REACH: Research Enrichment and Collaboration Help

Eligibility

Eligible projects must be innovative, highly rated, and be targeted for resubmission within one year of the start of REACH program funding. Agency reviews of the submitted proposal must indicate that the project is sound and close to funding.

The review process will involve faculty peers in the evaluation of the project and in the development of a successful resubmission.

All UK College of Medicine faculty are eligible to apply for REACH funding or bridge funding, whichever route is most appropriate, though the same project may not be funded by both mechanisms.

Ineligibility

Visiting and adjunct faculty, staff scientists, postdoctoral research associates, and PIs with outstanding final grant reports from previous College of Medicine-funded projects are not eligible to apply. Other ineligible items include renewals and continuation projects, proposals that provide less than 10% PI effort support, proposals focused on development of teaching or academic programs, and proposals from commercial, industrial, and other for-profit entities.

Funding

Assistance may be requested for any research costs except faculty salary support and graduate student stipends or tuition.

The maximum amount awarded for any project is $35,000, with average award amounts anticipated to be $20,000 or below. REACH funding requires 50:50 matching arrangements with the faculty member’s home department and/or center. Budgets should be one-time amounts to be expended over a maximum of 12 months. REACH does not provide multi-year awards or renewals.

If a positive funding decision on the originally submitted external proposal is made during the period of REACH funding, the amount of the remaining award must be returned when external funding commences.

Application Requirements

Applications must be submitted to the College of Medicine Office of Research within four months of receiving reviews from an external agency. If the final decision on an application has been delayed beyond the four-month period, an exception to the deadline may be considered.

Submit the following to the College of Medicine Office of Research (medicineresearch@uky.edu):

  • A half-page overview of your research.
  • Information of the grant that will be resubmitted, including sponsor, funding mechanism, title, funding period, and amount including supported effort.
  • The original external application, including original unedited priority scores, agency comments, and pay line information.
  • A two-page description of the research necessary to address the agency reviewers’ concerns and strengthen the planned resubmission, as well as how your use of REACH funding will lead to funding success.
  • A one-page detailed budget with justification.
  • A letter of support from the department chair/center director outlining specific support that will be committed from the unit and an assessment of the likelihood of future funding.
  • An abbreviated CV of no more than four pages of the PI in NIH or NSF format.

The dean will appoint a committee to perform an in-depth review of the submitted material. This committee may suggest alternative or additional approaches.

Funding recommendations will be based on the likelihood of eventual funding (using evidence such as priority score, the nature of the critiques, how well criticisms were addressed, publication record, and research productivity) and committed support from the PI unit. Applicants must be the PIs of grants to be resubmitted. Funds will not be released until the faculty member provides evidence of IRB or IACUC approval, if applicable.

Applications that are incomplete will not be considered. 

At the time of external resubmission, a copy of the resubmitted proposal must be sent to the REACH program.