CHRI collaboration grant program

This program seeks to fund projects that will significantly impact children and children’s health through active engagement of researchers from different units and disciplines.

Results from funded projects are expected to lead to further major grant support from external sources.

Up to 7 grants will be awarded each year from 2021-2024. The maximum for any one grant is $50,000.

Applications are accepted once per year, from approximately mid-March to late April.

Each application will have at least two co-Principal Investigators (co-PI).
At least one co-PI will be a member of the Child Health Research Institute.
Co-PIs will have their primary appointment in different University units (e.g. division, department, school or college, institute)
At least one co-PI must be a full-time faculty member at VCU.
While preference may be given to applications that include at least one co-PI who is a faculty member at the Children’s Hospital of Richmond, the overall strength and value of the application toward the primary purpose will be most important.

Proposed projects must explicitly address children; their health, health care, disease, therapy, growth, development, and issues such as equity, epidemiology, and social factors. Applications must address the significance for children of the proposed work.
Please note if the project relates to cardiovascular, oncologic or behavioral health topics.
Providing preliminary data is strongly encouraged.
Applicants agree that if funded, they will:
- Become a member of the CHRI if not already one
- list the Child Health Research Institute as the source of funding support in any presentation or publication when such information is solicited.
- list their membership in the Child Health Research Institute in addition to their primary appointment in authorship fields when possible (e.g. Dept of Endodontics, VCU School of Dentistry and Child Health Research Institute, Children’s Hospital of Richmond at VCU)
- Provide a written report within 3 months of the end of the funding period.
- Notify the CHRI of any presentations, publications or grants that include data produced under the funded project.
All regulatory requirements such as IRB or IACUC approval should be obtained before or very soon after the start of the grant period.

How will this work affect children?
How will this work advance the field (Innovation?)
How will the different co-PIs uniquely contribute to the project? In other words, why is this better as a collaboration?
Why the co-PIs and other key personnel are best situated to perform the work?
What the next steps are? What will the data from the project be used for, specifically what external funding opportunities?

The maximum available for any project is $50,000
Application to multiple funding sources is encouraged. If funding with significant overlap with the work in this application is received from another source during the grant period, the CHRI Collaborative grant will be reduced by the amount of that funding for the grant period (e.g. applications for the same project are submitted to the CHRI and a foundation. The foundation provides $20,000 over two years. The CHRI Collaborative grant would be reduced by $10,000). This does not apply to funding that covers items not permitted under this program, e.g. faculty salaries.
Grant period is normally 12 months. The grant period may be extended for six months twice (x2) upon written application for no cost extensions.
Any money not used at the end of the grant period shall be returned to the CHRI
Faculty salaries cannot be paid from this grant program
F&A costs cannot be paid from this grant program
Any publication or travel costs must be for disseminating work done under the grant program.

Questions should be addressed to henry.rozycki@vcuhealth.org