2025 New Investigator Program Request for Proposals
Background
The University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health (SMPH) is home to the Wisconsin Partnership Program (WPP), a grantmaking program within SMPH established as the result of a generous endowment gift from Blue Cross Blue Shield United of Wisconsin (BCBS). The Wisconsin Partnership Program is committed to improving health and advancing health equity through investments in community partnerships, education and research.
A true embodiment of the Wisconsin Idea, WPP awards grants to innovative projects and initiatives that propel medical research, enhance health education and workforce development, support community health partnerships and advance health equity. The work of WPP and its grantees touches all corners of the state, across a wide range of health challenges, communities, populations and geographic areas.
The Wisconsin Partnership Program’s vision, mission and values as well as its goals and grant-making strategies are described in the 2024–2029 Five-Year Plan.
Goal and Description
Through the New Investigator Program (NIP), the Partnership Education and Research Committee (PERC) seeks to develop and sustain the academic and research excellence of early-career SMPH faculty as they initiate new, innovative research or education pilot projects to improve health and advance health equity in Wisconsin and beyond.
Proposals must be innovative and advance scientific understanding with potential to improve health or advance health equity through prevention, diagnosis, treatment, or cure of disease. The Principal Investigator (PI) must describe the potential to improve the health of the people of Wisconsin and must clearly explain the steps necessary to translate discovery to application in the clinical setting or in communities. The proposal must include clear and measurable benchmarks to track progress toward the overall objectives and the specific aims. The PI must describe how completion of the project will advance their career development, including plans to leverage future funding from federal or other granting agencies.
Funding Scope and Duration
The maximum award is $150,000 over two years. The PI must dedicate and maintain a minimum five percent annualized full-time equivalent (FTE) professional effort to the project. This effort must be fully justified in the budget justification. PERC anticipates funding up to six projects this cycle, depending on availability of funds.
Eligibility
A Principal Investigator is required and must be a UW School of Medicine and Public Health assistant professor on any track (tenure, clinical health sciences, clinician-teacher, teaching professor, research professor) with a salaried appointment of at least 50 percent and an appointment start date on or after January 1, 2020 (within six years of earliest project start date).
Faculty who receive an administrative extension of their time at the rank of assistant professor or who have an appointment below 1.0 full-time equivalent will be granted a corresponding extension to their eligibility.
Assistant professors with appointments in the SMPH auxiliary units that report to SMPH (e.g., Wisconsin State Lab of Hygiene) must have a salaried appointment of at least 50 percent in an SMPH department.
Individuals should confirm their appointments before applying, to ensure they are in line with the eligibility guidelines. Individuals must have the appointments finalized before the start of the grant period to be eligible. If a change in appointment takes place after the grant start date, the individual will not be eligible until the next grant period.
The PI must dedicate and maintain a minimum five percent annualized full-time equivalent (FTE) professional effort to the project. The PI is responsible and accountable for leading and advancing the project as specified in the Memorandum of Understanding.
The PI is limited to submitting one New Investigator Program application each funding cycle. Principal Investigators on current and past New Investigator Program grants are not eligible to apply this cycle.
The committee encourages applications from eligible faculty in basic science and clinical science departments across the UW School of Medicine and Public Health.
There is an expectation that one or more individuals from the Principal Investigator’s mentoring committee, department vice chair of research, or appropriate delegate has reviewed the New Investigator Program proposal prior to submission.
Although Collaborators are not required, up to two may be included on the project. Collaborators typically contribute specialized expertise to the project and have more narrowly defined roles than the Principal Investigator. Collaborators may have an appointment at Universities of Wisconsin, including UW–Madison Extension, Wisconsin Technical College System; Wisconsin Tribal College; Wisconsin health care system; Medical College of Wisconsin; Wisconsin-based non-profit community organization; 4K-12 school or district; Wisconsin tribal, state or local government entity.
Submission and Review Dates
Application Resubmission
Applicants are limited to two submissions — an original and one resubmission — of the same proposal. Applicants submitting a revision must respond to the reviewer comments provided by the Partnership Program during the applicable funding cycle to explain how the current proposal differs from the original submission.
Applicants who have submitted two versions of an application and have not been successful may submit a new application. It must be substantially different in content and scope with more significant differences than are normally encountered in a revised application.
Allowable and Unallowable Expenses
Applicants must review WPP’s Allowable and Unallowable Grant Expenses Policy when creating their proposal to ensure allowability of proposed grant activities.
The project budget must include the required minimum five percent annualized full-time equivalent (FTE) professional effort of the Principal Investigator. If effort is cost-shared by other funding sources, details about the funding sources and amount are required in the cost-share section of the project budget and should also be referenced within the budget justification.
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
- Personnel costs should be charged directly to the award and not billed internally through a minor auxiliary (Fund 136) project
- Services, such as consultant or contractual services
- Supplies and other expenses, such as participant support costs or equipment — equipment is defined as items costing more than $5,000 with more than one year of useful life, and the maximum amount allowed for equipment is $50,000
Funds may not be used for:
- Pre-award or proposal costs
- Indirect overhead and administrative costs
- Infrastructure
- Lobbying (see terms and conditions)
- Institutional Review Board fees (see terms and conditions)
- Supplanting (see Non-Supplanting Policy)
- Projects outside the state of Wisconsin
Preliminary Application Guidelines
A preliminary application is required and must be submitted in Fluxx by April 30, 2025 at 5 p.m. CDT.
The preliminary application is available in the Fluxx portal. All applicants are required to have a Fluxx account to access and submit the preliminary application.
Once logged into Fluxx, start a preliminary application by clicking the “Apply for a New Investigator Program Grant” button.
Email wpp@hslc.wisc.edu with questions regarding Fluxx.
In addition to providing general information about the project, the preliminary application includes several components:
Project Abstract
The preliminary application project abstract provides an overview of the project, including the primary goal, the broader long-term objectives, specific aims, and a description of how the project advances the goals of the New Investigator Program. The project abstract must describe how completion of this project will advance the applicant’s career development, including plans to leverage future funding from federal or other granting agencies. In addition, the project abstract must address whether the Principal Investigator and, if applicable, the Collaborators currently possess or are seeking funding from other funders for the same or a similar project.
The preliminary application project abstract must be uploaded as a PDF and cannot exceed two 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 project abstract.
Budget Justification
The preliminary application budget justification provides a brief budget justification that details anticipated expenditures, including by expense type (salary and fringe benefits, travel, services, supplies and other expenses), to support the aims and objectives of the project. If applicable, the budget justification should include anticipated expenditures of equipment, software, contractors, and consultants along with related rationale. The preliminary application budget justification must be uploaded as a PDF not exceeding one single-spaced page with one-inch margins and a minimum 11-point font. Please refer to WPP’s allowable and unallowable expenses policy.
Resubmission Statement (if applicable)
The application resubmission statement is required if the proposal is a resubmission of a preliminary or full application from a prior funding cycle (see the Application Resubmission section for more information). Provide in the respective text field and in no more than 200 words: the year the original proposal was submitted, the highest stage of review to which the proposal advanced (either preliminary application, full application or interview), a response to the reviewer comments from the applicable funding cycle, and a description of how the current proposal differs from the original submission.
Biographical Information
Preliminary applications must include a biographical sketch for the Principal Investigator and the Collaborators in NIH format, including a personal statement, positions, scientific appointments and honors, and contributions to science. Collaborators 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.
Designation of Confidential and Proprietary Information
The Wisconsin Partnership Program is required to operate 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 preliminary application includes proprietary and/or confidential information, and using the form provided, identify and request confidentiality for any trade secrets or proprietary information.
Review Process
Technical Review: Partnership Program staff will review each preliminary application to confirm applicant eligibility and to ensure that all requirements are met and that proposed activities and expenditures are in compliance with WPP’s Allowable and Unallowable Expenditures policy. Preliminary applications that do not comply with the eligibility or submission requirements will not be reviewed, and the applicant will be notified. WPP Administration has sole discretion for determining eligibility.
Content Review: The Preliminary Application Review Panel, which is advisory to PERC and includes UW faculty and community representatives, will review the preliminary applications. Each preliminary application will be reviewed by at least two University of Wisconsin faculty reviewers and at least one community reviewer. Faculty reviewers are typically from SMPH basic and clinical science departments and other UW–Madison schools and colleges with expertise in biomedical research, health services research, health policy, community-based population health research and/or education. Community reviewers are typically from Wisconsin-based non-profit community organizations, 4K-12 schools or districts, health systems, or tribal, state or local government entities with expertise in community health, health policy and/or health care. The reviewers will independently review assigned applications based on the preliminary application review criteria. Members of the Preliminary Application Review Panel bring broad knowledge, expertise and experience to the review process while evaluating assigned proposals using the respective review criteria. Individual reviewers may not have content expertise in the specific topic covered in an assigned preliminary application. The ranking and de-identified written critiques of the preliminary applications by the Review Panel will be provided to PERC to inform its selection of the applications that warrant further development as full applications.
Applicants will be notified by July 8, 2025 whether they are invited to submit a full application. The notification will include the de-identified reviewer comments.
Review Criteria
UW Faculty Review
- Shows innovation and has scientific or educational merit that would predict sustainable external funding beyond the New Investigator Program award
- Appears feasible with high likelihood for acquisition or application of useful data
- Advances the Wisconsin Partnership Program’s 2024–2029 Five-Year Plan Framework
- Has the potential to advance the career development of the applicant
Community Review
- Describes how the project positively impacts health, health care and/or health equity in Wisconsin or the steps necessary to translate discovery to application in a clinical or community setting in alignment with the Wisconsin Partnership Program 2024–2029 Five-Year Plan Framework
Full Application Guidelines
Full Application Submission Deadline: August 5, 2025 at 5 p.m. CDT
Only applicants invited by the PERC may submit a full application. The Principal Investigator will receive a link to the full application in the invitation. Full applications are due by 5 p.m. CDT on August 5, 2025.
In addition to general information about the project, the full application includes these components:
Abstract
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 New Investigator 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.
Statements
Impact Statement
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. This section should 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 that can be understood by a general, lay 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.
Proposal Review Criteria Statement
Prepare a statement addressing the full application review criteria in the Review Criteria section. This statement must be uploaded as a PDF not exceeding two single-spaced pages with one-inch margins and a minimum 11-point font. For guidance, use the proposal review criteria statement template (DOC).
Application Resubmission Statement (if applicable)
An application Resubmission Statement is required if the proposal is a resubmission of a full application from a prior funding cycle (see the Application Resubmission section for more information). Provide in the respective text field and in no more than 200 words: the year the original proposal was submitted, the highest stage of review to which the proposal advanced (either full application or interview), a response to the reviewer comments from the applicable funding cycle, and a description of how the current proposal differs from the original submission.
Narrative
The narrative describes the project’s specific aims, significance, approaches, limitations, alternative strategies and expected specific measurable outcomes. This should include details of data analysis that address rigor and reproducibility and specific metrics to benchmark progress toward the stated goals and objectives. 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 or figures are not included in the page limit and should be inserted after the narrative.
Project Timeline and Metrics
Project timeline and metrics must be provided for accomplishing specific deliverables for each project aim to benchmark progress toward stated goals and objectives. Use the required Gantt chart template (XLS).
Project Budget
Project budget should clearly indicate how the grant funds will be spent. Applicants must use the required budget template (XLS). Requests should be made by expense type (salary and fringe benefits, travel, services, supplies and other expenses) and should provide sufficient detail for individuals unfamiliar with the project. 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 cost shared funds
See allowable and unallowable expenses for further information.
Budget Justification
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 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.
Biographical Information
Full applications must include a biographical sketch for the Principal Investigator and the Collaborators in NIH format, including a personal statement, positions, scientific appointments and honors, and contributions to science. Collaborators from tribal, 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
UW School of Medicine and Public Health Department Chair Nomination Letter
The application must include a nomination letter from the Principal Investigator’s UW School of Medicine and Public Health department chair. This letter is a critical component of the full application content review. In addition to describing the applicant’s (PI) qualifications, the letter is required to:
- Provide evidence of compensated protected time for this project
- Address departmental support and resources, such as facilities or other appropriate resources, for the successful applicant
- Describe the impact that a New Investigator Program award would have on advancing the applicant’s career development
There is no limit on the number of nominations from each department chair. The nomination letter must be uploaded as a PDF. There is no page limit for the letter.
Letters of Commitment
Letters of commitment from the Collaborators and budgeted consultants (i.e., consultants included in the project budget) 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 Collaborators and budgeted consultants (letters of commitment are required from them), including those who informed development of the project and/or are impacted by the project, to demonstrate support for the project. The letters must be uploaded as a single PDF.
Optional Materials
Optional materials are limited to essential study materials, such as consent forms, which may be submitted for use by the reviewers at their discretion. Such materials are limited to no more than 10 pages and are not to be used to circumvent the narrative page limits. These materials must be uploaded as a single PDF.
Compliance
Compliance indicates 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.
Non-Supplanting Questionnaire
Non-Supplanting Questionnaire must be completed by responding to the questions and providing explanations as necessary. The Non-Supplanting Questionnaire must be signed by the PI. See the supplanting review section for more information on supplanting.
Designation of Confidential and Proprietary Information
Designation of Confidential and Proprietary Information is required 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.
Review Process
Technical Review: Partnership Program staff will review each full application to ensure that all requirements are met. Full applications that do not comply with the submission requirements will not move to the content review, and the applicant will be notified.
Content Review: The Full Application Review Panel, which is advisory to PERC and includes UW faculty and community representatives, will review the full applications. Each full application will be reviewed by two University of Wisconsin faculty reviewers and one community reviewer assigned based on the content and objectives of the proposal. Faculty reviewers typically are from SMPH basic and clinical science departments and other UW–Madison schools and colleges with expertise in biomedical research, health services research, health policy, community-based population health research and/or education. Community reviewers typically are from Wisconsin-based non-profit community organizations, 4K–12 schools or districts, health systems, or tribal, state or local government entities with expertise in community health, health policy and/or health care. The reviewers will independently review assigned applications based on the full application review criteria. The ranking and written critiques of the full applications by the Review Panel will be provided to PERC. PERC will select the finalists to present their proposals to the committee.
Applicants will be informed by October 14, 2025 whether they are invited to present their proposal to PERC. The de-identified reviewers’ comments will be provided to each applicant.
PERC Review: Finalist presentations will take place at the November 3, 2025 PERC meeting. The presentations by the Principal Investigator typically take place between 4 and 7 p.m. CDT and are fully virtual over Zoom. Collaborators may join to respond to questions. No exceptions to this date will be made.
PERC will make a final decision to select the grant award recipients based on rank, presentation by the PI, discussion of the application and review materials, additional information from the project team (if requested by PERC or WPP’s Administrative Leadership Team) and the project’s alignment with the goals of the New Investigator Program.
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. PERC’s award decisions are conditional on a review of non-supplanting by the Wisconsin Partnership Program 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 Administrative Leadership Team will take action in compliance with WPP’s non-supplanting policy. The WPP Administrative Leadership team and SMPH CFO have sole discretion over supplanting determinations.
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 Other Support information in NIH format with three sections: Project/Proposals by status (Active and Pending); In-Kind Contributions; Overlap
- Principal Investigators must sign their Other Support page
The committee’s decisions at each stage of the review are final and cannot be appealed.
Applicants will be notified of whether they are selected for a grant award no later than November 10, 2025.
Review Criteria
UW Faculty Review
Project Objective and Scientific Quality
- Shows innovation and has rigor and outstanding merit that would predict sustainable external funding beyond the New Investigator Program award
- Advances the Wisconsin Partnership Program’s 2024–2029 Five-Year Plan
Framework
- Appears feasible with high likelihood for acquisition or application of useful data, and includes details of data analysis that address rigor and reproducibility
- Describes specific metrics to benchmark progress toward stated goals and objectives
- Describes plans for evaluating and disseminating research outcomes or project results
- As applicable, enhances interdisciplinary research or education and fosters collaborations among basic, clinical, education, informatics/data, population, social/behavioral and/or translational scientists or community partners
Applicant Qualifications and Career Development
- Applicant is qualified to successfully execute and oversee the proposed research
- Applicant brings expertise central to the project, and if applicable, there is synergistic value added by Collaborator(s)
- Proposal has the potential to advance the career development of the applicant
Community Review
Wisconsin Health, Health Care and/or Health Equity
- Describes the process by which successful execution of this project positively impacts health care and/or health equity in Wisconsin or the steps necessary to translate discovery to application in a clinical or community setting in alignment with the Wisconsin Partnership Program 2024–2029 Five-Year Plan Framework
- Describes the scope and significance of the health issue being addressed and its relevance in Wisconsin
- As applicable, describes community engagement efforts if it is the central component of overall project goal, and full application includes letters of support from community partners
Terms and Conditions
By applying for a Wisconsin Partnership Program grant, applicants agree to the Partnership Program’s terms and conditions. Please refer to the Memorandum of Understanding for terms and conditions of the award. All projects must start within six months from the notification of the award.
Contact Information
Our team will hold office hours to answer your questions as you prepare your preliminary application. After looking over the Request for Proposals, sign up for a 15-minute consultation.
Please note that our team is not allowed to review a draft of your submission.
General Inquiries
Aimee Haese
Program Officer
alhaese@wisc.edu
Evaluation Inquiries
Lindsay Barone, PhD
Evaluator
oshspevaluation@hslc.wisc.edu
Budget or Supplanting Inquiries
Jon Thomas
Finance Associate Director
thomas38@wisc.edu