VBRN Awards
Faculty Support
Changes to funding limits:
There is no longer a limit on the number of years investigators may be funded by VBRN. For returning applicants who have received four or more years of VBRN funding, evidence of external application submission(s), a strong publication record, and undergraduate involvement in research will be important factors for additional funding. Faculty that are changing research directions are encouraged to apply for another VBRN Award.
Eligibility:
Faculty members who do not have active NIH or NSF awards and are full-time or equivalent tenure track at one of our Primarily Undergraduate Institution Partners* are eligible to apply for all VBRN funding opportunities. Full and part time non-tenure track faculty are eligible to apply for Exploratory Awards only. Priority will be given to early career faculty. NIH funding doesn’t preclude further VBRN support, but in our mission supporting early investigators with no NIH history is a priority.
*Landmark College, Middlebury College, Norwich University, Saint Michael’s College, and Vermont State University
2026-27 Faculty Funding Timeline:
The VBRN Grant Writing Workshop (GWW) is scheduled for Friday November 7, 2025 at Saint Michel’s College. Attendance at this workshop will be required for all faculty intending to apply for Exploratory or Pilot Award funding for July 1, 2026-June 30, 2027, or a Project Award funding for July 1, 2026-June 30, 2028. Details on the GWW program may be found on the VBRN events calendar here. A tentative timeline for applying for VBRN funds in 2025 is as follows:
- Early October 2025: VBRN Exploratory, Pilot and Project Award Requests for Applications released
- October 22, 2025: Pitch paper due (email to your BPI Coordinator, mandatory requirement to participate in the GWW)
- Friday November 7, 2025: Grant Writing Workshop
- December 1, 2025: Letter of Intent due (template will be distributed to GWW attendees)
- Mid-January, 2026 (TBD): VBRN Award applications due (must be submitted electronically by the PI)
- End of March 2026: VBRN Award funding decisions made
Review of VBRN Award Applications:
The review of Project Award applications begins with the assignment of the application to at least two outside reviewers. The reviewers are given the Request For Applications (RFA) and are asked to score the application based on the NIH review criteria used for the R15 AREA grant, which includes Significance, Investigator, Innovation, Approach and Environment. The NIH utilizes a 9-point rating scale (1 = exceptional; 9 = poor) for all applications; the same scale is used for criterion scores and for the overall impact score.
VBRN will assess applications with respect to alignment with VBRN strategic objectives and mission. We are particularly interested in applications that foster inter-institutional collaborations and include a data science component.
Other data, including support of undergraduates, compliance with VBRN requirements for funding, science mentor reports, and impact of prior VBRN funding (e.g. publication record and proposal submissions to federal agencies) are also considered when making the final funding decisions. VBRN’s goal is to fund as many awards as possible, but fund only meritorious applications responsive to the NIH mission.
Accessing the Application Site
Directions for accessing the site are linked below.
How to Access Application Site
VBRN Project Awards for 2026
Call for Proposals for:
New or Renewal Project Research Awards for Tenure-track Faculty at Baccalaureate Partner Institutions
Application Deadline: January 30, 2026
Funding Dates: July 1, 2026 – June 30, 2028
VBRN Pilot Awards for 2026
Call for Proposals for:
New or Renewal Pilot Research Awards for Tenure-track Faculty at Baccalaureate Partner Institutions
Application Deadline: January 30, 2026
Funding Dates: July 1, 2026 – June 30, 2027
VBRN Exploratory Awards for 2026
Call for Proposals for:
New or Renewal Exploratory Research Awards for Tenure-track and non-tenure-track Faculty at Baccalaureate Partner Institutions
Application Deadline: January 30, 2026
Funding Dates: July 1, 2026 – June 30, 2027
Student Internships
Call for Proposals for:
VBRN Undergraduate Student Summer Internships 2026
A paid internship to conduct summer research in UVM and Vermont area biotechnology industry labs in Summer 2026. Application deadline: February 23, 2026.
Information Sessions will be scheduled for mid-late January (via Zoom)
Student Internship Opportunities (2025 Presentation Download)
Undergraduate students from these programs and institutions are eligible to apply: Vermont State University (Castleton, Lyndon, Johnson, Randolph, and Williston campuses), Champlain College, Community College of Vermont, Landmark College, Middlebury College, Norwich University, Saint Michael’s College as well as Northeast Regional INBRE Programs (DE-INBRE, ME-INBRE, NH-INBRE, RI-INBRE, and the Biomedical Sciences Career Program (BSCP).
Click here for the Request for Application
Click here for the Online Application Form
How to Access the Application Site