The purpose of the FIRST Cohort is to transform culture at NIH-funded extramural institutions by building a self-reinforcing community of scientists committed to diversity and inclusive excellence (defined below). Implementing and sustaining cultures of inclusive excellence within the program has the potential to be transformational for biomedical research at the recipient institutions and beyond. This community will be built through recruitment of individuals who:
- are competitive for an advertised research tenure-track or equivalent faculty position (positions must be at the Assistant Professor (or equivalent) level),
- meet the criteria for NIH-defined Early Stage Investigators, and
- have demonstrated a strong commitment to promoting diversity and inclusive excellence.
Only one application per institution, normally identified by having a Unique Entity Identifier (UEI) or NIH IPF number, is allowed. This funding opportunity will accept applications from eligible Highly Resourced Institutions (HRI), Limited-Resourced Institutions (LRI), or Partnerships (any composition of HRI and/or LRI) to develop faculty cohort models. All eligible institutions are categorized into these two types to encourage inclusion and broaden participation. If an institution is applying as an LRI, the institution must include a statement demonstrating that it meets the LRI criteria. See Institutional Support section.
Deadlines:
- Duke Internal: TBA
- Letter of Intent: 30 days prior to the application due date
- Application: July 12, 2022
RFA-RM-22-008 Expiration Date July 13, 2022
Application budgets per award are limited to $300,000 direct costs for all cores combined in year one; $3,275,000 direct costs each year in years 2-4; and $120,000 direct costs for all cores combined in year 5 and need to reflect the actual needs of the proposed project.
Owing to the sponsor's restriction on the number of applications that may be submitted from Duke, anyone wishing to pursue nomination should submit the following materials as one PDF.
- Descriptive title of proposed activity
- Names and affiliations of the PD(s)/PI(s)
- Names of other key personnel
- Participating institution(s)
- Brief description of the proposed FIRST program. Note that Duke would be considered a Highly-Resourced Institution (HRI)—A Duke team can put together either a strictly HRI proposal or a Partnership (any composition of HRI and/or LRI) proposal. Here are some minimum requirements for either of these proposals:
For HRIs, the faculty cohort comprises no fewer than 10 scientists; … and for partnerships, the number of scientists supported must be based on prior planning and what was proposed and justified in the application (must define institutional type in the application). If a partnership includes an HRI, it must hire no fewer than 10 scientists… Each cohort (…HRI, or Partnership) must be large enough to create an interactive community and include collaborations between relevant departments, divisions, and institutions to help achieve FIRST program goals.
Please submit internal materials through My Research Proposal. (Code ILN) https://www.grantinterface.com/sl/tH6D1N.
Instructions for creating an account (if needed) and submitting your materials: https://www.ctsi.duke.edu/myresearchproposal