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
- Budget Template
- Track 1: Advancing Partnership Coversheet
- Track 2: Incubating Emergent Collaborations Coversheet
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
2023-2024 Seed Grant Awardees
Stressed Out Moms: Targeting the Body to Treat the Brain and Prevent Intergenerational Transmission of Mental Health Issues
Goal: This project will address the need for alternative, non-pharmacological approaches to depression, particularly in mothers and children.
Research team:
- Julia Basso, director of the Embodied Brain Laboratory and assistant professor of human nutrition, foods, and exercise in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences
- Georgia Hodes, assistant professor of neuroscience in the College of Science
- Brittany Howell, assistant professor with the Fralin Biomedical Research Institute at VTC
- Mackenzie Aychman, graduate student in human nutrition, foods, and exercise
- Dawson Kropp, graduate student in neuroscience
Community partner:
- Jaclyn Nunziato, executive director of Huddle Up Moms
Designing AI as a Mental Health Resource for Autistic Adults: Enhancing Therapeutic Approaches with Multimodal Interactions
Goal: Collaboratively design an interactive artificial intelligence (AI) system using large language models to support the mental health needs of autistic adults, with a specific focus on repetitive negative self-talk.
Research team:
- Eugenia Rho, assistant professor of computer science in the College of Engineering
- Angela Scarpa, director of the Virginia Tech’s Autism Research Center, and professor of psychology
- Caroline Branscome, undergraduate writing program coordinator, civil and environmental engineering
- Myounghoon Jeon, associate professor, industrial and systems engineering
- Sunwook Kim, research assistant professor, industrial and systems engineering
- Sol Lim, assistant professor, industrial and systems engineering
- Adam Burke, professor of health and social sciences at San Francisco State University
Professional therapists:
- Julie Carper, occupational therapist with The Auburn School
- Deanna Swain, clinical research and assistant professor at University of Colorado Medicine
Community partners:
- Parthenia Dinora, executive director of the Partnership for People with Disabilities and associate professor for the School of Education at Virginia Commonwealth University
Community Advisory Groups to Inform Youth Mental Health Needs in Southwest Virginia
Goal: Build collaborative partnerships between Virginia Tech’s Child Study Center, schools, and families in Southwest Virginia to identify current youth mental health needs and resources, and to leverage community perspectives in ongoing and future mental health related research conducted by this research team.
Research team:
- Samantha Margherio, assistant professor of psychology
- Heather Davis, assistant professor of psychology
- Rosanna Breaux, assistant professor of psychology
- Jody Russon, assistant professor of human development and family science in the College of Liberal Arts and Human Sciences
- Sang Won Lee, assistant professor of computer science
Community partner:
- Vanessa Wigand, health, physical, and driver education coordinator for the Virginia Department of Education
The Development of a Brief Self-Compassion Intervention to Improve Mental Health Among Caregivers Experiencing Food Insecurity
Goal: This project aims to create an intervention that is tailored and accessible to caregivers of young children experiencing food insecurity, such as nutrition education programs, food banks, and pantries.
Research team:
- Heather Davis, assistant professor psychology
- Sarah Misyak, assistant research professor of human nutrition, foods, and exercise and assistant director, program manager for research and evaluation for Virginia Cooperative Extension Family Nutrition Program
- Elena Serrano, professor, Extension specialist, and the director of Virginia Cooperative Extension Family Nutrition Program
- Samantha Harden, associate professor of human nutrition, foods, and exercise
Community partner:
- Meaghan Butler, health equity director for the Federation of Virginia Food Banks