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91原创 Heritage College of Osteopathic Medicine
Heritage Hall, Athens, OH 45701

Medical Student Seed Funding Grant Program

  • Application Deadline

    Proposals are accepted on a rolling basis from August 1 through April 30. 

    Contact the Office of Research and Grants with questions. 

Purpose

Provides funding for medical students to gain experience in research design, methods, and conduct.  

Grant Duration

Seed funding grants provide research support for 12 months following the notice of award.

Eligibility

  • All currently enrolled Heritage College medical students with the exception of DO/PhD students during PhD years 
  • Prior awardees must complete all requirements per the Letter of Agreement before reapplying 
  • Projects already funded for direct costs are not eligible (excluding stipends, fellowships and other forms of individual support) 

Identifying a Faculty Mentor and Research Project

  • Mentors must be one of the following:
    • Heritage College or other 91原创 faculty
    • Members of one of the three Heritage College institutes: Diabetes Institute, Infectious and Tropical Disease Institute, and the Ohio Musculoskeletal and Neurological Institute
    • Partners within our clinical campus system
    • Members of Heritage College affiliates (e.g., the Cleveland Clinic systems, Kettering Health Network, Nationwide Children鈥檚 Hospital, OhioHealth)
  • Due to the duration of the award, students are strongly encouraged to join an existing project with a clearly defined role. 
  • Sub-projects under approved protocols are permitted.

Compliance
  • IRB/IACUC/IBC approvals should be submitted for review to the IRB of record (91原创 
  • Mentors have the responsibility to obtain appropriate 91原创 and affiliate (if applicable) approval for research involving human subjects (IRB), animals (IACUC), and/or biohazards (Institutional Biosafety Committee) prior to the start of the proposed research. 
  • Research protocols should be submitted for review to the appropriate oversight body (91原创 or the affiliate site) prior to seed funding application submission. 
  • Students must follow all OU and Heritage College research policies, including proper research deferral processes (if applicable). 
  • Students must be in full compliance with Medical Student Research Policy 2.22, including project registration in the Salesforce Student Portal. 
  • Funding is released only after 91原创 approval/deferral documentation is received. 

General Proposal Requirements
  • These guidelines supersede previous versions. Guidelines are subject to change as needed.
  • Review the guidelines before submitting a proposal. Meritorious proposals are often not funded because these guidelines are not followed, and information needed to make an informed, objective decision is not available to the review committee. 
  • Proposals must be written and submitted by the student, in collaboration with the faculty mentor.
  • Single-spaced, 1鈥 margins, 12-point font, pages numbered 
  • Assemble into one PDF document that includes the Checklist and all other components in the order listed below.
  • Incomplete and noncompliant proposals will be withdrawn. 

Proposal Components
  1. Project Abstract (500-word limit)
    • The abstract page will be the first page of your proposal. Include the title, student name/OMS year, and mentor name at the top of the document. (not included in word count)
    • The abstract should be informative to persons working in related fields and understandable to the scientifically or technically literate lay reader. 
    • The abstract must briefly describe the following: 
    • Significance of the proposed research 
    • Statement of research question, specific aims and objectives
    • Specific and clear research hypotheses
    • Methods to be employed
  2. Project Description (6-page limit)
    1. Specific Aims (Suggested Length = 1 page). 
      1. Introduce your research subject and describe the significant gap in knowledge that relates to your request for funding.
      2. Introduce the solution that fills the gap in knowledge. You should include your hypothesis, objectives and rationale.
      3. Briefly describe each of the aims that you will use to test your hypothesis.
      4. For a qualitative research project, describe how the results will be used to generate hypotheses for further testing.
      5. Explain the student鈥檚 distinct role in the research project, including specific experiments/tasks that will be performed by the student.
    2. Significance of Proposed Study (Suggested Length = 陆 page) 
    3. Broader Impacts of the Research (e.g. to your program/discipline, 91原创, the region/state/nation/world) (Suggested Length = 陆 page)
    4. Preliminary Results, if applicable (Suggested Length = 陆 page)
    5. Research Design with Detailed Methods and Analysis Plan (Suggested Length = 3 pages)
    6. Data confidentiality and protection of human subjects or animals. If not applicable for proposed study, an explanation should be provided. (Suggested Length = 陆 page)
  3. Plan for Dissemination (1/2-page limit): Provide a plan for disseminating your research results including potential target journals and conferences.
  4. Student Research Goals (1/2-page limit): Explain how this project relates to your current and future research goals.
  5. Timeline: Project timeline should reflect what can reasonably be accomplished within the 12-month duration of the seed funding grant. List and describe each task to be completed during your research. Specify a deadline for each task. Include IRB/IACUC submission/approval timeline.
  6. References: All literature references must cited properly throughout the proposal. The reference list should include the list of authors, title of the article, journal name, issue, year of publication, and relevant page numbers. AMA editorial style is preferred but not required. 91原创 Libraries provides helpful information about AMA editorial style.
  7. Mentor鈥檚 NIH Biosketch: Use the . 
  8. Mentor鈥檚 Endorsement: Endorsement should be written by the mentor and should include the following:
    • A brief description of why their experience and qualifications make them well-suited for the role of a mentor (e.g. previous experimental work on this specific topic or related topics, technical expertise, past performance in this or related field, specific contributions to scholarly work on this topic or a related topic)
    • Plan for mentoring the student, description of how the project fits into the mentor鈥檚 research program
    • How often mentor will meet with the student
    • The exact role the student will have in the research project
  9. Budget and Budget Justification 
    • Submit a budget page that includes the following:
      • Expense category (see ineligible/eligible budget items below)
      • A brief description of each budget item
      • Total amount for each budget item
      • A narrative budget justification that describes in explicit detail how much each item costs and why it is necessary for the project.
    • The maximum award is $3,000.
    • Budget expenditures encumbered before the award date will not be reimbursed.
    • All budget requests will be approved by line item.
    • Budget requests are reviewed carefully and requests should reflect efforts to economize. 
    • Ineligible expenses: salary support, travel-related food and parking, publication fees, poster printing
    • Eligible budget items include:
      • Human Subjects Compensation
      • Professional Services (including fees for Heritage College Core Research Facilities)
      • Supplies
      • Information and Communication
      • Printing and Copying
      • Postage and Freight
      • Travel is permitted for data collection only. No more than 50% of the proposed budget may be requested for travel. Travel expenses must be broken down into transportation and lodging categories (mileage, airfare, rental car and accommodations) and the basis for the figures must be provided. The budget justification must include the proposed locations, travel dates, and a detailed plan for data collection. Where appropriate, use the 91原创 Travel Reimbursement Policy 41.121 to determine limits on travel expenses. Travel must be in accordance with current 91原创 policies, procedures, and restrictions.
  10. Research Compliance: Documentation of regulatory approvals (IRB/IACUC/IBC Approvals, etc., if applicable). If protocol has not yet been submitted, please provide a timeline for submission. Proof of submission may be used if approval is pending. Final funding is subject to receipt of IRB or IACUC approval letters, as applicable. Copies of IRB/IACUC approval letters are required from each participating institution.

Proposal Submission
  • Proposals must be submitted as a single PDF document, including the Checklist.
  • Proposals must be submitted using the online .