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LETTER OF INTENT: 2026-2027 Montana INBRE Faculty Research RFP

Deadline: October 31st, 2025 11:59 PM EDT

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Issue Date: Monday, September 15, 2025
Letters of Intent Due: Friday, October 31, 2025

Letters of Intent Overview

Montana INBRE is requesting letters of intent in advance of its annual Faculty Research RFP. Letters of intent are required for any proposal involving collaborations between multiple institutions and/or significant community engagement aspects. For all other project types, LOIs are highly encouraged but not necessarily required prior to submitting a proposal for Montana INBRE funding. Signaling intent allows Montana INBRE staff to plan follow-up meetings, identify and contact appropriate proposal reviewers in advance, and estimate the upcoming workload for reviewers and staff. 

Letters are due no later than Friday, October 31, 2025 but may of course be submitted earlier than the deadline if you have plans to trick-or-treat Friday evening.

IMPORTANT LOI Formatting Note: LOIs are meant to be quick and easy. We intentionally collect letters of intent without rich-text formatting for simpler workflow processing on our end and to save already-busy investigators the time having to create polished rich-text letter versions. Your simple plain text will be circulated among Montana INBRE’s internal proposal review committee for reviewer-identification purposes and to ensure prospective investigators are connected to all available resources. Your letter’s content is not intended to be circulated externally nor evaluated based on any criteria that could be aided aided by formatting, so rich-text is neither necessary nor desired in this context. 

LOI Content Summary: In broad terms, please briefly describe the proposed research and discuss the ways in which Montana INBRE and its affiliated Cores / Facilities / Programs have been consulted and are collaborating in its development to date. Please also name the Project Leader's primary mentor for this project and discuss how the mentor will contribute to the successful completion of the project and/or support the PL's career trajectory.

Eligibility

Faculty in the biomedical, social/behavioral, economic, agriculture, computational, and engineering sciences may apply for Montana INBRE Funding. Most successful applicants will not have independently funded programs and priority is given to new, junior, and/or early-stage investigators. Research proposals may include contributions from established investigators; however, new/junior investigators should always have the lead role in any project, and compensation for established investigators must be minimal, if any.

Per NIH rules, project leaders of major awards are expected to contribute six month's effort towards research during the grant year. Project leaders of Pilot-level awards are expected to contribute three months towards research. Contact Montana INBRE Principal Investigator or its Program Coordinator for more information on investigator effort.

Funding Areas

Montana INBRE funding areas include basic biomedical science, infectious diseases, chronic diseases, environmental health, public health, community wellness, and health-related challenges facing rural or Native American communities. Montana INBRE strives to develop a diversified research portfolio that spans bench science, data science, social science, and community engagement spheres and seeks to include every academic institution in the Montana INBRE network.

Projects can be developed within a single discipline (e.g., social sciences), but collaborative projects between biomedical and social and behavioral health investigators are also possible and encouraged. Student involvement in research is important and strongly encouraged. Projects should have a high likelihood of leading to independent funding.

Letters of Intent Should Include

Letters of Intent should briefly describe the proposed research and discuss the ways in which Montana INBRE / IDeA Cores and facilities have been consulted and are collaborating in the development of the proposed research. Letters should also identify the proposed Project Leader's primary mentor and briefly discuss the mentor's anticipated role in supporting the project scientifically and/or furthering the PL's career trajectory. Other related information that might aid Montana INBRE in matching your anticipated proposal with a suitable external scientific reviewer is also welcome.

Prior to submitting a letter of intent, prospective and returning investigators should briefly consult with appropriate Montana INBRE Core staff and/or facility managers in the development of their research proposal. Investigators are strongly encouraged to take advantage of research resources available through the Montana INBRE Cores and Programs. Core/Facility names and contacts for these resources include:                                      

If human subjects are involved in the proposed research, applicants should consult with the IRB of record (at their own institutions or the institution to which protocols are deferred) regarding application requirements and due dates. The IRB of record in collaborative research between MSU investigators and researchers at partner intuitions is generally the IRB at the partner institution, though MSU investigators must submit the protocol to MSU’s IRB for review as well. For guidance, contact:       

Pre-Proposal Checklist

☐ Discuss project idea(s) with Montana INBRE PI, PC, DRPP Director
☐ Discuss proposal with appropriate/relevant INBRE Core(s), Programs and/or Facilities
☐ Identify and secure a primary mentor for the project
☐ Begin seeking IRB and/or IACUC approval (if applicable)
☐ Begin seeking letters of support (if applicable)
☐ Submit Letter of Intent by October 31, 2025

Contacts

Complete RFP Details