Pilot Grants

mHealth Application Modernization and Mobilization Alliance (MAMMA) and CHET Pilot Grant RFA

Project Duration: 18 months

Pilot funding will be made available to support meritorious projects led by faculty members that focus on developing and testing mobile health interventions with the potential to increase health equity and/or reduce health disparities. Pilot grant awardees will be able to work with a mobile app developer to create a new mHealth app or customize an existing mHealth app. Mobile app development services are provided to the successful applicant as part of the award. It is expected that up to 2 proposals (up to $25,000 each) will be funded in this round depending on the number and type of applications received.

All applications must address how the pilot project will (1) work with the MAMMA mobile app developer to create or modify a mHealth app in the first 6 months of the award period, (2) contribute to achieving health equity for a vulnerable population, and (3) obtain critical data to support an extramural grant submission that will promote health equity.

PILOT FUNDING PRIORITIES

MAMMA/CHET Pilot awards are open to studies utilizing mobile approaches to addressing health and/or risk behaviors, with special emphasis on improving health equity. Priority will be given to early career faculty or other faculty new to mHealth research. We plan to fund 2 pilot studies. All pilot studies must be led by a faculty member at the University of Kentucky.

These pilots will have an 18-month duration. For the first 6 months, awardees will work with MAMMA’s app developer to develop or modify a mHealth app for the purposes of their project, the final 12 months focus on conducting the pilot research study. All funds must be expended within this 18-month period. Two projects will be awarded; one starting in April 2024 and one starting in July 2024. Preferred start dates can be indicated in the application; however, preferences may not be able to be honored depending on the types of applications received. The projects must have different start dates in order to allow for dedicated developer time for each of the apps.

mHEALTH APP DESCRIPTION

As part of their proposal, applicants should describe the development of a custom app or modification of an existing app the team has access to. The app development work should be feasible for one programmer to complete in a 6-month period. Please contact us prior to submitting an application if a consultation is desired to determine if the scope of programming tasks would be considered feasible. MAMMA will provide this programming help, so programming time does not need to be included in the pilot budget.

OPTIONAL LETTER OF INTENT

If the applicant desires a consultation with members of the MAMMA leadership team to determine if their proposal would be considered feasible and responsive to this award, please submit a letter of intent via email to Peyton Coleman (peyton.coleman@uky.edu) by February 14, 2024. This letter should contain:

A brief description of the proposed research goals or aims
A brief description of the mHealth application requirements
A brief description of the applicant’s experience with mHealth research

OPTIONAL PROTOTYPING SUPPORT FOR APPLICATIONS

Interested in strengthening your project application by generating wireframes and early-stage interactive prototypes? If so, reach out to Creative Gateway for Advancing Digital Health. They will introduce you to colleagues specializing in design and other creative disciplines who can generate
wireframes, prototypes and collaborate with you on UI/UX during subsequent funded stages of your project. Our collaborations are modeled on the way you already work with colleagues in statistics.

Please contact dmitry.strakovsky@uky.edu at least two weeks in advance of the submission deadline to set up an initial meeting to assess project needs. This service is available free of charge to those who are preparing MAMMA/CHET pilot applications.

PILOT GRANT INSTRUCTIONS

Applications are due by COB on March 8, 2024. Applications must be single-spaced, at least 11-point font, and adhere to standard grant 1/2-inch margins. Proposal submission through OSPA is not required; please submit online through the application link. Applications must include the following information uploaded as one PDF file through the online application, located here: https://uky.az1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_40X7ug6JVM2V60C

Please name the file as [PI Last Name_ MAMMAPilot]. It should contain the following documents:

NIH or NSF-style biosketch for applicant and co-investigator(s) (if any) (5 page limit)
Abstract (300 words or less)
Specific aims (1 page)
- Include a discussion of Significance and Innovation within the Aims page
Research plan (2 pages)
- The research plan should include a clear description of the research project. The research plan should provide an overview of the research topic/question, outline the methodological approach, describe statistical analyses, and articulate research deliverables. Significance and Innovation sections should be included only in the Aims page in order to allow for more space to describe methods. It is suggested that the research plan include the following:
  - Approach, Methods, and Analyses (including description of proposed mHealth app functionality)
  - Relevance to health equity/health disparity research
  - Anticipated scholarly products, future research, & career development as an mHealth and health equity researcher (e.g., presentations, publications, future grant applications, award applications, etc.)
Timeline (1/2 page)
- Please include an 18-month timeline with milestones for accomplishments described in the research plan including study products. Allow for 6 months of app development at the beginning of the project period.
Budget and budget justification (1 page)
- Include specific justifications for each budget item or category.
- Only travel costs necessary for the carrying out the aims of the research are allowable (e.g., conference travel is not an allowable expense).
- Purchase of equipment is allowable with strong justification.
- Publication costs are not allowed.
- Faculty effort is not permitted, but funds can go toward staff support.
  - Note: Programmer time is included in the pilot grant, so it does not need to be included in the budget.
- References (no page limit)
- Letter(s) of support (Optional, 2-3 max) (e.g., community partners, consultants, data or facilities access needed to complete study)

Reporting Requirements: All publications, presentations, and other creative activities resulting from this award must include the following acknowledgement: “Funding was provided by the MAMMA Alliance through the College of Medicine, the Vice President for Research, and UK HealthCare, as well as through the Center for Health Equity Transformation at the University of Kentucky.” A one-page progress report will be due 12 months after award receipt. Additionally, a one-page final report will be due at the end of the 18-month funding period detailing study enrollment, results, dissemination, and plans for future funding. In addition, recipients are expected to be responsive to ongoing contact from MAMMA and CHET to assess progress and outcomes from the award.

Application deadlines and key dates:

February 14, 2024: Optional letter of intent due
March 8, 2024: Applications due
Late March 2024: Applicants notified of award decision
Project period: 18 months from project start date of 4/1/2024 or 7/1/2024.

Projects must have the appropriate IRB and any other required regulatory approvals in place before funding is disbursed, but is required within 1 month of funding decision.

Please address specific application questions to Mikhail Koffarnus (koffarnus@uky.edu) and Carolyn Lauckner (Carolyn.lauckner@uky.edu).

Review Criteria:
Proposals will be reviewed by members of the MAMMA and CHET leadership committees. Scoring of proposals will be based on the standard NIH 9-point scoring system (https://grants.nih.gov/grants/policy/review/rev_prep/scoring.htm). Each proposal will be evaluated based on the following criteria:

Significance: (i.e., Does the project address an important problem or critical barrier to progress in the field? Does the study have potential to generate knowledge relevant to health equity?)
Innovation: (i.e., Does the proposal utilize novel theoretical concepts, approaches, methodologies, instrumentation or apply existing concepts to new populations or problems?)
Approach: (i.e., Are the intended research activities well-described and likely to be feasible? Can the app be feasibly developed within 6 months? Are the overall strategy, methodology, and analyses well-reasoned and appropriate to accomplish the specific aims of the project? Are study limitations acknowledged and addressed?)
Investigator(s): (i.e., Does the PI have the required expertise and experience to conduct the proposed research study?)
Evidence of future research and funding potential: (i.e., Does the proposed research show clear evidence of future funding potential in mobile health and health equity research)?

The review committee will also assess whether the proposed budget and timeline are appropriate for the scope and nature of the project and whether there are any human subject considerations that may affect study implementation.