Any Tufts faculty or research staff who is actively contributing to scholarship, research, and/or creative work is eligible to apply. Please note that everyone on the project must be eligible to conduct research or scholarship according to applicable School requirements and restrictions. All applicants must hold a primary appointment at a Tufts University School or unit. Clinicians from Tufts Medicine may be co-PIs.

Only ONE application per PI per cycle is allowed. A specific project may only be resubmitted one time. Resubmissions should specifically note changes made to strengthen the project.

Exclusions:

• TISUA will not fund projects related to currently funded Provost/OVPR programs, including Tufts Springboard, MUSE, and Tufts Launchpad Accelerator.
• Investigators may receive TISUA funding no more than once every three years.

Awards will be made up to $25,000 for up to one year. A timeline, detailed budget, and budget justification must be provided. Decisions will be made within five months of submission date, and all applicants will be provided de-identified reviewer feedback. All expenditures must be made by the project end date and any unused funds must be returned to the OVPR. No-cost extensions will not be permitted except under special circumstances, and only one NCE per project will be granted for any reason. Feasibility of the budget and timeline related to the proposed work are key review criteria.

Funds may be to support undergraduate/graduate assistants, travel, materials/supplies, community engagement activities, publicity materials, or other direct costs. Faculty/research staff salary is not an allowable expense. For a complete list of allowable costs and budget restrictions, please see Award Conditions. TISUA funding must lead to a planned proposal for external funding.

TISUA will use a peer review process that includes a committee of substance use and addiction experts, with oversight from the Office of the Vice Provost for Research (OVPR) and the Provost’s office.

• While committee members will be chosen for their expertise, applicants should remember that committee members will likely be outside their immediate field, so proposals should be written for a general scholarly audience, and any (sub)field terms or processes should be explained. Proposals will be evaluated based on the weighted criteria below.
• All applicants recommended for funding must receive approval from the Dean(s) (or their delegates) of School(s) involved in the project.
• The Review Committee will review proposals and make recommendations to the OVPR. Funding decisions will be based primarily on the Committee’s recommendations; however, final decisions will rest with the OVPR.

In subsequent years, TISUA awardees will be selected up to two times in a three-year period to serve as reviewers. Awardees may delay their reviewer service once due to conflicts such as sabbatical or other time restraints. Willing reviewers may be asked to serve on additional occasions, beyond the three-year period.

The principal investigator or designate (grants administrator/local research administrator) will be responsible for financially managing the award. Funds will be disbursed to the School/unit where the lead PI is primarily affiliated based on the approved budget. The budget should follow the policies of the University and the applicable School(s). Expenses will be periodically reviewed to ensure the allowability of funds and that the project is progressing on time.

Funds can only be used for the activities or experiments described in the proposal. All funds must be used within the project period; any unused funds must be returned to the OVPR. No-cost extensions (NCEs) to extend the project using unspent funds will not be permitted without a strong justification, and these must be requested at least 90 days before the project’s end date. Please note that NCEs will be granted only with strong justification and no more than one NCE will be granted for a particular project. Re-budget requests (i.e., should funds need to be moved from one category to another) should be submitted to Springboard@tufts.edu and no-cost extension requests should be submitted via the NCE form.

Each investigator on the award must be eligible to participate in research, scholarship, or artistic endeavors according to School guidelines to receive funding.

Expenditures for course releases are permitted according to School policies and appropriate approvals. Approvals must be provided as a contingency for receiving the funding.

Reasonable requests to cover student pay are allowed. Fringe benefits charges for personnel must be included in preparing the project’s budget based on the University’s established rate.

Funds can be requested for materials/supplies, temporary space (e.g., for exhibits or speakers), honoraria, catering for public events (catering for internal Tufts events must have a very strong justification), publicity materials, travel, or other direct costs supporting the project.

The budget may not be used to pay for the following:

• Indirect costs and overhead
• Tuition costs
• Faculty/investigator salary (please note that postdoc/undergraduate/graduate student pay is allowed)
• Laptops/computers or general office supplies
• Equipment (defined as >$5,000)
• Student health insurance
• Salary for collaborators outside of Tufts (please note that honoraria for speakers and payment for consultants are allowed as long as University/School policies are followed)

The proposal review committee and the OVPR retain the right to veto any budget item it deems unallowable. The receipt of an award may be conditional on budget modifications.

Awards involving human research participants, biohazards, use of animals, hazardous materials, and radiation sources must be approved through the respective regulatory office in the OVPR.

All awards are subject to the Tufts IP Policy.

Awardees must commit to preparing a final report on the outcomes of the work. Additionally, outcomes of the project must be reported to the OVPR team for a period of at least three years post-funding period.

All applications must be submitted electronically via InfoReady by 12pm on the submission due date.

In addition to completing the proposal demographic data (PI, collaborators, etc.) in InfoReady, applicants must prepare and upload the following components: 

1. Project Description (five-page limit, including graphics)
   Please remember that reviewers may not be in your field, so write your project description for an audience who will not have your specific expertise. Address each element in enough detail that the reviewers can determine the extent to which your proposal adheres to the review criteria:
   • Present a comprehensive overview outlining the contextual background and depth of the substance use and addiction issue. Discuss key factors, prevalence, societal implications, and challenges associated with substance use and addiction.
   • Describe how the project aims to introduce groundbreaking innovations in addressing substance use and mental health, emphasizing the anticipated positive impact on society.
   • Outline the specific goals, objectives, and expected results of the project related to substance use and addiction, and related to morbidity and mortality.
   • Detail the methodology while addressing anticipated barriers or technical challenges. Explain how these obstacles will be recognized and effectively addressed.
   • Highlight opportunities for collaborative, cross-disciplinary, and translational research, scholarship, and educational programs, both within Tufts and in external collaborations.
   • Emphasize how leveraging existing resources, expertise, and infrastructure will strengthen the proposed project.
   • Outline a practical and credible post-completion plan ensuring enduring impact and sustained financial support for the project's outcomes.
   • Describe the feasibility of completing the work within the School, Division, or unit environment, considering timeline constraints, available space, equipment, and other resources.
   • Provide a plan for submitting external proposal(s) and describe expecting lasting impacts of the proposed work.
   • Provide a detailed timeline for the proposed activities, including key milestones and deliverables (example below).

     PROJECT TIMELINE EXAMPLES/TEMPLATES:
      

     Year 1

     Jul

     Aug

     Sept

     Oct

     Nov

     Dec

     Jan

     Feb

     Mar

     Apr

     May

     Jun

     Example activity

     Example activity 2

      

     Year 1	Q1	Q2	Q3	Q4
     Example activity
     Example activity 2

     
      
2. Key References (1-page limit): Attach a list of references relevant to the project.
    
3. Abbreviated CV or NSF/NIH-style Biosketch (no more than five single-spaced pages per person).
    
4. Letters Committing Support of External Collaborators and Service Providers (limited to one page each): Letters should describe the roles and responsibilities of the external collaborator/service provider as well as a brief description of their qualifications and justification for their inclusion on the project.
    
5. Budget Justification (2-page limit): Provide the following details for your budget request:

• Details explaining the necessity of each budget item.
• Description of each person's role in the project, percentage of effort, and estimated costs.
• List of any in-kind (no cost to the grant) contributions from Tufts central services, any other school or department, and faculty mentors or consultants (e.g., salaries and supplies).
• Justify use of non-Tufts service of cores when similar resources are available at Tufts.