Bridge Funding Investment Program

Program Overview and Purpose

The Office of the Vice President for Research and Partnerships (OVPRP) is inviting applications for a research investment program intended to support faculty with an established track record of extramural funding who experience or anticipate experiencing a temporary disruption of external funding that, without VPRP support, will have a substantial adverse impact on the long-term viability of their research program. The purpose of the Bridge Funding Investment Program (BFIP) is to ensure the continuation of research projects that have the highest likelihood of restoring external funding to Principal Investigators (PIs) and align with the Strategic Research Framework (PDF). By definition, the bridge funding must connect a previous (expired or soon to expire) grant award with a new expected grant award.

Eligibility and Award Limitations

All regular, ranked renewable term, and research faculty on the OU Norman and Tulsa (Norman Campus programs) campuses are eligible. The BFIP program will provide funding during the gap of time after a grant expires and the start of a new grant award (up to a maximum of 6 months) for expenditures, excluding faculty salaries, that will ensure the continuity of the research.

Application Requirements

The application packet should be prepared and submitted as a single PDF (11 point font or greater, 1-inch margins) and should include the following:

1. Cover page with the name of the faculty PI, department/college affiliation, and contact information.
2. A brief description of the proposed research (two pages maximum) to be carried out during the expected gap period between a newly expired grant and the anticipated start date of a new incoming grant award. Evidence that the new grant award is likely to happen, e.g., a fundable score after review, would strengthen your justification for BFIP funding.
3. The PI's biosketch (a two-page vita is preferred, but any federal/state funding agency format is also acceptable).
4. Evidence of an established track record of funding:
   • List of current (active) grant support with grant period specified
   • List of recently expired grant(s) in the last year
   • List of proposal submissions pending review (list funding agency, program, project title, award amount or requested amount, award period, submission date, and status)
5. Proposed budget (maximum $50,000 for up to 6 months) and budget justification (1 page). Allowable expenditures: supplies, equipment, lab personnel (technicians, graduate students, postdocs), travel, and other research expenses. Salary requests must include university fringe benefits. BFIP funding cannot be used for faculty salaries or teaching buyouts.

Submit an Application

Submit the application as a single PDF to Associate VPRP Ann West via email at awest@ou.edu.

Evaluation Criteria and Recommended Timeline

Applications will be evaluated by a team of selected internal faculty and/or administrators with experience in obtaining external grant funding representing the broad research and creative activity areas at OU. Evaluation will be based on the following:

• PI's track record of success in obtaining externally sponsored research funds
• anticipated outcomes of the proposed research
• potential impact of the BFIP funds to help the PI's research until new external grant funding is in place
• applicants will be notified of a decision within a few weeks after submission.

If you have any questions about this opportunity, contact Ann West (awest@ou.edu).