2024-2025 Seed Grant Funding

The Whole Health Consortium (WHC) at Virginia Tech is pleased to announce its annual funding opportunity that aligns with our overarching goal of investigating equitable health and well-being solutions that support people and their communities to pursue meaningful lives.

We are granting awards that will enable researchers to form collaborative and interdisciplinary teams. The aim is to prime these teams for high-impact, community-engaged research, setting the stage for them to develop research proposals robust enough to compete for larger, more substantial future grants such as NIH Program Projects (P Series), Center Grants (U and P Series), NSF Growing Convergence Research (GCR) Grants, Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI) Grants, among others focused on tackling holistic health and well-being in transformative ways.

2024-2025 Priority Research Areas

This year we are encouraging community-collaborative research that explores health on multiple levels, ranging from molecular and cellular mechanisms to individual behaviors and lifestyles to social determinants, cultural influences, and physical/environmental factors. Key priority areas include addressing mental health, overmedication, substance use, and the development of trauma-informed communities. Community engagement is central to the Whole Health Consortium; proposals must involve community partners and are encouraged to include individuals with lived experience.

Funding Tracks

The Consortium will offer awards in two funding tracks:

Track 1: Advancing Partnership
- Award amount: up to $40,000 per award
- Duration: 12 months
- Number of awards: 2 to 3
- Objective: The primary objective of this planning grant is to catalyze multidisciplinary research teams in advancing whole health research. Teams applying for this grant are expected to assemble 3-5 interconnected projects. Each project should have its own unique objectives and also contribute collectively to a common thematic goal in a specific area of whole health research. Teams are expected to submit individual proposals addressing each project component or joint proposals integrating two or more project areas within twelve months of completing the Advancing Partnership grant, each aiming for a minimum of $200,000 in direct costs per year and submit joint publications or other forms of collaborative scholarly output.
Track 2: Incubating Emergent Collaborations
- Award amount: Up to $10,000 per award
- Duration: 6 months
- Number of awards: 4 to 6
- Objective: The primary goal of this track is to support small-scale, high-impact projects that bring together scholars from at least two different disciplines and involves a community partner. This grant aims to enable researchers and organizations to develop preliminary data, proof of concept, or initial prototypes with the potential to evolve into larger initiatives eligible for substantial long-term funding. Deliverable may be in the form of mini-pilot or feasibility studies, rapid needs assessment, initial stakeholder engagement and community outreach activities, and initial grant proposal drafting. The project should align with the broader mission of advancing evidence-based research in whole health, with the long-term vision of seeking larger grants and forming a more extensive multidisciplinary team as a long-term goal.
- Important Note: Funding for this track is generously provided in collaboration with Carilion Clinic.

Key Dates

2-page Letter of Intent due on September 13, 2024 (noon)
Notice of invitation to submit full proposal received by September 24, 2024
Full (invited) Applications due on November 18, 2024 (noon)
Notification of Awards: December 17, 2024
Funding Period Start: January 16, 2025
Funding Period End: December 31, 2025 for Track 1 awards; June 15, 2025 for Track 2 awards

Submission Process

Submit a digital copy of your 2-page LOI via the following link: https://redcap.link/wholehealthrfp2024 (by noon on September 13, 2024).
If you are invited to submit a full application, a unique link for submission will be provided to you.

Please note that adhering to the submission requirements is crucial for your application to be considered. If you have any questions regarding the application process, feel free to contact the individuals listed in the "Questions" section.

Application Guide

Click here to access the full Request for Applications with a detailed overview of each track, strategic intent, eligibility information, application process, including required sections for proposals, expectations and outcomes if awarded, budget information, evaluation criteria, submission requirements, and notification of awards.

Templates

Questions

About the RFA, Appropriateness, Budget: Tina Savla, Whole Health Consortium Leadership Council Chair at jsavla@vt.edu
About Community Partners: Kathy Hosig, Whole Health Consortium Leadership Council, Member at khosig@vt.edu
About Carilion Partners: Aubrey Knight, Whole Health Consortium Leadership Council, Member knighta@vt.edu