Support for Training Grant Applications
The University at Buffalo is committed to fostering a robust and dynamic research environment, supporting mentorship, advancing the next generation of scientific leaders, and strengthening our standing in research and innovation. As part of the ambition to be a top 25 public research university, UB will become internationally recognized as growing the research workforce pipeline and supporting the future of scientific discovery.
Institutional training and career development grants provide funds for research training experiences for trainees at the undergraduate, graduate, postdoc and/or junior faculty levels. These grants are key to the successful recruitment and advancement of top-notch trainees who provide diverse perspectives and innovative research directions to UB’s training environment. Our goals are to:
- Increase the frequency of training grant application submission across programs.
- Increase the number of training grants awarded to all three UB campuses.
- Increase the number of URM trainees at UB in all programs.
At a Glance
The Office of the Vice President for Research and Economic Development and the Graduate School oversee UB’s Training Grant Incentives Pilot Program designed to support and reward faculty for securing training grant funding. This program underscores the university’s commitment to provide support and guidance from proposal development through submission.
Typically, training grants do not allow the university to charge for PI effort, administrative support and other activities not directly related to training students. In grants where these are not allowed, this program will provide the following supports on new and renewed institutional training grants as of November 1, 2024:
- Dean’s Discretionary Payment: $5,000 a year to decanal units to cover training grant related expenses not allowed on training grants (e.g., mentor incentives, recruitment costs, information system modifications to identify and track trainees, etc.). This is designed to account for the IFR funds that would have been generated if PI salary was allowable on these awards.
- Principal Investigator (PI) Stipend: PIs will receive a stipend equivalent to 10% of their annual salary. This stipend is flexible and can be used for salary enhancement, grant-related expenses, or saved for future use.
- Administrative Support: Decanal units will be allocated a fixed amount of $20,000 to be used toward the administrative management of the training award.
- External Advisory Committee (EAC) Support: If an independent external advisory committee is required as part of the RFP to provide guidance on a regular basis as part of the project, PIs are eligible for $1,000 per year, per EAC member. This is available for up to five EAC members per award.
The above incentives will be provided annually for the duration of each award. For more information about the new Training Grant Incentives Pilot Program or how faculty can apply for training grants, please contact: Kristen Ashare, Director, Office of Postdoctoral Scholars at kmashare@buffalo.edu.
Engage with our support resources to secure vital training grants. Together, we can build a strong foundation for tomorrow's scientific leaders.
This group of experienced faculty are here to advise those who are new to applying for training grants. The group meets quarterly and is available to provide feedback on new training grant proposals in advance of the first submission. It is highly recommended that you submit your draft proposal to the committee at least three months before your external submission date.
