South Carolina Experimental Program to Stimulate Competitive Research and Institutional Development Awards

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The goal of the Grants for Exploratory Academic Research (GEAR) Program is to encourage multi-disciplinary research projects that have the ability to be at or beyond the frontiers of scientific discovery.  Awards may include support for start-up funding for new junior, tenure-track faculty hires; acquisition of shared equipment; expansion and enhancement of mentoring and research development opportunities for researchers at all levels of career development; student research traineeships; or development of collaborative partnerships.  Collaborative projects between South Carolina’s institutions, including those with the state’s minority serving institutions (MSIs) and technical colleges, and industry-university partnerships are encouraged.  The submission of an extramural proposal relevant to the supported activities, peer-reviewed publications, and evidence-based impact on institutional research culture are expected outcomes of GEAR support.  

Proposals must respond to one of the following specific research priorities, listed in no particular order:

- Cell, Molecular or Developmental Biology: identifying mechanisms to accelerate maturation (maturogens) or support newly assembled vascular tubes; and/or mechanisms of stem cell differentiation into endothelial and smooth muscle  including roles of hydrogels, biomechanical forces or scaffolds;

-  Biomechanics and Bioassembly: support for testing engineered tissue properties, comparison to authentic natural blood vessels,  processing and post-processing viability of vascular spheroids in assembled (“printed”) structures; 

-  Biomathematics/Mathematical Modeling and Testing: Computer simulation of vascular tissue spheroid fusion and viability and behavior of engineered vascular structures during the bioprinting assembly process and in bioreactors; or

-  Bioprinting: Development of hardware and software to rapidly assemble viable tissue constructs using living building blocks or spheroids (“bioink”).

 
Any tenured or tenure-track faculty member at an institution of higher education in South Carolina is eligible to submit a proposal under this solicitation.

The SC EPSCoR/IDeA Program requires that all GEAR proposals:  

• adhere to program objectives as described in this solicitation;  
• provide background and rationale for the projects proposed;  
• have a scientific focus that is aligned with one of the specific research priorities listed above;  
• involve the participation of a student(s) at either the high school, undergraduate or graduate level; and  
• provide a budget and explanation of expected costs sufficient and reasonable for completion of the proposed tasks.

Proposals are due to the SC EPSCoR/IDeA Office by close of business, Monday, April 23, 2012.  Please see the solicitation for more specific information, proposal guidelines, and submission processes. 

 

Tips for Extramural Proposals

Consider these tips, provided by an experienced proposal reviewer and program officer, as you prepare federal, extramural research proposals.

Tips for Preparing Convincing Research Proposals