Internal Grant Opportunities

Wright State University (WSU) and the Boonshoft School of Medicine (SOM) have established internal funding programs to support faculty research and professional development. Preliminary data generated through internally funded, peer-reviewed research can increase a researcher's ability to obtain external funding.

Seed Grants

The Boonshoft School of Medicine awards seed grants to fully-affiliated faculty who are directly employed by Wright State University for promising new projects in basic biomedical, clinical, and medical education research. Seed grants provide funding up to $10,000. New guidelines were established for the 2007 Seed Grant Program that apply uniform evaluation criteria to all three proposal categories. Priority is given to the criterion that all proposals demonstrate potential for future funding (in the past, clinical and medical education proposals did not have to meet this requirement). The guidelines web page has been redesigned to improve readability and navigation. Links and instructions for NIH forms used in the seed grant proposal were updated according to PHS 398 revisions made in April 2006. The proposal deadline for 2007 has passed. For more information, contact Steven Berberich Ph.D., chair of the SOM Research Committee (775-4494; steven.berberich@wright.edu) or Mark Willis, research coordinator (775-3814; mark.willis@wright.edu).

Boonshoft Innovation Fund

Thanks to philanthropist Oscar Boonshoft's $28.5 million gift to the School of Medicine, new resources are available to support faculty innovation in medical education, patient care and research. The Dean's Office has established the Boonshoft Innovation Fund to encourage and review proposals by fully-affiliated faculty. Proposals are intended to generate innovative and collaborative programs/projects, and are left open to the applicants' imagination and creativity. Two useful guidelines are that the projects should be in line with the Boonshoft School of Medicine's Strategic Plan and must become financially self-sustaining. The Boonshoft Innovation Fund is intended to support collaborative groups, rather than single individuals, and comprehensive projects, as opposed to research projects by individual investigators, e.g. it is not intended for the sort of projects supported by Research Challenge Funds. There is no limit to the amount of funds requested in a well-justified plan, although funding levels are expected to range from $200,000-$600,000 over a two-year period.

Matching Funds for Equipment

The Action Fund, a program of the Ohio Board of Regents, offers matching funds for equipment costing at least $250,000.

Research Challenge Grants

Research Challenge, funded by the Ohio Board of Regents, is comprised of four funding programs. The main goal for these programs is to help individual investigators attract external funding for research.

Research Incentive Program

The Research Incentive Program provides some funding for research initiation, professional development and travel. Eligibility for SOM faculty is restricted to the Departments of Neuroscience, Cell Biology, and Physiology; and Biochemistry and Molecular Biology.

Supporting Faculty Mentors for Medical Student Research

The Boonshoft School of Medicine can provide limited financial support to faculty who serve as research mentors for WSU medical students. Students must have approval of the Office of Student Affairs before undertaking mentored research projects. Funds may be used to buy project supplies and support student travel to present research results at scientific conferences. Funds may not be used for salaries or medical student stipends. See the Policy for Support of Faculty Mentors for Medical Student Research for application details. Faculty who are interested in working with medical students in their research programs should and want to be listed on the Faculty Research Mentors web page, which is used by students looking for research opportunities, should contact Mark Willis (775-3814; mark.willis@wright.edu).