Medical Research Endowment | UAMS Research and Innovation

2027 Medical Research Endowment Awards

Guidelines

The Medical Research Endowment (MRE) Fund was among the first major fundraising initiatives of the UAMS Foundation Fund Board. Established in 1982, the MRE Fund was created to stimulate and sustain research programs across UAMS. It has received financial support from individuals, corporations, and foundations throughout Arkansas. Each year, full-time UAMS faculty are invited to submit applications for research projects spanning a broad range of investigative areas, including biomedical, scientific, educational, clinical, and health services research.

General Information

Purpose: MRE awards provide pilot funding for research with the potential to grow into extramurally funded, scientifically significant projects. Support is targeted toward new research directions for early-stage investigators and novel avenues of inquiry for established investigators.

Funding Period: Awards cover a twelve-month period beginning in January, with up to eighteen months permitted to complete the project. Renewal grants (i.e., continuation of a previously funded project) will be considered only in exceptional circumstances and will receive low priority.

Maximum Award: $25,000

Deadline: August 30, 2026

Earliest start date: February 1, 2027

Funding Priorities

Applications will be evaluated with priority given to the following, in order:

Early-stage investigators
Start-up or seed efforts representing new areas of research
Projects with strong potential to attract extramural funding
Established investigators pursuing new research directions

Allowable Expenses

The following expense categories are permitted:

Equipment
Operating expenses (supplies and materials)
Consultation costs
Software and database costs
Publication costs
Personnel costs (e.g., graduate student stipends, laboratory and clerical staff) — limited to the grant year

Note: Faculty salary or compensation is not permitted. Travel expenses are not allowed unless clearly justified as necessary for the conduct of the research.

Eligibility

Only permanent, full-time UAMS faculty (tenured or non-tenured) holding the rank of Assistant Professor or above are eligible to serve as Principal Investigator (PI). The following are not eligible to apply:

Instructors and adjunct faculty
Research assistants and research associates
Visiting faculty
Residents and postdoctoral fellows

Resubmission Restriction: Faculty who receive an award in a given year — whether as PI or Co-Investigator — are ineligible to apply in the immediately following funding cycle. Funded investigators must sit out at least one year and may re-enter the MRE competition in the second year following their award, unless applying for a continuation of an existing award. Faculty who apply but do not receive funding remain eligible for the subsequent competition cycle.

How to Apply

Applicants must follow all content and format requirements described below. Applications that do not meet format specifications will be returned to the PI for correction before funding consideration. The Vice Chancellor for Research and Innovation (VCRI) will address questions regarding proposal content, applicant eligibility, and award amounts. The VCRI also reserves the right to deny submission, require modifications, or request additional information prior to review.

Format Requirements

Length	Narrative section: 3–4 pages; Budget section: 1 page; combined narrative and budget may not exceed 5 pages. Also include a biographical sketch and any required internal review committee approvals.
Font	11-point typeface or larger.
Margins	Minimum 0.75 inches on all sides (left, right, top, and bottom), including headers and footers. At least one blank line must appear between headers/footers and the body of the proposal.
Pagination	Do not number the cover page. Number all subsequent pages consecutively (beginning with page 1) through the end of the biographical sketch and any approval letters. Page numbers must appear in the bottom right corner.
Header	Place the PI’s name and project title in the top right corner of each page of the proposal and attachments.
Footer	Place consecutive page numbers in the bottom right corner of each page, including the biographical sketch and committee approval documents.
Submission	Submit through the Division of Research and Innovation Online Portal . All materials must be combined into a single PDF file.

Application Layout

Combine all application materials into a single PDF file, organized in the following order:

1. Cover Page (1 page)

PI name, rank, title, department, college, center, and contact information.
Name, rank, affiliation, address, and contact information for all Co-Investigator(s).
Project title.
Scientific abstract (100 words or fewer).
Lay abstract (50 words or fewer).

2. Narrative Section (up to 4 pages)

The narrative will be evaluated for scientific merit and the potential to generate future extramural funding. Include the following sections:

Specific Aims, including long-term goals
Background and Significance
Preliminary Data (if available; not required)
Research Design and Methods, including statistical design
Potential and Plans for Future Funding, including anticipated funding sources

3. Budget Section (1 page)

Provide a detailed, itemized budget with justification for all requested expenses. Include specific equipment (with model numbers where applicable), supplies, operating costs, and consultant or personnel costs. Note that faculty salary is not an allowable expense.

4. Other Support

List all current and pending support for the PI and all Co-Investigators. For each entry, include: funding agency or source, grant number, project title, start and end dates, and level of funding. Describe the relationship of the MRE proposal to each listed source of support.

5. Qualifications of Project Personnel

Provide a current NIH-format biographical sketch for all investigators participating in the project. Biosketches are not required for laboratory support staff.

6. Internal Committee Approvals

Approvals from required internal review committees (IRB, IACUC, Radiation Safety, etc.) may be obtained after the grant is awarded; however, funding will not be released until all applicable approvals are in place.

7. Department Chair Support

Include written support from the applicant’s department chair, in the form of either an email to the applicant or a signed letter.

Review Process and Timetable

Proposals must be submitted as a single PDF file through the online portal by August 30, 2026. Late or incomplete submissions will not be considered.

Review follows a two-tiered process:

Scientific Review: Applications are evaluated using criteria analogous to NIH review standards.
Final Evaluation: The UAMS Research Committee conduct a final prioritization review.

Contact Information

For questions regarding these guidelines or the application process, please contact:

Mohamed Elasri, PhD

Associate Vice Chancellor for Research and Innovation

University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences

Tel: 501-773-1335

Email: MOElasri@uams.edu

Dan Voth, PhD

Vice Chancellor for Research and Innovation