Seed Grants

Young Investigator Seed Grants support the background work needed to establish a line of research for a new investigator. The applicant must identify a mentor to assist them with the study. Applicants are expected to use the seed grant to prepare for larger funding from the National Institutes of Health (NIH), National Institute on Disability, Independent Living and Rehabilitation Research (NIDILRR), or other public or private sources.

Brain Injury Scholar Seed Grants support experienced principal investigators who wish to supplement an existing project by testing a new hypothesis, adding an additional cohort, or conducting secondary analysis of existing data. Please note that BIAA Scholar Grants are not intended to be a bridge between other grant funding.

For the 2024 competition, BIAA is emphasizing its interest in both animal and human projects and that secondary data analysis is welcome.

Eligibility

Young Investigators must be situated in a research institution or corporate or non-profit environment where sufficient guidance from experienced brain injury researchers is available. U.S. citizenship is required.

Brain Injury Scholars must be principal investigators on at least one project valued at $300,000 or more or have a record of published articles in peer-reviewed journals or other demonstrated credentials in scientific inquiry. Applicants must have adequate infrastructure to support the proposed project. U.S. citizenship is required.

All grantees must be willing to cooperate with the Brain Injury Association of America in promoting the Association’s research program.

Grant Amount

Seed grants are funded up to $25,000 total for up to two years with 80 percent of funds issued upon notice of grant award (or other flexible start date as noted below) and 20 percent issued upon receipt of a final report.

Grant funds may be issued to the applicant or his/her institution and may follow the applicant to a new institution if necessary.

The allowable indirect cost rate is limited to 10 percent. The total amount funded with direct and indirect costs combined shall not exceed $25,000.

Application Requirements

BIAA uses cloud-based grants management software for all aspects of the application process, including materials submission, reviews, and communication with applicants. There is a 2-stage process for seed grant applications:

Stage 1. Letter of Interest

Applicants submit contact information and upload a Letter of Interest not to exceed 2 single-spaced pages (not including references) in PDF format. The Letter of Interest should include a concise description of research ambitions that explains how the proposal addresses BIAA priorities and the way(s) funding will result in a larger opportunity. In addition, BIAA Young Investigator applicants must submit contact information for a study mentor and a letter of recommendation from that individual.

Letters of Interest are reviewed to determine if the applicant should be invited to submit a full proposal.

Stage 2. Proposal

Invited applicants upload a proposal that describes the problem, how it relates to BIAA’s priorities, scientific method, key personnel and the resources in the environment to be utilized. The narrative should also describe how the results of the plan will be used (such as for a larger grant submission or dissemination through publication). The budget and work plan should be uploaded as separate documents. Please follow the full instructions as described in the application portal.

Evaluation Criteria

The Letter of Interest (LOI) will be evaluated based on the proposed project’s relevance to BIAA’s research priorities and the qualifications of the key personnel involved in the project. If invited, proposals will be evaluated using the National Institutes for Health (NIH) Criteria for Non-Clinical Trials.

2024 Deadlines

May 15 – Submission Portal Open for Letters of Interest
July 1 – Last day to submit Letters of Interest
August 5 – Full Proposals Invited
September 16 – Invited Proposals Due
November 29 – Reviews Completed; Recommendations Submitted to BIAA Board for Approval
January 13 (2025) – Applicants Notified; Award Letters & Grant Agreements Sent

Projects are expected to be completed within a 24-month period, beginning with the receipt of funding, the start of a post-doc or faculty position, or the issuance of Internal Review Board (IRB) approval, if applicable.

Application Format for Invited Proposals

Maximum length of narrative is 6 pages, not including references, biosketch(s), budget and letters of support from mentors (if applicable). Biosketches (preferred) or CVs should be limited to a maximum of 5 pages. Proposals must follow these guidelines for page restrictions:

• Font size: Must be 11 points or larger. Smaller text in figures, graphs, diagrams and charts is acceptable, as long as it is legible when the page is viewed at 100%.
• Type density: Must be no more than 15 characters per linear inch (including characters and spaces).
• Line spacing: Must be no more than six lines per vertical inch.
• Text color: No restriction.
• Use paper size no larger than standard letter paper size (8 ½” x 11”).
• Provide at least one-half inch margins (½”) – top, bottom, left, and right – for all pages. No applicant-supplied information can appear in the margins.

Reporting Requirements

Grantees are required to submit interim reports every six months comparing actual progress to the proposed work plan and a plan of action to correct significant deficiencies, if any exist. A final report is due at the completion of the study.

Publications resulting in whole or part from a BIAA Seed Grant must acknowledge the Association and special donor fund if applicable. For example: “This research was supported in part by the Brain Injury Association of America/Smith Family Fund.”

Questions & Answers

BIAA is unable to answer individual inquiries concerning its seed grant award program. Interested applicants may submit questions through the online portal. As appropriate, responses will appear here.