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      • Step 2: Develop & Refine Your Proposal
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  1. University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences
  2. Research and Innovation
  3. Grant Life Cycle
  4. Step 1: Develop Your Idea & Find Funding

Step 1: Develop Your Idea & Find Funding

A light buld with a gear inside

Start with a Meaningful Problem

Identify a clear, compelling research problem with real-world impact.
Consider gaps in current literature or practice.

  • Engage the UAMS Library to support early-stage research and idea development

Explore Funding Mechanisms Early

Identify potential funding sources early to help you tailor your research ideas to the priorities of specific sponsors.

Intramural Funding:

Explore internal UAMS funding programs including:

  • Development Enhancement Awards for Proposals (DEAP)
  • Fellowship Initiative for Research Excellence (FIRE)
  • Medical Research Endowment (MRE)
  • See more…

Extramural Funding:

Connect with external funding sources such as government agencies, foundations, and private organizations to expand your research impact.

  • Explore Extramural Funding
  • Foundation Funding

Align with Strengths and Strategic Priorities

Build on your existing expertise, preliminary data, or institutional resources.
Align the idea with sponsor priorities (e.g., NIH mission areas, NSF focus areas, foundation interests).

Build the Right Team

Identify collaborators, co-investigators, or core facilities early.
Consider interdisciplinary partnerships or community engagement, where relevant.
Clarify roles and responsibilities from the start.

  • UAMS Research Network and Collaborations
  • UAMS Profiles: Discover faculty research interests, publications, and potential collaborators.

Resources

Helpful Links

  • NIH RePORTER: Search Funded Research Projects
  • NIH Matchmaker: Find Similar Projects & Investigators
  • Research Support Offices
Related Presentations & Seminars
  • Writing a Successful DoD Grant Application – How is it different from an NIH application?
  • Funding Opportunities at NIGMS – From Fellowships to Team Science
  • NIH Grants Process and Finding Funding Opportunities, and The Program Officer Career Path
  • How to Write an Outstanding K99/R00 Grant Application to Transition to a Faculty Position
  • NIGMS Collaborative Program Grants for Multidisciplinary Team (RM1)
  • Maximizing Investigators’ Research Award (MIRA, R35)

See All Presentations & Seminars

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