Research Affinity Group Funding

The Team Building Mechanism is intended to catalyze connections between researchers at Henry Ford and MSU to develop an engaged, scholarly community and vibrant research ecosystem. Who better to activate new scientific communities than our own world-class scientists! Henry Ford + MSU, as part of the research programs strategy, has created this funding opportunity for scientists from Henry Ford and MSU to self-assemble along lines of shared research interests.

This funding opportunity supports Henry Ford and MSU scientists coming together through formal and/or informal meetings to explore new collaborations and to create joint scientific communities in research focus areas of Henry Ford + MSU.

Funding level: Up to $2,000 may be requested for one-time funding to support Henry Ford and MSU research teams coming together to share their research interests and explore areas of collaboration. This mechanism is intended to facilitate exploration of new collaborations among at least three distinct research teams and/or laboratories, who do not have a prior track record of working together. At least one team must be from Henry Ford and one from an MSU Health College (i.e., CHM, COM, and CON), though teams from other MSU colleges may participate. Funding may be requested for activities that bring the teams together to share areas of research interest and foster collegiality, such as joint journal clubs, seminar series, retreats, team building, meet and greets, among other things.

Inclusion

• This initiative is currently limited to areas of scientific interest of the Henry Ford + MSU partnership, such as precision health, rural and urban health disparities, musculoskeletal/bone & joint, applied immunology, infectious disease, imaging/radiology, and population/public health among other areas.
• Participation of investigators from Henry Ford and MSU Health Colleges (CHM, COM, and CON) is a prerequisite for a competitive application. Members and teams from other MSU colleges are welcome to participate as additional partners.

Exclusion

• Dollars are intended to support scientific community building events, not seed grants, pilot funds or student effort.
• Salary support and mileage for travel between Henry Ford and MSU is not an allowable expense.
• Henry Ford + MSU is making separate funding allocations for cancer, neuroscience, women’s health, and cardiometabolic health research programs in 2024 and, thus, are not the focus of the Team Building funding mechanism.

Awards are to be granted to the primary applicant and are for a 12-month period. Funding must be expended within the award period. This funding mechanism is not eligible for a no-cost extension.

Applications must be submitted using Nexus Connect. All applications will be reviewed by the Henry Ford + MSU Research Programs Workgroup. Application components include:

• Applicant(s) information
• Partners/parties/teams involved
• Description for use of funds with proposed budget that includes whether funds will be expended by PI at Henry Ford or MSU
• Anticipated outcome(s)/impact(s) of being awarded funds
• Agreement to report on outcomes of award
• Attestation that it is a new team that doesn’t have a prior track record of working together, such as submitting project proposals for and/or being awarded intramural or extramural research funding or co-authors on a publication.

The Community Building Funding Mechanism is intended to catalyze connections between researchers at Henry Ford and MSU to develop an engaged, scholarly community and vibrant research ecosystem. Who better to activate new scientific communities than our own world-class scientists! The Henry Ford + MSU partnership, as part of the research programs strategy, has created this funding opportunity for a community of scientists from Henry Ford and MSU to self-assemble along lines of shared research interests.

This funding opportunity supports Henry Ford and MSU scientists coming together through a conference, symposium or other large meeting to explore new collaborations, to create joint scientific communities in research focus areas of Henry Ford + MSU, and to pursue large-grant mechanisms.

Funding Level: Up to $10,000 may be requested to support multidisciplinary groups of investigators, such as scientists from across a research topic, field, or discipline, from both Henry Ford and MSU to come together to share research findings, build community and explore pathways for multi-investigator, large grant mechanisms (e.g., P30, P50, U, T32, etc.). The Community Building funding is intended to support a broad and inclusive assembly of investigators—open to all investigators from both Henry Ford and MSU who self-identify with an interest in the topic through campus-wide advertisement. Funding may be requested for activities, such as symposia, retreats, internal conferences, among other things. If more than $10,000 is required, organizers are encouraged to seek supplemental funding from other sources.

This mechanism is intended for new community building in areas of common interest and is not intended to defray the costs of an existing, established symposium, conference or large gathering at either MSU or Henry Ford. Funding can be used to significantly expand and scale a smaller activity, but demonstration of how these new funds are additive to, and not replacing, prior funding is required.

Inclusion

• This initiative is currently limited to areas of scientific interest of the Henry Ford Health + Michigan State University Health Science partnership, such as precision health, rural and urban health disparities, musculoskeletal/bone & joint, applied immunology, infectious disease, imaging/radiology, and population/public health among other areas.
• Participation of investigators from Henry Ford and MSU Health Colleges (CHM, COM, and CON) is a prerequisite for a competitive application. Members and teams from other MSU colleges are welcome to participate as additional partners.
• A community building event must be planned to include at least 50 investigators.

Exclusion

• Dollars are intended to support scientific community building events, not seed grants, pilot funds or student effort.
• Salary support and mileage for travel between Henry Ford and MSU are not an allowable expense.
• Large-scale symposium/conference/gathering has already been established with more than 50 attendees on the proposed topic.
• Henry Ford + MSU partnership is making separate funding allocations for cancer, neuroscience, women’s health/primary care, and cardiometabolic health research programs in 2024 and, thus, are not the focus of the Affinity Group Funding Mechanism.

Awards are to be granted to the primary applicant and are for a 12-month period. Funding must be expended within the award period. This funding mechanism is not eligible for a no-cost extension.

Applications must be submitted using Nexus Connect. All applications will be reviewed by the Henry Ford + MSU Research Programs Workgroup. Application components include:

• Applicant(s) information (including current CVs or Biosketches)
• Partners/parties involved/to be invited
• Description for use of funds and overall plan for organizing gathering(s)
• Completed budget and justification template
• Anticipated outcome/impact of being awarded funds
• Plans for maintenance of gathering/community after initiative funding has been expended
• Agreement to report on outcomes of award

• Application meets all eligibility criteria
• Feasibility – based on logistics and planning described. Organizers should have sufficient pre-existing access to administrative support for successfully organizing gatherings. Limited assistance from the partnership may be available on a case-by-case basis.
• Reasonable budget request and sound justification for each budget category. Evidence of dollars being additive to achieve scale of a smaller prior event.
• Likelihood of achieving proposed outcomes/impact.