Faculty Research Development Awards
FRDA Y25 - Supporting Biomedical Research at WV-INBRE Network Institutions
Designed to support biomedical research projects at partner undergraduate institutions
Applications Now Open! Submit by May 29, 2026
Previous Faculty Research Development Awardees
See who has received funding in past years
Funding Opportunity Description
The Faculty Research Development Awards (FRDAs) are designed to support biomedical research projects to be carried out at WV-INBRE undergraduate institutions. It is expected that these grants will benefit the WV-INBRE network as a whole.
Research Theme: Cellular and Molecular Biology with an emphasis on biomedical diseases, cancer, or natural product focus in humans. Proposals with a focus on development of informatics or computational approaches will also be supported.
Eligibility Requirements
Eligible Applicants
- Tenure track and tenured faculty at PUIs and CTCs
- Research track faculty at network colleges and universities
Not Eligible
- Faculty at lead institutions (MU and WVU)
- Postdoctoral fellows and students
- Major research award recipients
- COBRE/IDeA-CTR research project leaders (simultaneous funding)
Application Requirements
Required Components
Important: Each project must have a research mentor from either WVU or Marshall. Contact Dr. Werner Geldenhuys at werner.geldenhuys@hsc.wvu.edufor assistance finding a mentor.
Budget Guidelines
✓ Allowable Costs
- Student worker support (fringe benefits allowed)
- Summer salary for principal investigator
- Consumable supplies
- Equipment (with appropriate justification)
- Services (outside lab fees, publication costs)
📋 Budget Notes
- Range: $10,000 - $50,000 direct costs
- Indirect Costs: Allowed for PUI/CTC applicants
- Student Participation: Required
- Funding Period: 12 months, no-cost extensions not allowed
FRD Travel & Publication Support
Travel Support
- Maximum $1,500 per travel award
- Priority for faculty/students presenting biomedical research
- Travel must be completed by July 15, 2027
Publication Awards (FRDA Recipients)
- Up to $2,500 for publication costs
- For FRDA recipients publishing in peer-reviewed journals
- Must cite WV-INBRE support (P20GM103434)
NEW: Publication Support for SMART & DSC Collaboration
There is now partial 25% publication cost support for faculty who collaborate with our SMART Core and Data Science Core (DSC). This support is separate from the FRDA publication awards.
- Covers 25% of publication costs for eligible faculty
- Requires documented collaboration with SMART Core and/or DSC
- Separate from FRDA publication awards - not tied to FRDA funding
For more information, contact Dr. Werner Geldenhuys
Review Process & Criteria
Initial Review
Scientific merit and relevance to network evaluated by review panel
Administrative Review
Recommendations to Program Director and Administrative Core
Final Approval
External Advisory Committee and NIGMS review
Selection Criteria: Scientific merit, project relevance to network, preliminary data viability, and investigator productivity (for renewals).
Responsibilities of FRDA Recipients
Required Activities
- Work with assigned mentor on experimental design and analysis
- Present research at Summer Research Symposium
- Submit annual progress report with publications and grants
- Acknowledge WV-INBRE support in all publications
Core Facility Requirements
- Consult with SMART Core for Next Gen Sequencing projects
- Consult with Data Science Core for data analytics components
- Acknowledge core support in presentations and publications
Program Contacts
Application Submission
Submission Instructions
- 1Combine all components into a single PDF file
- 2Name file: Lastname_Firstname_FRDA_2026.pdf
- 3Email to: werner.geldenhuys@hsc.wvu.edu
Important Deadlines
Letter of Intent: March 11, 2026
Full Application: May 29, 2026 (11:59 PM)
Note: All funds must be expended by July 31, 2027. No-cost extensions will not be allowed.