EVMS/W&M Collaborative Grant program seeks more submissions

W&M/EVMS Collaborators Jon Allen of William & Mary's biology department and Aurora Esquela-Kerscher of EVMS are collaborating on a study of the prevalence of human infection by a parasitic worm that is most often found in livestock. The two received one of 10 Collaboration Grants awarded in August. Photo by Joseph McClain

by staff | October 7, 2013

Round two of the EVMS/W&M Collaborative Grant program is now open to all full-time faculty at William & Mary and Eastern Virginia Medical School.

Jennifer Mellor explains that the intent of the Collaborative Grant program is to catalyze development of new joint research and educational opportunities. Mellor, who is professor of economics and director of William & Mary’s Schroeder Center for Health Policy, is the university’s point person on a developing initiative to foster closer research and educational ties with EVMS. Her EVMS counterpart is C. Donald Combs, vice president and dean of the School of Health Professions.

Mellor said that it is likely that round two will see three projects funded at approximately $20,000 each. The deadline to apply to is Nov. 15, 2013 at 5 p.m.

Preference will be given to research proposals that seek to develop grant submissions aimed at areas of national research priority identified by NIH, other federal granting agencies, or biomedical research foundations. Preference will be given to educational programs that meet emerging health workforce needs and have a potential to grow into self-sustaining programs. It is anticipated that three awards of approximately $20,000 each will be available for projects beginning in December 2013. The deadline to apply to is Nov. 15, 2013, at 5 p.m.

As part of the first round of Collaborative Grants, 10 teams of researchers received awards of $10,000 each this past August. Round 1 funded projects were submitted by faculty representing the university’s programs in public policy, law, business and education as well as researchers from William & Mary’s STEM programs. Funding for both rounds of grants comes from Sentara Healthcare and the Commonwealth of Virginia.

Round two proposals will be discussed at an upcoming retreat for researchers from both institutions. The Oct. 11 retreat will be held from 10 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. in 135 Lester Hall on the EVMS Norfolk Campus. Karen Remley, director of EVMS’s Brock Institute for Community and Global Health and former Virginia commissioner of health, will give the keynote address. In addition, EVMS and William & Mary faculty will participate in panel discussions of pediatrics research and neuroscience research.