Neuroscience Research Institute (NRI) Pilot Funding Program

Neuroscience Research Institute (NRI) Pilot Funding Program is sponsored by University of Illinois Chicago College of Medicine Peoria and Illinois Neurological Institute (INI). This pilot funding program is a strategic initiative to foster research in Neurosciences, aiming to cultivate pioneering, cross-disciplinary, and meaningful research and education to enhance the well-being of patients with neurological diseases in Greater Peoria and the State of…

Neuroscience Research Institute (NRI) Pilot Funding Program The Neuroscience Research Institute (NRI) program is a combined UICOMP and Illinois Neurological Institute (INI) strategic initiative to foster research in Neurosciences.

Establishing this grant is a visionary endeavor that promises to drive scientific progress, improve patient care, advance public health, and contribute to economic growth while solidifying the institution’s prominence in the Greater Peoria, State of Illinois and national healthcare landscape.

The Neuroscience Research mission is to cultivate pioneering, cross-disciplinary, and meaningful research and education to enhance the well-being of Greater Peoria's patients with neurological diseases. The Neuroscience pilot grant program aims to develop a collaborative framework for conducting focused and prioritized research to advance health among individuals with neurological disorders.

Partnerships with organizations, community, local organizations, and faculty from local academic institutions and healthcare organizations. Proposals will be evaluated by the Neuroscience Steering Committee, which will then provide recommendations on funding based on reviewers’ comments. The chair of the steering committee will make final decisions on funding.

This pilot funding will help build the framework that will support the Neuroscience Research Institute within the UICOMP Center for Healthy Development and Aging and the OSF HealthCare INI Destination Center. This grant program aims to support exploratory and developmental research projects that aim to catalyze programs of research that improve health outcomes in patients with neurological disorders.

The impact of neurological disorders is frequently substantial and interferes with the patient’s quality of life, family dynamics, transportation independence and economics productivity.

The NRI’s goal is to investigate disease mechanisms, treatment, clinical care models, innovative approaches to care, and manage epidemiological factors associated with the affected patient’s inability to integrate their life in society resulting from neurological illness. Research Topics of Interest to NRI Outlined below are some of the key topics of interest to NRI. Please note that these topics are not listed in rank order.

Regardless of the topic, research questions should be sufficiently justified by a rigorous gap analysis described in an existing systematic review, clinical guideline, or a de novo systematic review.

The high-priority areas for this round of pilot funding are the following, although applications addressing other neuroscience topics are still welcome: Multiple Sclerosis and Demyelinating Diseases Neurodegenerative Disorders: Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s diseases Other neurological disorders that can prove epidemiologically of significant impact in the Greater Peoria Within these health topics, the domains of research can range from translational to health analytics and implementation science.

The maximum allowed funding for this year is $45,000 which may be split between more than one project based on the scores and quality of the project submissions. Additional financing may be provided based on project progress reports and available funds. The decision on further funding will be made and approved by NRI Steering Committee.

The Principal Investigator (PI) must be a UICOMP faculty or OSF Physician. Co-PIs and co-investigators can be from other organizations, including community organizations and healthcare Preference will be given to early career or novice faculty (at the assistant professor level). All applications must be jointly prepared by the research teams involved.

Multiple investigators from the same discipline may However, participation by investigators with complementary areas of expertise from different disciplines is strongly encouraged. An investigator may submit only one proposal as PI but may be a collaborator on other proposals. PIs will be responsible for obtaining data requiring chart reviews or case reports.

Proposals should explain the proposed study’s data source(s) and indicate the hypotheses and analytical plan of the study. If the project currently has external funding, the proposal should explain why additional funding is needed.

Grant awards will be based on the NIH review criteria: The project is consistent with the UICOMP’s and/or OSF INI Institute strategic goals Project addresses important neuroscience related issues(s) Overall project goals will advance scientific knowledge in the field of neuroscience Successful project completion will support obtaining extramural funding for future research initiatives PIs, collaborators, and other researchers provide evidence of research or clinical experience in the research topic For collaborations, the unique skill(s) of each collaborator enhances the possibility of success Project incorporates novel concepts, approaches, or methodologies Refinement, improvement, or new application of approaches or methodologies is proposed Overall strategy, methodology, and analyses are well-reasoned and appropriate to accomplish the specific project aims Potential problems, alternative strategies, and benchmarks for success are presented How the findings will enhance the ability to obtain extramural funding and support the objectives of the Institute is clearly defined The project is feasible to complete within a one-year time The proposed budget is aligned with the needs of the project The project, if completed successfully, will provide the potential for securing new external grants Scientific environment contributes to the probability of project success Resources available to the investor Application Process and Requirements Application Process and Requirements Step One: Competitive Letter of Intent A one-page letter of intent (LOI) is required before submitting a full proposal Please submit a PDF of the LOI to adv-peoria@uic.

edu . LOIs are due by 5:00 p. m.

CT, Wednesday July 23, 2025 . Applications received after 5 p. m.

will not be accepted and reviewed. Step Two: Submission of Invited Full Proposal LOIs will be screened by the steering committee for relevance to the RFP. Investigators with selected LOIs will be invited to submit a full proposal.

If invited to submit a full proposal, a completed grant application package must be submitted as one PDF to the NRI by 5:00 p. m. Friday, Dec.

5, 2025. Conflict of Interest (COI) All investigators will be required to follow their own institution’s COI policy. Project Progress Reporting An interim report will be requested six months after the project start date, and a final report will be at the end of the project.

Required Documents for the Research Proposal Package The research proposal must be typed, single-spaced, have margins of at least 0. 5 inches, and use Arial 11-font. The proposal length is five (5) pages maximum (excluding Abstract, Specific Aims, figures/tables, references, budget and budget justification, bio-sketches, and administrative documents), with pages numbered.

The research proposal consists of the following: Scientific Abstract: (maximum 30 lines on a separate page) Specific Aims: (maximum 1 page) Background, Significance, and Innovation (maximum 1 page): Explain the importance of the problem addressed by the proposal and the application of the proposed work to develop new knowledge in the research Describe how expected results will make a clear and significant contribution to scientific knowledge, technical capabilities, and clinical practice.

Describe any novel concepts or approaches used or developed by the proposed work and any new applications/improvements in methods, instrumentation, or interventions.

Research Approach and Methods (maximum four pages): Describe the overall strategy, methodology, and analysis plan (including power calculation) used to accomplish the specific aims of the proposal, integrating any preliminary (or published) data into the discussion of the specific aims. Discuss pitfalls and outline contingency plans, anticipated results, and a timeline.

Outline the scientific and scholarly opportunities made possible through any collaborations Also include plans and timelines for seeking external funding upon project completion. Required Documents for the Research Proposal Package Required Documents for the Research Proposal Package The research proposal must be typed, single-spaced, have margins of at least 0. 5 inches, and use Arial 11-font.

The proposal length is five (5) pages maximum (excluding Abstract, Specific Aims, figures/tables, references, budget and budget justification, bio-sketches, and administrative documents), with pages numbered.

The research proposal consists of the following: Scientific Abstract: (maximum 30 lines on a separate page) Specific Aims: (maximum 1 page) Background, Significance, and Innovation (maximum 1 page): Explain the importance of the problem addressed by the proposal and the application of the proposed work to develop new knowledge in the research Describe how expected results will make a clear and significant contribution to scientific knowledge, technical capabilities, and clinical practice.

Describe any novel concepts or approaches used or developed by the proposed work and any new applications/improvements in methods, instrumentation, or interventions.

Research Approach and Methods (maximum four pages): Describe the overall strategy, methodology, and analysis plan (including power calculation) used to accomplish the specific aims of the proposal, integrating any preliminary (or published) data into the discussion of the specific aims. Discuss pitfalls and outline contingency plans, anticipated results, and a timeline.

Outline the scientific and scholarly opportunities made possible through any collaborations Also include plans and timelines for seeking external funding upon project completion. References: Provide pertinent empirical studies published in peer-reviewed journals (no page limit). Bio sketch: NIH-style bio sketches must be provided for all key investigators ( maximum five pages each ).

Bio sketch pages do not count toward the total proposal page An NIH bio-sketch template is available at https://grants. nih. gov/grants/forms/biosketch.

htm Budget: A detailed, itemized budget must be provided. Justification of all budget items is required ( maximum two pages ). A budget template is provided with this RFP (Appendix II) Roles and Interaction of PI and Collaborators: Describe in detail the roles of each member in the project and how collaboration will enhance the scope and ensure project completion ( maximum 1 page ).

Project Approval Form : All key personnel must be All parties must sign the completed form. Applications received after 5 p. m.

CT will not be accepted. Awardees must submit a 6-month progress report. At the conclusion of the award, a final progress and expenditure report must be submitted.

Awardees are expected to disseminate their findings and must report publications, collaborations, and future grants related to the funded pilot project. OSF Healthcare, UICOMP and MS Council should be acknowledged in presentations. Any unexpended funds must be returned.

Investigators who are PI or who receive salary support on the award are expected to be available to serve as reviewers for proposals submitted in future cycles. Awarded funding will not be distributed until IRB Approval/Determination and confirmation of agreement to all terms of the award are received. The maximum budget per proposal submission is $45,000.

Eligible expenses may include direct research support, such as patient-related costs, personnel time, salary (NIH cap), and similar items. Funds will be disbursed once the research team has obtained IRB approval and submitted a copy to Steering Committee (email the IRB approval to kevans14@uic. edu .)

Direct questions regarding the proposal application process to Dr. Jorge Kattah, kattahj@uic. edu , Chair, UICOMP Department of Neurology and Chair of the Steering Committee with a copy to Kelli Evans, kevans14@uic. edu