RFA: IDDRC Flagship Project Pilot Funding

The Washington University Intellectual and Developmental Disability Research Center (IDDRC@WUSTL) is now accepting proposals for an investigator initiated R01 to embed within its 2025 competing renewal application.  The funding mechanism for IDDRCs requires an embedded R01 project, and the inclusion of a compelling project which utilizes and represents the institutional strengths of the IDDRC can have a significant impact on the scoring of the overall renewal. To support the development of such R01 applications, we are offering a year of competitive pilot support for ~3 proposals to generate key preliminary data and build infrastructure to develop the embedded R01s. The deadline for submitting a proposal is May 15, 2023.

Projects may be awarded up to $45,000 this year from the following sources:

Applicants should submit the following:

  • Principal investigator(s) and proposed project title
  • Specific Aims page (NIH-format)
  • 300-word statement describing how the investigator would use immediate pilot funding to generate pilot data for a full application, including plans to utilize IDDRC@WUSTL Core Services

For up to 3 of the most compelling proposals, the respective investigators will be invited to develop a full R01 proposal (with the assistance of leading scientists within the IDDRC@WUSTL) and receive up to $45,000 in immediate pilot funding/support.   The expectation is that a complete R01 application will be prepared by September 15, 2024. From these applications, one finalist will be selected for integration and inclusion in the 2025 IDDRC@WUSTL renewal application.  It is anticipated that all three invited R01s, whether or not selected for final inclusion in the renewal application, would be eligible for separate submission as stand-alone grants, with timing of submission at the discretion of the investigators.

Specific stipulations of the proposed R01 are as follows:

A)  The proposal must be a NEW study, must critically relate to developmental disabilities research, and include at least one element of translational relevance (relating to risk assessment, outcomes assessment, or intervention).

B)  The proposal must substantively utilize at least one Scientific Core Facility of the IDDRC@WUSTL.  Additional information on these core facilities can be found on the IDDRC@WUSTL website.  Core services can also be potentially expanded to suit the needs of the embedded project, especially if this builds key new capacities for the IDDRC.  Discuss any such innovations with core directors.

C)  The proposal must fit within a modular R01 budget for direct costs acquired through this mechanism, however can capitalize upon available funding from other sources.

D)  The proposal must address one or more of the four research themes of the IDDRC@WUSTL (see full RFA for details).

Applications should be submitted as a pdf attachment to the IDDRC@WUSTL email: iddrc@email.wustl.edu (cc: abbaccha@wustl.edu) with “IDDRC R01 Specific Aims Letter of Intent” in the subject line.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

  • Should the Aims page be for the potential R01 or the pilot data?
    • The Aims page should be a draft of the final aims page for the R01. You can use the 300 word statement to describe your proposed spending of pilot funds.
  • Does applying under this RFA preclude me from applying to other sources (NIH) fir any part of the project?
    • No, we do not want to limit your ability to find funding for these ideas.
  • Will you consider projects continuing or augmenting current research?
    • Yes, but please be sure to delineate how the new money will expand upon those efforts. Also take into considering the larger impact of this research and how it can lead to other opportunities (e.g. new pipelines, key infrastructure, etc) as these will be important factors for consideration within the overall IDDRC application.
  • Does the pilot award have to fund every aim of the project?
    • No. Spend it in the most strategic way (e.g. a specific aim needs additional pilot data to lead to a robust application).
Becoming a Member

Eligibility

Eligibility is open to any Washington University faculty member engaged in research of relevance to intellectual and developmental disabilities. This includes Principal Investigators and Co-Investigators. Graduate students and post-doctoral scholars are encouraged to access IDDRC resources through primary IDDRC investigators/mentors.

Benefits of an IDDRC Membership

  • Access to IDDRC Core Services
  • Eligibility for IDDRC pilot funds
  • Continuous exchange of news, ideas,
  • Access to education and advancement opportunities
  • Ability to present research and findings through IDDRC-sponsored lectures, symposia, and seminars

Obligations of an IDDRC Member

  • Conduct research in accordance with IDDRC mission statement
  • Utilize proper IDDRC NIH citation (NIH/NICHD P50 HD103525) for publications benefiting from Core Services
  • Contribute to scientific dialogue through IDDRC lectures, symposia, communications, and seminars
  • Report progress regularly on research activities, grants, and publications relating to IDDRC-supported projects

To apply for Membership

Please submit the following to iddrc@email.wustl.edu

  • Biosketch/CV
  • Name, Title, Department
  • Several sentences about how your interests could be leveraged for the success of the IDDRC and/or how we can help your career
List of Current Members
  • Agner, Shannon
  • Ances, Beau
  • Anokhin, Andrey
  • Arbelaez, Ana Maria
  • Baldridge, Dustin
  • Barch, Deanna
  • Bayly, Philip
  • Black, Kevin
  • Botteron, Kelly
  • Brestoff, Jonathon
  • Cashikar, Anil
  • Cho, Jaehyung
  • Cole, F. Sessions
  • Culver, Joseph
  • Dickson, Patricia
  • Dosenbach, Nico
  • Dougherty, Joe
  • Egervari, Gabor
  • Eggebrecht, Adam
  • England, Sarah
  • Farber, Nuri
  • Fields, Melanie
  • Foutz, Tom
  • Friess, Stuart
  • Gabel, Harrison
  • Galindo, Rafael
  • Garbow, Joel
  • Glaser, Paul
  • Goodhill, Geoffrey
  • Guerriero, Rejean
  • Guilliams, Kristin
  • Gurnett, Christina
  • Gutmann, David
  • Hengen, Keith
  • Hershey, Tamara
  • Herzog, Erik
  • Holtzman, David
  • Hoyt, Catherine
  • Huettner, James
  • Imai, Shin-Ichiro
  • Kelly, Jeannie
  • Kepecs, Adam
  • Klein, Robyn
  • Klyachko, Vitaly
  • Kravitz, Alexxai
  • Kroll, Kristen
  • Lang, Catherine
  • Lean, Rachel
  • Lee, Jin-Moo
  • Luby, Joan
  • Maloney, Susan
  • Mamah, Daniel
  • Marcus, Daniel
  • Markson, Lori
  • Marrus, Natasha
  • Mennerick, Steven
  • Milbrandt, Jeffrey
  • Mitra, Robi
  • Morris, Stephanie
  • Neil, Jeffrey
  • Nicol, Ginger
  • Noguchi, Kevin
  • O’Malley, Karen
  • Ortinau, Cynthia
  • Perkins, Stephanie
  • Perlman, Susan
  • Pruett, John
  • Reiersen, Angela
  • Reynolds, Margaret
  • Richards, Linda
  • Rogers, Cynthia
  • Rubin, Josh
  • Ryther, Robin
  • Sands, Mark
  • Schechtman, Ken
  • Schwartz, Alan
  • Shimony, Joshua
  • Shinawi, Marwan
  • Skeath, James
  • Smith, Alyssa
  • Smyser, Chris
  • Snyder, Avi
  • Snyder, Lawrence
  • Solnica-Krezel, Lila
  • Song, Sheng-Kwei
  • Stout, Molly
  • Sylvester, Chad
  • Thio, Liu Lin
  • Turner, Ashley
  • Turner, Tychele
  • Urano, Fumihiko
  • Vesoulis, Zachary
  • Wang, Shuo
  • Wang, Yong
  • Wen, Jie
  • Wong, Michael
  • Wozniak, David
  • Yi, Jason
  • Yuede, Carla
  • Zorumski, Charles

Publication Submission and Acknowledging the IDDRC

If you utilized the IDDRC resources, please ensure you properly acknowledge the IDDRC’s NIH Grant (P50 HD103525). You can use the following suggested language:

Research reported in this publication was supported by the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute Of Child Health & Human Development of the National Institutes of Health under Award Number P50 HD103525 to the Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities Research Center at Washington University. The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the National Institutes of Health.

The McDonnell Center for Systems Neurosciences asks to be acknowledged in any publication or presentation resulting from Center funding. Please use the following language in the Acknowledgements section of publications to describe work supported by Center funds:

“This work was supported by funds provided by the McDonnell Center for Systems Neuroscience at Washington University in St. Louis.”

All papers must conform to NIH’s Open Access Policy, meaning that the paper must be submitted through the NIHMS. Papers that are fully compliant are issued a PMCID number (different from a PubMed ID). Some journals will automatically complete this process for you, but others do not and will require you manually upload the manuscript via NIHMS. WUSM’s Becker Library maintains an excellent resource page with instructions and information to understand the process.

When your paper is published, be sure to notify the IDDRC via iddrc@email.wustl.edu and the Directors of the IDDRC cores you utilized so we can ensure that your important work is counted in the work of the IDDRC.