UCSF’s Resource Allocation Program (RAP) Now Accepting Application for Spring 2016 Cycle

UCSF's Resource Allocation Program (RAP), which offers a single online application process for a wide variety of intramural grant offerings, is now inviting applications for the Spring 2016 cycle.

The electronic submission deadline is Monday, Feb. 22, at 2 p.m.

RAP is a consortium of several UCSF funding programs that have agreed to run competitions together under a common vision: support as much good science as possible.

Through this collaborative effort, RAP facilitates the dissemination, submission, review and award of intramural research funding opportunities on campus. 

During the Fall 2015 cycle, RAP reviewed 147 applications and made 57 awards; 39 percent of the grants reviewed were awarded. Thanks to the combined efforts of multiple funding agencies, a total of $2,192,554 was distributed to UCSF researchers. Learn more about past awardees on the RAP website.

The relative high funding rate is largely due to the unique RAP process: although applicants choose the most appropriate grant mechanism for submission through RAP, each application is considered simultaneously by multiple funding agencies, thus enhancing the likelihood of support for a proposal.

Read what the most recent awardees have to say about their exciting research projects. Maybe you will find your next collaborator here.

All programs on campus are welcome to use RAP to coordinate their funding competitions, and we invite all faculty members to become reviewers and offer their skills to boost the review process and improve research efforts.

New Funding Opportunities for Spring Cycle

The UCSF California Preterm Birth Initiative (PTBi-California), joins RAP to sponsor two new grant mechanisms: the “Pilot Award in Prematurity Research” (award amount $40,000); and a “Two-Year Innovation Award in Prematurity Research” (award amount $150,000 over two years).

The UCSF California Preterm Birth Initiative (PTBi-CA) is a multi-year, health equity-focused research effort, generously funded by Lynne and Marc Benioff as part of their ongoing commitment to advancing child health worldwide. PTBi-CA aims to prevent preterm birth and to improve the health outcomes of babies born preterm through research that considers the relationship between biological and social determinants in health outcomes. The focus of funding broadly considers: chronic stressors that may affect mother and baby, identifying and mitigating structural and policy level barriers that may impede scale up of interventions, the development of new interventions, and an evaluation of collective impact to reduce preterm birth broadly. PTBi-CA is committed to accelerating advancement in the field of prematurity by engaging academic and community investigators across different disciplines to collaboratively tackle this problem. 

Co-principal investigators Larry Rand, MD, and Linda Franck, RN, PhD, state: “We believe that an entirely new approach is required that transcends disciplines and sectors to galvanize the expertise necessary to disrupt this complex epidemic – pulling innovative thinkers from such disparate fields as basic science, public health, local government, and community organizations. Given the online RAP submission and review process, and the great visibility new funding opportunities receive every cycle, we are thrilled to offer our grant opportunities through the RAP consortium.”

The Department of Psychiatry is sponsoring a new grant mechanism called “Digital Mental Health Award Track” (award amount $40,000).

The UCSF Department of Psychiatry’s Digital Health Core will be sponsoring a Digital Health research project that is focused on advancing mental health through technology. Projects must include the delivery of technology using mobile devices, including mobile phones, tablets, and sensing devices. The DHC is interested in funding technical feasibility studies as well as methods development and evaluation studies. Funds under this mechanism are available for research-focused projects in mobile mental health, defined as the use of mobile technology in conjunction with Internet and social media to improve mental health and wellness and/or to manage disease.

Electronic Application and Review Portal

The RAP application and review process is now entirely on-line! During the past fall cycle, RAP launched a new review portal that has transformed the day-to-day duties of many users cutting on tedious and time consuming tasks. Applicants can now access the reviews of their submitted proposals on their dashboard. The portal is now the repository of all data, an historic archive that will provide the ideal platform for future reporting and tracking.

With a simple sign-in, applicants are able to create an account and view the status of their submissions through a personal dashboard. The electronic application automatically auto-fills and saves work in progress allowing for a stepwise submission. The system alerts applicants of missing application components and applicants are able to independently edit their submissions until the competition is closed. 

The Spring 2016 Cycle comes with a lot of changes all listed on the website home page, and most grant RFAs have undergone significant updates; please review the website for your mechanism of interest prior to preparing your proposal. In addition, be sure to review the Submissions Rules and the Eligibility Matrix before submitting.

For more campus news and resources, visit Pulse of UCSF.