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

2027-28 Faculty Funding Timeline:

The VBRN Grant Writing Workshop (GWW) is scheduled for Friday September 25, 2026 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, 2027-June 30, 2028, or a Project Award funding for July 1, 2027-June 30, 2029. Details on the GWW program will be posted on the VBRN events calendar here.

A tentative timeline for applying for VBRN funds for 2027-2028 award year is as follows:

• Late August 2026: VBRN Exploratory, Pilot and Project Award Requests for Applications released
• Thursday, September 10, 2026: Pitch paper due (email to your BPI Coordinator, mandatory requirement to participate in the GWW)
• Friday, September 25, 2026: Grant Writing Workshop
• Friday, October 23, 2026: Letter of Intent due (template will be distributed to GWW attendees)
• Friday, January 8, 2027: VBRN Award applications due (must be submitted electronically by the PI)
• Early March, 2027: VBRN Award funding decisions made

Review of VBRN Award Applications:

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.

Note this change in NIH policy:

RESTRICTION: NIH funds may not be used to support any Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) related activities described in any current or prior application. Examples of such activities include those described in a Plan for Enhancing Diverse Perspectives, a Recruitment Plan for Enhancing Diversity, or any other DEI-related research or training activities or programs. In addition, NIH funds may not be used to support esearch activities involving climate change, vaccine hesitancy, gender ideology, or influencing public pinion. Use of grant funds for these purposes will result in a disallowance of costs subject to recovery of funds as detailed in the NIH Grants Policy Statement, Section 8.4:

https://grants.nih.gov/grants/policy/nihgps/HTML5/section_8/8.5.4_recovery_of_funds.htm

Accessing the Application Site

Directions for accessing the site are linked below.

 How to Access Application Site

VBRN Project Awards for 2027

Call for Proposals for:

New or Renewal Project Research Awards for Tenure-track Faculty at Baccalaureate Partner Institutions

VBRN Pilot Awards for 2027

Call for Proposals for:

New or Renewal Pilot Research Awards for Tenure-track Faculty at Baccalaureate Partner Institutions