Request for SD INBRE Mentor Applications (RFA) for 2026-27

The goal of South Dakota IDeA Network of Biomedical Research Excellence (SD INBRE) is to maintain and grow the biomedical research infrastructure within the state of South Dakota.  We will accomplish this goal by expanding research capacity in SD in the area of cell biology and the control of cell and microbial growth, aligning core resources with SD INBRE investigators, and enhancing SD INBRE faculty development in scholarship, grantsmanship, and mentorship. SD INBRE will provide research opportunities for undergraduate students at partner institutions, use outreach programs to engage students in research opportunities, and encourage the perspectives of members across career stages by providing unique collaborations and learning environments.  Projects that advance the goals of SD INBRE include those that utilize core resources, enhance faculty development, provide training resources for students, and approach scientific problems in innovative ways.   

Faculty track designation: Faculty will assign themselves to one of three research tracks.  Funds are distributed for the entire grant year and can be spent at any time during the 12-month period of September 1, 2026-August 31, 2027. 

1) Summer research only (maximum $5,000 budget).  Faculty in the summer research track are requesting support for research that will take place during the 10-week summer research period only (May-August 2027).  

2) Summer and academic-year research (maximum $10,000 budget).  Faculty in the summer and academic research track are expected to propose projects that will occur during the academic year as well as the summer.  Faculty that plan to do research only during the academic-year (no summer research) should apply for this track.     

3) Developmental Research Project Program (DRPP) research (maximum $10,000 budget).  Faculty in the DRPP track must be either early in their scientific career or making a substantial change in their research focus, and they cannot currently receive research support from other IDeA programs (INBRE, COBRE, IDeA-CTR, etc.).  The research plan should include details for both summer and academic year research and describe a timeline for developing a DRPP application in the next funding cycle.     

SD INBRE Mentor eligibility: Individuals with research interests at all institutions in South Dakota are eligible to apply for mentor status in SD INBRE.  Individuals with job descriptions that include mentoring students and applying for external funding are eligible to apply.  Eligible institutions include the ones listed below.

            1. Augustana University (AU)

            2. Black Hills State University (BHSU)

            3. Dakota State University (DSU)

            4. Dakota Wesleyan University (DWU)

            5. Mount Marty University (MMU)

            6. Northern State University (NSU)

            7. Oglala Lakota College (OLC)

            8.  Sanford Research (SR)

            9. Sisseton Wahpeton College (SWC)

            10. South Dakota Mines (SDM)

            11. South Dakota State University (SDSU)

            12. University of Sioux Falls (USF)

            13. University of South Dakota (USD)

Application format: Individuals will summarize their research interests, describe any Research Match Core (RMC) equipment and expertise that they would be interested in using to advance their research goals, and submit a 1-year budget with justification for their proposed research project.  Components of the application will include the following.

1. Description of research interests for the upcoming 12-month period.  The application will include items a-e below (2 page maximum, 11 point Arial font with 0.5” margins on all sides):

a. Description of how SD INBRE has been used to advance applicant’s research to-date (Please include numbers for publications, presentations and grant proposals submitted);

                        b. Research plan for 12-month support period; 

c. Current and pending support; and

                        d. Plans for current or future use of RMC resources. 

2. Summary of applicant’s research that will be posted to the SD INBRE website (1 page maximum).

3. Description of mentorship plan, including how many students they plan to mentor (1 page maximum).

4. Budget with justification for proposed research project (1 page maximum).

            5. Letter from department or unit chair supporting proposed project and mentorship plan (1 page maximum).  This letter               is required for mentors that are new to SD INBRE, and it is waived for those applicants that served as SD INBRE                         mentors after September 1, 2025.  However, the department or unit chair still needs to acknowledge that the applicant                 can serve as a mentor in 2026-27.  Department or unit chairs can communicate their approval either directly to the SD                 INBRE PD/PI (Victor Huber, victor.huber@usd.edu) or to their campus liaison.  E-mail acknowledgment prior to the                       application due date is acceptable, and names of all faculty that are approved to serve as mentors can be sent in a                     single e-mail.

6. When appropriate, a letter of approval from the Institutional Review Board (IRB), Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC), and/or Institutional Biosafety Committee (IBC) indicating that the proposed research has been approved by the appropriate oversight committee will be required prior to the start of the project (not required for submission).

SD INBRE Mentor Funds: SD INBRE Mentor funds can be used for supplies, travel, and other lab expenses, but they cannot be used to purchase equipment that costs >$10,000, nor to hire additional students. When applicable, mentors can supplement their research by applying for RMC funds for the use of core equipment and personnel, allowing them to use funds from both Mentor and RMC funding sources to advance their research.  

Undergraduate Research Support: All students who wish to be placed with a faculty mentor must apply through the SRP. Funding through the SRP pays student wages. Supply funds are not provided through the SRP.

NOTE for DRPP-track only:  If you have budgeted funds for undergraduate or graduate student researchers, those students must also apply through the SRP. Please name the  student, if known at the time of application, in the budget justification that is included with the DRPP application. The student will list you as their first choice in their SRP application(s) and explain in their letter of interest that you have agreed to work with them. If the name of the student is not known at the time of application, please provide the name of the student to your campus liaison as soon as possible before the SRP application deadline.   

Faculty Mentor Salary: SD INBRE Mentor funds cannot be used to support faculty salary.  For faculty salary support, one or more undergraduate research students must be placed in a mentor’s lab through the SRP. Mentor summer salary is paid at a rate of $10,000 for the 10-week summer research session. No release-time pay exists through the SRP for mentoring during the academic year.  Any salary support that is received cannot put a faculty member into an overload situation¹.

Application Cycle: Prior to posting a request for applications (RFA), the SD INBRE Mentor Approval Committee will vote to approve 1) any revisions to the SD INBRE Mentor Committee by-laws, 2) the application format for that cycle, 3) the rubric for SD INBRE Mentor application review, and 4) the timeline that will be used for that application cycle. These items will be included with the RFA that is distributed to faculty through the newsletter and website.   

Application Review: SD INBRE Mentor applications will be reviewed as detailed in the “Review of SD INBRE Mentor Applications” document that will be distributed with the RFA and posted on the website.

Notification of Mentor Status: An e-mail from the Chairperson of the SD INBRE Mentor Approval Committee will be used to inform faculty of the committee decision.  Approved mentors will be invited to the SD INBRE Winter Research Conference to recruit students into their labs.  Approval as a mentor will not guarantee funding for that year, as those decisions are made at the Annual Budget Meeting in March.  Faculty that are not approved to serve as mentors will be eligible to apply in the next funding cycle and should meet with their campus liaison and representative on the Steering Committee to develop strategies for improving their application.  

Requirements of SD INBRE Mentors: 

Training: SD INBRE Faculty mentors are required to participate in ongoing research mentorship training that includes completing the self-directed course, Mentoring Undergraduate Students. This course is offered through the National Research Mentoring Network (NRMN) that is supported by the NIH (U24 GM132217). Additionally, ongoing mentorship training will be conducted annually through an Undergraduate Mentoring Roundtable session during the SD-INBRE Winter Research Conference. The roundtable session will consist of facilitated discussion of undergraduate mentoring best-practices, case studies, and outcomes of student surveys from the prior year. Open discussion of student-survey outcomes, alongside the exchange of ideas among both experienced and junior faculty mentors, is expected to improve the quality of mentoring provided through SD INBRE. 

Reporting: Mentors will upload progress reports using the DPx software that is managed by the Administrative Core. Reports will be reviewed by the SD INBRE Mentor Approval Committee and included in the annual report that is submitted to the NIH. These reports must include the following items: 

1. Confirmation that mentor training occurred; 

2. A report detailing how metrics were achieved in the supported faculty project period (1 page maximum);

3. A description of how the results from this research were presented at local, regional, and national conferences; and 

4. A summary of any publications or grants that were submitted using data collected.

The Mentor Approval Committee will review progress reports for completeness and incomplete reports will be returned.  

Faculty Mentor Seminar Series: Mentors are encouraged to attend and present at the Faculty Mentor Seminar Series.   Presentations will be both live-streamed and recorded so that members that cannot attend in-person can still participate in the seminar series.  

SD INBRE Mentor Funding Decisions: The SD INBRE PD/PI and SD INBRE PC will evaluate the final rank list and match the list with available funds during the Annual Budget Meeting.  The External Advisory Committee (EAC) will be consulted as part of this decision-making process.  The Annual Budget Meeting will be held on or before March 31 so that budgets for the grant year starting on September 1 can be prepared and approved.  This effort will also allow faculty and institutions to prepare for the summer and academic year research programs that will take place in the next funding period.

Application timeline for 2026-27:

November 3, 2025 : Application posted in RFx.

December 31, 2025: Applications due in RFx.

February 13, 2026: Application reviews due (final ranks forwarded to Administrative Core).

March 31, 2026: Administrative Core makes budget recommendations for 2026-27.

Please direct any questions regarding eligibility and applications to:

Victor C. Huber, PhD

SD INBRE PD/PI

University of South Dakota

Vermillion, SD

E-mail: victor.huber@usd.edu

Footnotes: 

¹If receiving any INBRE salary support, the total salary paid from all sources cannot total more than the faculty member’s 12-month equivalent of their base contract salary.