ALLIANCE/HiREC Small Grant Award 2021 ($5,000)

The Biostatistics, Epidemiology, and Research Design (BERD) Core of the Hispanic Alliance for Clinical and Translational Research (ALLIANCE), in collaboration with Hispanics in Research Capability (HiREC) program at the University of Puerto Rico, is announcing a funding opportunity for small grants to leverage analysis of pre-existing large databases in Health Disparities and prevalent disease and conditions among Hispanics.

The overall goal of the BERD Core of ALLIANCE is to enhance and consolidate the existing research infrastructure to increase research productivity, particularly in the areas of health disparities and to facilitate intra-institutional and multi- or inter-disciplinary collaborations. The current funding program is in consonance with HiREC main objectives: to support critical research infrastructure and capacity building activities. This program serves the mission of HiREC as to expand and sustain high quality clinical and translational research training program and research infrastructure that will enhance minority health and increase health disparities research in our institution. This goal directly serves the mission and vision of the ALLIANCE and HiREC to address health disparities in Hispanic populations and support the development of minority researchers in clinical and translational research.

Application/Submission Specifications:

One small grant ($5,000) will be awarded to help the principal investigator: a) to conduct preliminary analysis using a large database to support new competitive proposals for external funding, or b) to disseminate the results of large database analysis, covering publication or travel costs to present findings in scientific meetings. Proposals should emphasize the development of a protocol or data analysis for clinical and translational research to examine the determinants of Health Disparities among Hispanics, preferably in one of the ALLIANCE and HiREC research priority areas:

1. 1. 1. Cancer
      2. Cardio-metabolic Diseases
      3. Emerging infectious diseases,
      4. Disaster-related conditions
      5. Respiratory diseases
      6. Mental health
      7. Neuroscience
      8. HIV/AIDS.

However, other Health Disparities topics related to our Hispanic population can be submitted. All proposed activities should be completed within 12 calendar months from the project start date.

Submit your proposal electronically here

New Deadline

March

3

2021

Eligibility criteria:

1. New- and Early-Investigators (completed doctoral or post-doctoral degree within the past 10 years and has not previously competed successfully as PD/PI for a substantial NIH independent research award), or investigators entering research from another field.
2. At least one of the Principal Investigators (PIs) must be an investigator at one of the ALLIANCE institutions (University of Puerto Rico Medical Sciences Campus, Universidad Central del Caribe-Bayamon, Ponce Health Sciences University). Preference will be given to proposals involving multiple investigators working across ALLIANCE institutions.
3. Proposals must indicate: 1) the use of structured or unstructured large secondary datasets in order to achieve the study aims and 2) the future impact on public policy and/or health care.

Commitments between the PI and the ALLIANCE/HiREC:

• Commit to meet with the assigned advisory panel (2-3 members), as per request, to evaluate the project’s progress
• Fulfill the proposed research project plan
• Submit at least one manuscript using the big dataset and/or a proposal for external funding
• Submit an abstract using the big dataset in order to present the study at a regional/national scientific meeting (optional). In case of a travel award to a regional/national scientific meeting, provide a brief summary of the meeting and include a copy of the meeting’s agenda.
• Submit a copy of the published manuscript and/or poster or oral presentation.
• Comply with the ALLIANCE-NIH mid-year and final progress report.
• Provide the proper acknowledgements to the ALLIANCE (U54GM133807) and HiREC (S21MD001830) funding awards.

For more information please contact Mrs. Lorena González-Sepúlveda

sponsored by: