Mentored Student Pilot Projects (MSP) NOFO Grant

Mentored Student Pilot Projects (MSP) NOFO Grant

Status: ACTIVE
Funder: South Carolina IDeA Network of Biomedical Research Excellence (SC INBRE)
Amount: Up to US $3,000
Last Updated: January 07, 2026

Summary

The SC INBRE: Mentored Student Pilot Projects (MSP) program offers undergraduate and graduate students in South Carolina funding of $3,000 for one year to conduct small, well-defined research projects under faculty mentorship. This initiative supports career development and hands-on training in biomedical research, enhancing the research capacity of member institutions. Applications are encouraged from students who have not previously held an SIRP award, fostering diversity in research participation.

Overview

About The National Institutes of Health (NIH) established the IDeA Networks of Biomedical Research Excellence (INBRE) to increase research capacity by programmatic expansion and networking of research activities of faculty and students at academic institutions throughout certain targeted states – with South Carolina being one of those states. SC INBRE is achieving that goal by supporting the career development of faculty and hands-on research training of students at our network institutions through annual workshops for faculty and students focusing on career development, mentoring and other relevant topics, as well as funding opportunities available to any faculty at SC INBRE’s network institutions. SC INBRE Cycle IV began on September 1, 2020 and includes a statewide network of 14 member institutions, two outreach institutions and two alumni institutions. Member and outreach/alumni institutions incorporate South Carolina’s three Comprehensive Research Universities and 15 of the state’s Primarily Undergraduate Institutions, including three Historically Black Colleges and Universities. SC INBRE is administered at the University of South Carolina School of Medicine Columbia. Mentored Student Pilot Projects (MSP) In anticipation of pending renewal, the South Carolina IDeA Network of Biomedical Research Excellence (SC INBRE) Developmental Research Project Program (DRPP) solicits applications for the 2025-26 award cycle. The DRPP  will support two funding mechanisms designed to grow faculty-led research projects and provide biomedical research training opportunities for undergraduate students: Research Projects (RP) and Pilot Projects (PP). PP awards are smaller than RPs yet offer more flexibility. Funding One of four different PP awards funded for 1 year, the Mentored Student Pilot Projects (MSP), specifically for students, are small, well-defined projects written, submitted and carried out by students with the guidance of a mentor. Funding: $3,000 for one year.

Eligibility

You can learn more about this opportunity by visiting the funder's website. Applicants are undergraduate or graduate students at institutions of higher education in the SC INBRE network who have not previously held an SIRP award and will not be graduating before the end of the project. Work must be performed while you are enrolled and prior to graduation from your current program.Only one proposal per funding period will be accepted from any student.Although more than one application can be submitted per lab per funding period, the projects submitted by students with the same faculty mentor must be distinct projects.Two students working as a team on the same project under the same mentor can apply together for a single MSP award although the award amount will remain the same.