Per Diem Pilot Funding

Per Diem Support for Pilot/Exploratory Projects

While necessary, per diem charges hinder new lines of research. To assist with the costs of maintaining animals for the purposes of exploratory studies, researchers can apply for funding for a period of up to 1 year to cover per diem costs for animals added to the colony for the purposes of collecting pilot data for grant submission. If early studies prove promising but additional data is needed for grant submission, PIs can apply for continued funding for up to one additional year.

To qualify, the proposed study or the necessary amendments to an existing study must be approved by the IACUC prior to the release of pilot funding. Preferably, IACUC approval will be documented at the time of application. If funds are requested to support existing studies, it is expected that an application for external funding that includes funding for animal research will be submitted within one year of the end of Per Diem Pilot funding. Funds requested should be justified based on the number of animals necessary to generate preliminary data and the length of time they need to be maintained based on scientific justification. Studies cannot be duplicative of the investigator’s previous work or what is published in the literature.

• Application Process:
  • Applications may be submitted at any time. There is no deadline for application.
  • Submit applications to orsp@unco.edu
  • Total funding available to support pilot studies subject to budgetary availability.
  • Funds to be used to cover the costs of per diems to maintain the exploratory colony. They may not be used to pay personnel or purchase reagents. Per Diem Pilot Funding may be coupled with other sources of funding to cover these costs.
  • Requests will be reviewed by AVP for Research, with documented protocol approval by IACUC and confirmation from ARF that the animals and proposed studies can be accommodated in the facility.
  • Per Diem Pilot Funding Application form
• Eligibility:
  • Any investigator in good standing with ARF and IACUC may apply.
    • “Good standing with IACUC” defined as no outstanding protocol violations or concerns and all reporting is up to date.
    • “Good standing with ARF” defined as the PI is up to date on per diem charges and there are not ongoing concerns with an existing colony that need to be addressed before we consider adding more animals to the colony
  • Investigators are eligible for pilot funding once every 2 years.
  • Proposed studies must be discussed with the ARF manager prior to submission of the funding request to ensure the animals & studies can be accommodated in ARF.
  • If a new investigator not previously associated with the animal program or without previous demonstrable animal research experience applies, they must work with an established investigator familiar with the species they are proposing to work with. If the model is novel to UNC, consult the AVP for Research for assistance in identifying someone to assist in setting up the project and working with ARF to accommodate the studies.
  • Funding decisions will be made within two weeks of receipt of the request for funding.
  • Proposed studies must receive IACUC approval prior to release of funding.
• Deliverables:
  • A final report within 6 months of the expiration of funding, indicating the outcome of the study funded by pilot funds and any products (publications, presentations, grant submissions) utilizing data derived by the pilot studies.
  • If additional funding beyond the initial award is requested, a summary of results obtained with initial funding and an experimental plan for the use of the additional funding must be included with the request for additional funds.
  • Submission of an extramural award including indirect costs and funding for animals is expected within 1 year of the expiration of funding for those studies that generating supportive data.
  • All projects receiving an excess of 1 year of funding must submit an extramural proposal including indirect costs and funding for animals within 1 year of completion of pilot funding.