Opportunity Grant Application Guidelines

• A highly innovative proposal that advances the goals of the Opportunity Grant Program
• Describes the scope and significance of the health issue being addressed and its relevance in Wisconsin
• Strong rationale for urgency of securing funding through the Opportunity Grant Program and reasonable justification for why submission of the proposal through the New Investigator Program or Collaborative Health Sciences Program is not feasible
• Principal Investigator has an established record of independent scholarship or experience developing, administering or evaluating research or education programs

The Wisconsin Partnership Program Administrative Leadership Team will review the Request to Apply based on the review criteria. Partnership Program staff will review each request to ensure requirements are met. Requests that do not comply with the submission requirements will not be reviewed and the applicant will be notified.

The WPP Administrative Leadership Team will discuss the request and decide whether it warrants further development as a Letter of Intent. The Administrative Leadership Team may also consult with content expert advisors.

• A highly innovative proposal with a clear path to secure additional funding from other sources to sustain the program long-term
• Advances the Wisconsin Partnership Program’s 2019-2024 Five-Year Plan framework and the goals of the Opportunity Grant Program
• Addresses specific knowledge gaps or scientific opportunities, advances novel research methods, or enhances the education of the future health workforce while paving the way to create healthier communities and advancing health equity
• Project team (PI, Co-PIs and Collaborators) brings expertise central to advance project goals

The Wisconsin Partnership Program Administrative Leadership Team will review the Letters of Intent based on the review criteria. This team, in consultation with the PERC chair, will discuss the LOI and will decide whether it warrants further development as a full application. The Administrative Leadership Team may also consult with content expert advisors.

The abstract is a succinct and accurate description of the proposed project. The abstract must state the application’s broad long-term objectives and specific aims, design and methods for achieving the stated project goals, and alignment with the goals of the Opportunity Grant Program.

The abstract should be informative to other people working in the same or related fields and understandable to a scientifically or technically literate reader. Avoid describing past accomplishments and the use of the first person. The abstract must be uploaded as a PDF not exceeding one single-spaced page with one-inch margins and a minimum 11-point font.

The impact statement describes how the outcomes of the project will lead to improvements in health, health care and/or health equity, particularly in the state of Wisconsin. The statement must include details on the scope and significance of the health issue being addressed. Applicants must provide a brief synopsis of the project in succinct and plain language, without scientific and medical terminology, understandable by a general audience. The impact statement must be uploaded as a PDF not exceeding one single-spaced page with one-inch margins and a minimum 11-point font.

The narrative describes the project’s specific aims, significance, approaches, limitations, alternative strategies and expected specific measurable outcomes. The narrative must include plans to evaluate progress toward the stated goals and objectives, including a timeline and specific measurable outcome metrics, and plans for sustainability. The narrative must be uploaded as a PDF not exceeding five single-spaced pages with one-inch margins and a minimum 11-point font. Footnotes, references and up to three tables and/or figures are not included in the page limit and should be inserted after the narrative.

Using the required Gantt chart template, provide the timeline for accomplishing specific deliverables for each project aim to benchmark progress toward stated goals and objectives.

Applicants are required to use the WPP budget template. The project budget should clearly indicate how the grant funds will be spent. Expenditures must:

• Be fully justified, reasonable and clearly related to the project’s goals
• Reflect the activities listed in the proposal
• Explain the sources and amounts of any cash-match or cost-sharing funds

Requests should be made by expense type (salary and fringe benefits, travel, services, and supplies and other expenses) and should provide sufficient detail for individuals unfamiliar with the project.

Allowable and Unallowable Expenses

Guidelines for allowable/unallowable expenses are available for review.

The budget should include support for a minimum of five percent of the Principal Investigator and the Co-Principal Investigator full-time equivalent (FTE) compensation. If cash-match or cost-share funding is being used to cover salary and fringe benefits, details about the funding sources and amount are required in the project budget.

Funds must be used for project-related costs:

• Direct salary support cannot exceed NIH salary limitations
• Support staff expenses, such as salaries and fringe benefits or graduate student tuition
• Travel
• Services, such as consultant or contractual services
• Supplies and other expenses, such as participant support costs and equipment
  • Equipment is defined as items costing more than $5,000 with more than one year of useful life
  • The maximum amount allowed for equipment is $50,000

Funds may not be used for:

• Pre-award costs
• Indirect overhead and administrative costs
• Lobbying (for more information, see terms and conditions)
• Institutional Review Board fees (for more information, see terms and conditions)
• Supplanting (for more information, see terms and conditions)

The budget justification describes in detail the major budget line items: salary and fringe benefits, travel, services, and supplies and other expenses. The justification provides specific information about why an expense is necessary to achieve the project goals and objectives. It must also describe the roles and responsibilities of the PI, Co-PIs and Collaborators, even if uncompensated, and of additional support staff. The budget justification must be uploaded as a PDF with one-inch margins and a minimum 11-point font.

Full applications must include a biographical sketch for the Principal Investigator, Co-PIs and Collaborators in current NIH format, including a personal statement, positions, scientific appointments and honors, and contributions to science. Co-PIs and Collaborators from state and local government agencies or community organizations may submit a resume in lieu of a biographical sketch. Biographical sketches and resumes, each up to five pages in length, must be uploaded as a single PDF.

Letters of Commitment

Letters of commitment from the Co-PIs, Collaborators and consultants are required and must show evidence of the collaboration with specific details about how they or their organizations will contribute to the project. The letters must be uploaded as a single PDF.

Letters of Support

Applicants may include up to five letters from individuals or groups other than the Co-PIs and Collaborators (letters of commitment are required from them), including those impacted by the project, to demonstrate support for the project. The letters must be uploaded as a single PDF.

Reprints or other materials, such as consent forms or laboratory methods, may be submitted for use by the reviewers at their discretion. Optional materials are limited to no more than 10 pages and should not be used to circumvent the narrative page limits. These materials must be uploaded as a single PDF.

Indicate whether the project requires approval by the Animal Care and Use Committee, the Madison Campus Biological Safety Committee, UW–Madison Institutional Review Board, and/or the University Radiation Safety Committee. See the Wisconsin Partnership Program terms and conditions for more information.

Complete the required non-supplanting questionnaire by responding to the questions and providing explanations as necessary. See the Review Process section for more information on supplanting.

The Wisconsin Partnership Program operates in accordance with Wisconsin’s public records and open meetings laws. See the Wisconsin Partnership Program terms and conditions for more information.

Indicate whether the full application includes proprietary and/or confidential information, and using the form provided, identify and request confidentiality for any trade secrets or proprietary information.

The proposal:

• Shows innovation and has outstanding rigor and merit
• Advances the Wisconsin Partnership Program’s 2019-2024 Five-Year Plan framework and the goals of the Opportunity Grant Program
• Addresses specific knowledge gaps or scientific opportunities, advances novel research methods, or enhances the education of the future health workforce while paving the way to create healthier communities and advancing health equity
• Describes the process by which successful execution of the project positively impacts or translates to improved health, health care and/or health equity in Wisconsin
• Describes specific metrics to benchmark progress toward stated goals and objectives
• Describes plans for evaluating and disseminating research outcomes or project results
• Includes explicit plans to make the project self-sustaining through non-Wisconsin Partnership Program funding sources
• Describes community engagement efforts if it is the central component of overall project goal

The Principal Investigator and Co-Principal Investigators:

• Each has an established record of independent scholarship or experience developing, administering or evaluating research or education programs
• Together, the PI, Co-PI and Collaborators (as applicable) are a synergistic team with each bringing expertise central to advance project goals

Technical Review

Partnership Program staff will review each application to ensure that all requirements are met. Applications that do not comply with the submission requirements will not be reviewed and the applicant will be notified.

Content Review

Typically, two members of PERC with relevant expertise will review the application based on the full application review criteria. PERC reserves the right to consult with a non-PERC member with relevant expertise and experience germane to the project from UW System schools, colleges or campuses, or at other universities and could include community representatives. The de-identified reviewer comments will be provided to the applicant.

PERC Review

Applicants are typically required to personally present an overview of the proposal to the committee.

The PERC will make the final decision on the application based on the evaluation by expert reviewers, PERC committee discussion and the project’s alignment with the goals of the Opportunity Grant Program. Additional information may be requested by the PERC.

Supplanting Review

Supplanting means to replace, to take the place of, or to supersede. The Wisconsin Partnership Program prohibits any funds from being awarded that will supplant funds or resources otherwise available to applicants from other sources for the proposed project.

It is the responsibility of the applicant to fully disclose any potential or actual overlap between the aims, activities, or scope of work in the Opportunity grant proposal with the aims, activities or scope of work supported by other funding sources to the applicant.

PERC’s award decisions are conditional on a review of non-supplanting by the WPP Administrative Leadership Team. If a determination is made that supplanting has occurred or likely will occur, the SMPH Chief Financial Officer will be consulted and the Leadership Team will take action in compliance with WPP’s non-supplanting policy. The WPP Administrative Leadership Team’s decisions are final and cannot be appealed.

Applicants selected for awards by PERC are required to provide information for review by the Wisconsin Partnership Program:

• An up-to-date non-supplanting questionnaire
• Principal Investigator’s and Co-Principal Investigator’s (if applicable) Other Support information in NIH format with the following sections: Project/Proposals by status, Active and Pending, In-Kind Contributions, and Overlap
  • Principal Investigators must sign their Other Support page

Decisions at each stage of the review are final and cannot be appealed.