Bridge Funding

Applications are considered four times per year.  They must be received by 5:00pm on the first of November, February, April, and August.  If the 1st falls on a weekend or holiday, applications will be accepted on the next business day.

Purpose

To sustain research projects that have lost extramural funding, the Bridge program provides one-time support to eligible Principal Investigators (PI) to assist with re-establishing external funding.  Bridge support is intended only for those PIs who have experienced a significant reduction from extramural sources. A funding reduction or shortfall is insufficient by itself to establish eligibility.  A primary objective of the Bridge Funding program is to keep experienced research teams together while funding is re-established.

Applications are considered four times per year.  They must be received by 5:00pm on the first of November, February, April, and August.  If the 1st falls on a weekend or holiday, applications will be accepted on the next business day.

Who is Eligible

 A PI is eligible for Bridge Program funding, provided he/she:

  • Has lost, or will lose most of his/her extramural funding within six months of the Bridge application deadline;
  • Received continuous extramural funding from peer-reviewed sources during the five years preceding the request;
  • Has made substantial efforts to re-establish funding, and in the opinion of the Dean is likely to be funded again;
  • Is a member of the Academic Senate.

Exceptions to eligibility may be made by the Vice Chancellor for Research under unusual circumstances.

Requirements and Considerations

Awards will be granted for a maximum of one year or until the grantee re-establishes funding from other sources, whichever comes first.

  • Awards are competitive, and all applications may not be funded.
  • Consideration will be given to need, the Dean's assessment, and the strength of the overall research program.
  • Because a primary objective is to keep experienced research teams together, priority will be given when project staffing will be lost without a temporary infusion of funds.
  • Awards will be made in consultation with academic Deans.
  • Individual grants will be for a maximum of $30,000 - $50,000 per year, or the average annual direct costs received by the PI from peer-reviewed extramural grants during the previous five years, whichever is less.
  • In calculating previous grant support, only funds from federal or other funding agencies with rigorous peer review will be considered.
  • Awards will be granted for a maximum of one year or until the grantee re-establishes funding from other sources, whichever comes first.
  • A cost-sharing commitment toward the requested Bridge Funding project budget by the School or the Department is required (not in-kind).
  • When extramural funding is re-established, all unspent funds must be returned to the Bridge Program to assist other investigators.
  • Any requests for exceptions to eligibility or other elements of this policy must be made in writing, and may be granted by the Vice Chancellor for Research.

How to Apply

To evaluate applications for Bridge Funding, the Office of Research requests the following:

  • Description of PI's funding history for the last five years, current financial needs, and attempts to re-establish funding. The application does not need to describe in detail the research for which funding is requested because this program does not evaluate research quality per se.
  • Description of attempts to re-establish funding.
  • Agency comments on unfunded proposals, priority scores and pay lines, if available.
  • For research involving the use of human subjects, animal subjects, or human stem cells, please provide the relevant HS#s, IACUC#s, or HSCRO#s.
  • A detailed budget of proposed expenditures and evidence of a scaled back, minimal research budget to enable the lab's continuance.
    • Assistance can be requested for the following expense categories:
      • Supplies
      • Animal Care
      • Salaries/Benefits for research support personnel (excluding graduate student researchers).
    • Bridge Funds cannot be used for:
      • Travel
      • To cover budget overdrafts
      • PI and co-PI salaries (including Summer salaries)
      • Graduate Student Researchers
      • Administrative costs (i.e., school and departmental surcharges)
  • A two-page CV and complete publication list.
  • A memo from the applicant's Chair and Dean that includes an assessment of the likelihood of future funding, a financial plan for continuation of the research in the event extramural funding is not obtained, and evidence that the department/school is contributing to the continuance of research operations in an appropriate manner (e.g., graduate student support), including cost-sharing commitments.

Applications should be submitted via the PI's Dean as an email attachment addressed to the Vice Chancellor for Research and sent to or@research.uci.edu with copy to the Director, Research Policy, by the appropriate deadline.

Applications are considered four times per year.  They must be received by 5:00pm on the first of November, February, April, and August.  If the 1st falls on a weekend or holiday, applications will be accepted on the next business day.

Awards

Applicants will be notified of decisions within 30 days of receipt of the complete bridge funding request.

Requests for no-cost time extensions must be made in writing by the PI via email, addressed to the Vice Chancellor for Research, and sent to or@research.uci.edu, with copy to the Director, Research Policy (see below).

For additional information, contact

Jill Yonago Kay
Director, Research Policy
Phone: (949) 824-1410
E-mail: 
jill.kay@research.uci.edu