VBRN Awards

Faculty Support

VBRN has three funding mechanisms, described below, to support faculty research: Project Awards, Pilot Awards and Exploratory Awards. Faculty who receive VBRN funding are required to have a science mentor. See this page for Science Mentor and Mentee Expectations 

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 tenure track at one of our Baccalaureate Partner Institutions* are eligible to apply for all VBRN funding opportunities. Full-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.

*Vermont State University, Middlebury College, Norwich University, and Saint Michael’s College

2025 Faculty Funding Timeline:

The VBRN Grant Writing Workshop (GWW) will be held on Friday September 27, 2024. Attendance at this workshop will be required for all faculty intending to apply for Exploratory or Pilot Award funding for June 1, 2025-May 31, 2026, or a Project Award funding for June 1, 2025-May 31, 2027. Details on the GWW program may be found here. A timeline for applying for VBRN funds in 2025 is as follows:

  • Friday August 16, 2024: VBRN Exploratory, Pilot and Project Award Requests for Applications released
  • Monday September 9, 2024: Pitch paper due (email to your BPI Coordinator, mandatory requirement to participate in the GWW)
  • Friday September 27, 2024: Grant Writing Workshop
  • Friday November 1, 2024: Letter of Intent due (template will be distributed to GWW attendees)
  • Monday January 13, 2025: VBRN Award applications due (must be submitted electronically by the PI)
  • End of March 2025: 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. NIGMS would like to see INBRE Programs encourage the utilization of large, publicly available datasets, e.g., phenotypes of human populations, in research by INBRE-supported faculty members.

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

In 2022, VBRN updated the award application site. Directions for accessing the new site are below.

 How to Access Application Site

 

VBRN Project Awards for 2025

Call for Proposals for:

New or Renewal Project Research Awards for Tenure-track Faculty at Baccalaureate Partner Institutions
Application Deadline: January 13, 2025 by 4:00 pm
Funding Dates: June 1, 2025 – May 31, 2027

VBRN Pilot Awards for 2025

Call for Proposals for:

New or Renewal Pilot Research Awards for Tenure-track Faculty at Baccalaureate Partner Institutions
Application Deadline: January 13, 2025 by 4:00 pm
Funding Dates: June 1, 2025 – May 31, 2026

VBRN Exploratory Awards for 2025

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 13, 2025 by 4:00 pm
Funding Dates: June 1, 2025 – May 31, 2026

Student Internships

Call for Proposals for:

VBRN Undergraduate Student Summer Internships 2025

A paid internship to conduct summer research in UVM and Vermont area biotechnology industry labs in Summer 2024. Application deadline: Friday, February 15, 2025.

Two Scheduled Information Sessions will be scheduled for mid-late January (via Zoom)

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 (2025-2026 RFA available Fall 2024)
Click here for the Online Application Form
How to Access the Application Site