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FACULTY RESEARCH RFP | 2027-2028 Montana INBRE Faculty Research RFP

Deadline: November 2nd, 2026 03:30 PM EST

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Issue Date: Monday, August 3, 2026
Letter of Intent Due: on/before Friday, October 5, 2026
Full Proposal Due: on/before Monday, November 2, 2026 | 3:30pm Mountain
Scientific Review Completed: End November, 2026
Notification: on/about December 15, 2026
Grant Year begins: May 1, 2027 (contingent on continued NIH funding)
All Funding Expended by: April 30, 2028 (No carryover allowed)

Overview

The information below is a summary. View the full solicitation and detailed application instructions online at http://www.inbre.montana.edu/resources/faculty_rfp.html

The Montana INBRE Developmental Research Project Program (DRPP) is soliciting proposals for Major Research Projects and Pilot Research Projects, as well as CAB Planning Grants, in the areas of 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 varied research portfolio that spans bench science, data science, social science, and community engagement spheres and seeks to include all academic institutions across the Montana INBRE network.

Full proposals are due no later than 3:30 pm Mountain Time on Monday, November 2, 2026.

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, as well. All proposed DRPP research projects should have a high likelihood of leading to independent funding and scientific publications.

Successful proposals will be offered funding for one grant year (May through April) with the possibility for renewal the following grant year. In special cases, a third year of support may be considered for some qualifying projects at Primarily Undergraduate Institutions (PUIs) and Tribal Colleges and Universities (TCUs).

Per NIH rules, leaders of Major research projects are expected to contribute six (6) Person Months towards research and research-related activities during the grant year. Likewise, Pilot Project Leaders are expected to contribute at least three (3) Person Months. Please note that NIH's "Person Months" metric is not synonymous with "effort" as it is often defined by academic institutions and departments. Contact Montana INBRE Director, Brian Bothner, or Program Coordinator, Sarah Codd, for more information on NIH's "Person Months" metric and NIH's investigator research contribution minimums. 

Investigators are required to consult with Montana INBRE Core staff and/or facility managers in the development of their research proposal and are strongly encouraged to take advantage of research resources available through MT INBRE programs, cores, and facilities. These resources are:

If human subjects are involved in the proposed research, Montana INBRE expects to receive IRB approval letters at the time of proposal submission. Proposal writers 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.

Eligibility

Faculty in the biomedical, social, behavioral, economic, agricultural, computational, and engineering sciences may apply for Montana INBRE research 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. New/junior investigators should always have the lead role in any proposal, and grant-budget compensation for any collaborators with established research programs must be minimal, if any.

Only one proposal per project leader will be considered. 

NIH rules preclude investigators from holding concurrent funding from more than one NIH IDeA-program. As such, a Montana INBRE-funded Project Leader may not have concurrent funding from other IDeA programs supporting Montana-based investigators such as MSU's Center for American Indian and Rural Health Excellence (CAIRHE) and the Mountain West CTR-IN. Investigators may of course submit proposals to multiple IDeA program RFPs / FOAs simultaneously; however, if successful, an investigator may not accept or receive funding from more than one IDeA program when grant years overlap.

Per NIH rules, leaders of major awards are expected to contribute six month's effort towards research during the grant year. Pilot Project Leaders are expected to contribute at least three month's effort towards research. Contact Montana INBRE Director, Brian Bothner, or Program Coordinator, Sarah Codd, for more information on investigator effort. 

Funding Categories 

  • Pilot Research Project: Funded at $10,000 - $50,000 direct costs per year, Pilot Research Projects are designed for investigators who may not currently have significant preliminary data or fully established community partnerships. However, having preliminary data and/or established community partnerships in place already would be considered an advantage. Pilot projects can be renewed for a second year if clear and significant progress toward a research project grant proposal is evident. In special cases, a third year of INBRE Pilot or Major research funding may be obtained by PLs from PUIs and TCUs, pending DRPP leadership approval.
  • Major Research Project: Funded at $50,000 - $100,000 direct costs per year, Community Advisory Board (CAB) planning grants are non-research awards available to prospective investigators requiring time to develop relationship(s) and research partnerships with communities, define a collaborative research project scope, develop a Community Advisory Board, and begin the IRB process. This competitive funding mechanism is for one year and is intended to facilitate the development of a Pilot Research Project proposal the following year.
  • CAB Planning Grant: Funded at up to $10,000 direct costs per year, Community Advisory Board (CAB) planning grants are non-research awards available to prospective investigators requiring time to develop relationship(s) and research partnerships with communities, define a collaborative research project scope, develop a Community Advisory Board, and begin the IRB process. This competitive funding mechanism is for one year and is intended to facilitate the development of a Pilot Research Project proposal the following year.

Proposal Checklist

Pre-Proposal
☐ 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 for your project, if applicable
☐ Submit your simple, plain-text Letter of Intent via Piestar by October 5, 2026

Full Proposal: Submit the following before 3:30pm Mountain Time on November 2, 2026
☐ Signed Face Page
☐ Project Summary
☐ Specific Aims Page
☐ Research Strategy
☐ Bibliography
☐ Human Subjects & IRB Documentation (if applicable)
☐ Animal Research Protocol (if applicable)
☐ One-year Budget & Justification
☐ NIH Biosketch for PL and any Co-Investigator(s)
☐ Letter(s) of Support and Collaboration (if applicable)

Contacts

Dr. Brian Bothner, Montana INBRE Principal Investigator, DRPP Co-Director | 406-994-5270 | bbothner@montana.edu

Dr. Sarah Codd, Montana INBRE Program Coordinator, Student Research Programs Director | 406-994-1944 | scodd@montana.edu

Dr. Jeffrey Good, Data Science Core Director | jeffrey.good@mso.umt.edu

Cori Huttinga, Montana INBRE Finance Manager | 406-994-7531 | chuttinga@montana.edu

Erica McKeon-Hanson, Montana IDeA Community Engagement Core Co-Director | erica.mckeonhanson@montana.edu

Dr. Aga Apple, DRPP Director, | 406-994-7693 | agnieszka.rynda@montana.edu

Dr. Eric Raile, Data Science Core Co-Director, Social & Behavioral Data | 406-994-4107 | eric.raile@montana.edu

Dr. Anna Whiting Sorrell, Montana IDeA Community Engagement Core Co-Director | anna.sorrell@montana.edu

Bill Stadwiser, Technology Specialist & Internal Evaluation | 406-994-3360 | william.stadwiser@montana.edu


Detailed Application Instructions

View the full solicitation and detailed instructions online at http://www.inbre.montana.edu/resources/faculty_rfp.html