medicine
Penn State Cancer Institute
Huck Institutes of the Life Sciences
Social Science Research Institute
Clinical and Translational Science Institute
Materials Research Institute
Institute for CyberScience
Institutes of Energy and the Environment

3. Goals of the Seed Grant
Encourage interdisciplinary projects exhibiting innovative approaches to significant problems related to human health and the environment
Build collaborations involving new interdisciplinary cross-College, Campus and/or Institute teams whose research is aimed at attracting external funding

4. Seed grant priority topics
Environmental (indoor/outdoor air, land, water, noise, light, built environment, population density, etc.) impacts on human health
The use of sensors or other devices to capture environmental influences on human health
Population variations in environmental exposures and their impacts on human health
The role of human behavior in health-relevant environmental exposures

5. Seed grant priority topics (cont.)
Advanced computation- and data-enabled research, particularly with the integration of human health and environmental data sets
Environment-cancer linkages, particularly within the Penn State Cancer Institute’s 27-county catchment area in central Pennsylvania

6. Additional Huck Institutes interest
Innovative, risky, and potentially transformative life science research with the potential of high impact, particularly proposals that we think are exciting but would not be funded by a Federal grant giving body
For these projects or projects at a level greater than $50,000 contact Jim Marden, Huck Life Sciences to discuss ideas

7. Preferred activities for funding
Collaborations involving junior and senior faculty
Projects that…
are proof of concept projects that provide preliminary data necessary for external funding
encompass at least two dimensions of the environment, including biological, physical and social dimensions
are aimed at developing and/or applying novel methods, devices, and/or analytics
test potential solutions to adverse effects of the environment on health

8. Seed Grant eligibility
All faculty members holding an appointment of half-time or more Tenured, Tenure track, Fixed Term, Clinicians
Interdisciplinary, cross-unit research team. Single investigator projects will not be considered
Investigators may be lead or Co-PI on a single proposal but may serve as collaborator on up to two proposals
Pennsylvania state agencies, federal agencies and private industry may collaborate but are not eligible for funding

9. Funding availability
At least $400,000 is available through this solicitation
Funding levels
Project costs will generally range from $25,000-$50,000
Funding is not available for single investigator projects
Award period: July 1, 2017 through June 30, 2019

10. Allowable expenses (salaries)
Graduate and undergraduate student support (including stipends/fringe and tuition)
Up to $5,000/proposal for salary/fringe benefits of fixed term faculty and staff members who will contribute to the project (other than tenured/tenure track faculty)

11. Allowable expenses (fees and equipment)
Instrumentation fees and sample analysis to collect preliminary data
Equipment, supplies, technical equipment. Use of shared facilities is encouraged; a list of available facilities is at
Funding for data conversion technology and wages to support data conversion
Participant payments and expenses related to the use of human subjects

12. Allowable expenses (travel and meetings)
Travel associated with the conduct or reporting of seed grant research
Hosting a research planning meeting for an interdisciplinary team

13. Unallowable expenses
Summer or supplemental salary support for tenured/tenure track faculty
Postdoc salary
Travel support to attend conferences
Funding for non-Penn State collaborators (including travel)

14. Key dates March 1, 2017: Pre-proposals due no later than 5:00 pm
Week of Mar. 20: PIs notified of pre-proposal results; full proposals requested
April 19, 2017: Full proposals due no later than 5:00 pm
Mid-May 2017: Seed Grant funding decisions announced
July 1, 2017: Funding available (projects must be completed by June 30, 2019)

15. Review criteria
Proposed projects will be scored utilizing a 9-point rating scale (1 = exceptional; 9 = poor) for each of 6 criteria
Significance – project will advance understanding or solutions to environmental influences on important health problems
Investigators – the interdisciplinary team of investigators and collaborators has the expertise needed to conduct the project
Innovation – project challenges or shifts current research or practice paradigms and advances novel concepts, methods, instrumentation or interventions, or applies these in novel ways
Approach - procedures and analysis plans clearly described, justified and appropriate to accomplish the specific aims
Environment - appropriateness of the resources, facilities equipment and budget request for the needs of the proposed project.
Overall Impact - the likelihood of the research to exert a sustained, powerful influence on the research field

16. Other Opportunities CTSI’s Bridges to Translation III
The Bridges to Translation RFA places special emphasis on three topics; telemedicine, clinical trials and primary care physician/community engagement.  Workshop: Thursday, February 16, 10:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m AB HUB-Robeson Center University Park For more information and registration visit: 

17. Questions regarding the program should be submitted to: iee@psu.edu
Contact information
Questions regarding the program should be submitted to:
More information, this presentation and webinar recording, and the full RFP can be found at