ORDA launches second cycle of Seed Funding Program with focus in Neuroscience/Neuroengineering, Neuroinformatics and Aging
The second cycle of the Seed Funding Program by the Office for Research Development and Administration (ORDA) at BRF is open as of Monday, June 26, 2017. Guidelines and application materials for this research funding opportunity can be found at BRFLA.org/initiatives/orda.
ORDA’s Seed Funding Program supports promising proof-of-concept clinical translational research by investigators at North Louisiana institutions in need of generating preliminary data for subsequent applications for funding to government agencies and/or private sponsors. In its previous funding cycle last year, ORDA funded three projects by investigators at LSU Health Sciences Center, Louisiana Tech University and University of Louisiana at Monroe.
“The Seed Funding Program is part of ORDA’s mission to promote North Louisiana as a bioscience research hub, foster multidisciplinary research partnerships and leverage preclinical and clinical research for advancement of healthcare and economic development of the region. This program should also help enhance an ecosystem for researchers and faculty to move forward with their research projects, retain faculty and spur innovation,” said Vassia Roulia, Vice President for Research Development and Administration at ORDA.
Neuroscience / Neuro-engineering and Aging will again be the focus areas in this cycle along with the new focus area of Neuroinformatics. The investigators who submitted proposals in the previous cycle and were not funded are encouraged to resubmit their revised proposals in this cycle.
The submission deadline is 5 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 15. The scientific and technical merit of the research proposals is assessed by out-of-state scientific reviewers followed by internal administrative review at BRF. Written evaluation of the proposals is provided to the investigators. Three to four proposals will be funded for one year up to the level of $50,000 each. Funded projects will be announced by mid-December and research funding will begin on Jan. 1, 2018.
About ORDA
ORDA, a division of BRF, was created in 2015 to seek and promote new research initiatives and provide support for the implementation of translational and clinical research at University Health, LSU Health Shreveport and other research entities in North Louisiana.