Research Academy Certificate (RAC)

  • Created to broaden faculty training (specific grant training)
  • Increase collaboration
  • Leverage outstanding research
  • Increase funding success
  • Offer exclusive funding opportunities for certificate awardees

Certificate Points (CP)

The Research Academy offers many paths to achieving a total of 80 certificate points in 2 years. CP points are gained by attending/completing Research Academy sponsored training, seminars, showcases, mentoring, and more.

  • Grant specific (e.g., K Awards, F Awards, DoD, Foundation) seminars (5 pts)
  • Inter-institution collaboration (5 pts)
  • Assisting junior research faculty and the faculty affairs office in developing goals and a 5 year career plan (5 pts)
  • Showcase of Medical Discoveries attendance (5 pts); presentation (10 pts)
  • Federal Study Section assignments (10 pts)
  • Serving on a UAMS research committee (10 pts) (e.g., IRB, IACUC, URC, COVID-19 strategy committee)
  • Establishing an interinstitutional research collaboration that publishes together and obtains an external grant (15 points)
  • Completing the Mentor/Scholar grant writing course (15 pts)
  • Obtaining an externally funded research grant (with indirects) after receiving a DEAP/MRE/FRE intramural fund grant (10 pts)
  • Obtaining an externally funded federal research grant (with indirect costs) such as NIH, NSF, DOD, EPA, NCI, DOJ, USDA, DOE, etc. (15 pts)
  • Obtaining a large externally funded foundation grant (10 pts) (PCORI, American Heart Assoc.,  American Cancer Society, etc., (10 pts), unless indirects provided, then (15 pts)

Designated Grant Program (DGP)

  • The DGP is a pilot funding opportunity for those faculty members who attain a Research Academy Certificate.
  • Faculty members (Assistant Professor level and higher) are eligible to apply for DGP funding (up to $40,000)
  • DGP is a dedicated funding opportunity for faculty who have achieved 80 RAC points.
  • The Graduate RA Certificate (GRAC) program requires participants earn at least 20 RA points annually
  • Past DGP funding recipients may reapply every 3 years as funding is available.