Medical Research Grants

The Rhode Island Foundation's Medical Research Grants program is designed to bolster the state's biomedical research landscape by supporting both emerging and established investigators at Rhode Island academic and hospital institutions. Administered by the Foundation, a private philanthropic organization based in Providence, the program aims to provide financial assistance for laboratory, clinical, and population-based research. The Foundation places particular emphasis on several priority research areas, including infectious diseases, cardiac research, coronary artery disease, cerebral accidents, cancer, heart disease, multiple sclerosis, arthritis, diabetes, allergies, and performance-enhancing substances. The Medical Research Grants program offers two distinct funding opportunities. The first, Seed Grants, are intended to provide early-stage support for Assistant and Associate Professors who have held a faculty-level appointment for no more than five years. These one-time awards are designed to support new investigators by supplying seed money for preliminary or pilot research projects. Funding may be used for research supplies, animals, personnel, and other operational costs. However, funds may not be allocated toward permanent equipment, maintenance, travel, or printing, unless these items are integral to the research. Salary support for the principal investigator is typically not provided, and overhead costs are not covered. The second funding opportunity is the Resubmission Grant. This is aimed at helping researchers improve and resubmit highly rated but unfunded NIH proposals. Eligible applicants must have submitted an NIH proposal within the last 24 months that received a review and scored within the top 50th percentile. Applicants must not hold an active RO1 grant that extends beyond 12 months from the time of application. Resubmission Grants can fund a range of activities that increase the likelihood of a successful resubmission, including additional data gathering, travel, equipment time, and the acquisition of research supplies. As with Seed Grants, salary support and institutional overhead are not typically funded. Grant periods differ slightly between the two programs: Seed Grants are funded for a period of 18 months, while Resubmission Grants are funded for 12 months. Applicants must submit a complete package through the Foundation’s online system, including a completed application form, budget, project description, a biosketch of the Principal Investigator, and several letters of support. Resubmission applicants must also submit the NIH summary statement and an estimated budget for the revised submission. All awards are contingent upon IRB or IACUC approval or, if such approval is not required, a letter of exception from the institution. Applications for the next cycle will open in August 2025. Award announcements will be made between April 1 and July 1 of the following year, pending the submission of all necessary documents. A scientific and medical review panel will evaluate proposals based on factors such as research significance, methodological soundness, project feasibility, and the independence of the research program. Additional factors include the potential for external funding for Seed Grant recipients and the likelihood of NIH funding upon resubmission for Resubmission Grant applicants. Applicants who self-identify as members of an underrepresented population according to NIH definitions may receive additional consideration. For assistance or further information, applicants can contact Zachary Nieder, Director of Healthy Communities, at the Rhode Island Foundation. He can be reached via phone at (401) 427-4051 or by email through the Foundation's contact system. The Rhode Island Foundation is located at One Union Station, Providence, RI 02903, and can be contacted at (401) 274-4564 or via email at info@rifoundation.org.

Ensure all letters are in accepted file formats (Word, Excel, PDF, JPG); applications must be submitted online.