Policy on Guidelines for Bridge Funding

• Policy Number: UFCD, Finance, 4.20
• Effective Date: November 2007
• Last Revised: March 2022
• Policy Custodian: Associate Dean for Research

Policy Statement

Investigators may apply for bridge funding if, following a scientific peer- review of a new grant or competing renewal application, the Summary Statement provides very positive and encouraging comments overall and indicates the need for relatively minor changes.

Eligibility

• Established Research Faculty
  o All full-time UFCD investigators with at least three years of continued external
  funding and excellent prospects for renewed funding are eligible to apply.
• Junior Research Faculty
  o The college recognizes the need to support junior investigators that are
  productive and have potential for future funding, such as those who are
  transitioning from K awards to R awards. Investigators with adequate start-up
  funding may not apply for bridge funding.

Procedures

Amount of Support

The standard amount for bridge funding is up to $50,000 and a departmental or center match is expected. Funding may be determined based on contributions from other departments, centers or Principal Investigators.

Period of Support

Bridge funding is provided for a period of one year. In the event that the investigator’s extramural grant is funded during the period of bridge support, unexpended funds in proportion to the time remaining in the bridge award will be returned to the funding source upon receipt of the Notification of Award. When the department or center has provided matching funds, both costs and refunds will be equally shared. All bridge funding terminates with extramural funding.

Allowable Costs

Funds may be used to support key personnel such as: lab staff, postdoctoral fellows and graduate students; equipment service contracts and maintenance; research supplies and research participants; and animal care. The funding may not be used to support the salary for Principal Investigators or tenured/tenure track faculty members, equipment purchases or travel.

Criteria

• A pending competitive renewal or new grant application.
• Demonstrate a need for funding and a lack of other resources.
• Lapse in support of postdoctoral fellows and graduate students in training.
• Productivity of the laboratory.
• Established funding record and documentation of potential future funding. A summary
  table of the status and scores (if posted) of current proposals (NIH summary statement
  is required) including the amount of the requested funding and the proposed budget.
• Co-investment by a department or center. Although not required these contributions
  will be considered as a positive aspect of the request.
• Bridge funding must be reviewed and approved by the PIs department chair.

Application

An eligible principal investigator should submit a formal letter to the dean, which addresses the above-referenced criteria and following:

• A cover letter of one page or less explaining why bridge funds are needed
• A copy of the unfunded/pending competitive renewal application and the scientific
• reviews (Summary Statement) for the study section
• An anticipated schedule for renewal applications
• A budget for bridge funding
• A summary table (below)
• A preliminary draft (maximum of three pages) of how the resubmitted proposal will
• address the concerns raised by the reviewers
• A signature of PI and Department Chair or Center Director and other contributors
• when applicable

Evaluation Process

Qualified applications will be evaluated by the Associate Dean for Research; recommendations for funding must be approved by the Dean. If necessary, the Dean may consult with subject matter experts to provide input with regard to the possibilities of future external funding

Please add this summary table to your application documents.

PI
Grant No.
Title
Personnel
Proposed Period of Support
Bridge Period
Priority Score and Percentile (if listed)
Amount Requested
Matching Support
Source of Matching Funds
Preliminary Response to Reviewers’ Concerns	Provide an attachment of no more than three pages.

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