CIEHS Core Utilization Subsidy Program (CUSP)

Small CUSP can be submitted at any time throughout the year.

Response to Reviewers (small) awards for up to $1,500 to cover the costs associated with the research needed to finish out a project or address questions arising in manuscript revisions or grant resubmissions

1. PDF copy of a letter of support or email from the relevant shared resource facility core director addressing feasibility of proposed research (if applicable). If the CUSP award amount is not sufficient to cover all projected costs, please upload a pdf letter identifying committed sources of funding.
2. PDF copy of the reviewer or study section comments
3. PDF copy of the manuscript or grant application to be revised
4. <1 page PDF that explains what experiment(s) are proposed to respond to the review
5. PDF copy of the facility core quote, if applicable
6. PDF copy of a budget justification 

Small CUSP awardees will be required to submit a 12-month report progress reports addressing:

1. listing of poster and oral presentations
2. grant applications which included subsidized research results
3. trainees that were directly involved with the research
4. copy/copies of the manuscripts (resubmitted/in-press/published)
5. grant applications (submitted/funded/renewed)
6. data sharing to the EHS research community
7. cover page addressing how the expended funds addressed the gap in the research

Failure to provide these reports may invalidate future CUSP submissions by the PI.

Research!Louisville Symposium – CUSP awardees agree to participate in a CIEHS symposium as part of Research!Louisville.

New Direction Medium CUSP are due in April, August and December each year.

New Direction (medium) awards for up to $5,000 to cover costs associated with critical exploratory research and proof-of-concept studies needed by CIEHS members for hypothesis generation and grant submission. It is expected that funding these EHS-centric studies will lead to NIEHS grant submissions by the PI.

1. If you are applying for a targeted medium CUSP, please state under section 2(d)–Additional Notes of the application, which area you are targeting (Precision Environmental Health, Mechanistic and Translational Toxicology or Environmental Epidemiology and Population Health).
2. PDF copy of a letter of support or email from the relevant shared resource facility core director addressing feasibility of proposed research (if applicable). If the CUSP award amount is not sufficient to cover all projected costs, please upload a pdf letter identifying committed sources of funding.
3. PDF copy of the facility core quote, if applicable
4. PDF copy of a budget justification
5. PDF copy of a two-page research plan inclusive of background, future research plans if hypothesis is supported, and relevant references.
6. PDF copy of your bibliography citations
7. PDF copy of your biosketch
8. PDF copy of lay narrative of your project based upon NIH standards (see link and bullets below).

NIH Narrative Standards:

• Communicates the public health relevance of the project to the public
• No more than 2-3 sentences
• Use plain language understandable by a general audience
• Describe how, in the short or long term, the research would contribute to: the fundamental knowledge about the nature and behavior of living systems, and/or the application of that knowledge to enhance health, lengthen life, and reduce illness.

Medium CUSP awardees will be required to submit annual 12- and 24-month progress reports addressing:

1. listing of poster and oral presentations
2. grant applications which included subsidized research results
3. trainees that were directly involved with the research
4. copy/copies of the manuscripts (resubmitted/in-press/published)
5. grant applications (submitted/funded/renewed)
6. data sharing to the EHS research community
7. cover page addressing how the expended funds addressed the gap in the research

Failure to provide these reports may invalidate future CUSP submissions by the PI.

Research!Louisville Symposium – CUSP awardees agree to participate in a CIEHS symposium as part of Research!Louisville.

IRB Assistance Medium CUSP can be submitted at any time throughout the year.

1. PDF copy of protocol (if available)
2. PDF description of project (200 character limit) 

Medium CUSP awardees will be required to submit annual 12- and 24-month progress reports addressing:

1. listing of poster and oral presentations
2. grant applications which included subsidized research results
3. trainees that were directly involved with the research
4. copy/copies of the manuscripts (resubmitted/in-press/published)
5. grant applications (submitted/funded/renewed)
6. data sharing to the EHS research community
7. cover page addressing how the expended funds addressed the gap in the research

Failure to provide these reports may invalidate future CUSP submissions by the PI.

Research!Louisville Symposium – CUSP awardees agree to participate in a CIEHS symposium as part of Research!Louisville.

Large CUSP are due in April, August, and December each year.

Supporting the Base (large) awards (up to 25% total costs capped at a $10,000 maximum) will be provided to subsidize CIEHS-member NIEHS-funded research.

1. PDF copy of a letter of support or email from the relevant shared resource facility core director addressing feasibility of proposed research (if applicable). If the CUSP award amount is not sufficient to cover all projected costs, please upload a pdf letter identifying committed sources of funding.
2. PDF copy of a 1 page detailed budget justification and/or facility core quote
3. PDF copy of the funded NIH grant
4. PDF copy of the summary statement
5. PDF copy of the most recent award notice
6. 1 page PDF cover letter that describes how the CIEHS Large CUSP funds will be used to expand experimental parameters in support of the original NIEHS funded grant. 

Large CUSP awardees will be required to submit annual 12-, 24-, and 36-month progress reports addressing:

1. listing of poster and oral presentations
2. grant applications which included subsidized research results
3. trainees that were directly involved with the research
4. copy/copies of the manuscripts (resubmitted/in-press/published)
5. grant applications (submitted/funded/renewed)
6. data sharing to the EHS research community
7. cover page addressing how the expended funds addressed the gap in the research

Failure to provide these reports may invalidate future CUSP submissions by the PI.

Research!Louisville Symposium – CUSP awardees agree to participate in a CIEHS symposium as part of Research!Louisville.