Scholarly Opportunity Award (SOA)
The Mayo Clinic Center for Translational Science Activities (CTSA) offers this funding opportunity — the Scholarly Opportunity Award (SOA) — for clinically relevant research projects that have a high degree of innovation and significance related to a broad range of clinical, translational, community-based, or educational research topics at Mayo Clinic.
The goal of this program is to facilitate high-impact research among clinicians, career growth, and ideally future extramural funding. The CTSA encourages a wide variety of projects, but all topics must be addressed in a scientific manner — which should result in at least one publication in a peer-reviewed journal. Awardees must agree to provide brief updates on publications and grant applications resulting from their SOA project over a period of five years.
For 2011, the Mayo Clinic Research Committee is able to continue allocating SOA funds to support clinicians and investigators who do not already have significant research support from Mayo Clinic or extramural sources (not more than 20 percent research time). Grants are available for study-related expenses and, if justified, for Category I time (research time up to 10 percent). The awards are distributed across the three Mayo campuses — Rochester, Florida and Arizona — in proportion to the full-time equivalent (FTE) at each site.
Deadline
The SOA will not be available in 2013. Several other CTSA funding opportunities are available for interested applicants.
Eligibility
- Consultants, senior associate consultants and associate consultants with clinical appointments at Mayo Clinic's campuses in Arizona, Florida and Rochester.
- The following are not eligible:
- Clinicians currently receiving effort funded by Mayo Clinic (e.g., base budgets, CR20 Award, Research Early Career Development Award, divisional or discretionary research time of more than 20 percent).
- A letter from your department/division chair must state how much research time is already supported by the department, division, institution or other sources such as industry, foundations, etc.).
- May hold only one Scholarly Opportunity Award concurrently.
- Physicians or scientists with temporary appointments cannot apply — unless their department/division chair confirms that the temporary position will be turned into a consultant, senior associate consultant or associate consultant appointment within one year of activation of the award. This is to ensure that all funded projects can be completed.
- May concurrently hold a High-Impact Pilot and Feasibility Award and/or funding from the Small Grants Program.
Funding
- Awards of up to $30,000 in direct costs annually for up to two years will be available to support study-related expenses (e.g., allied personnel, supplies, services and infrastructure as appropriate). A progress report for the second year of funding is expected.
- Up to 10 percent Category I time (research time) may be available for each award. Research time will be awarded only if fully justified in the budget justification (based on the research plan). Applicants requesting research time should ensure that this time is essential to the successful completion of the project.
- Mayo Clinic's 30 percent indirect rate will be applied, in addition to the above described funding amount, to all budgets.
- No travel expenses will be funded; computers or laptops will generally not be funded.
- Sunset provisions will apply for unspent funds; unused funds will revert back to the Mayo Clinic Research Committee two years after the award has been made. No-cost extensions cannot be granted at this time. Therefore, it is recommended to start the IRB or IACUC application process as soon as possible to avoid delay in progress during the life of the award.
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