Preceptor Awards

Letter of intent, abstract and letter of support due Friday, Oct. 3, 2025.

The Preceptor Award (PA) supports Primary Undergraduate Institution (PUI) faculty who enhance undergraduate student research engagement (see eligible Institutions below).

One (1) year, April 2026-March 2027, with undergraduate research activities.

Pre-proposal applicants must submit the following:

• A letter of intent and abstract describing the proposed project and its goals to establish eligibility and programmatic responsiveness. This letter should not exceed 1 page.
• A Letter of Support completed by the applicant’s supervisor approving proposed activities if award.

Funding level and allowable expenses

Direct costs up to $12,000 per year may be requested. Permitted expenses include salaries for the PA awardee and undergraduate researchers, as well as research supplies that are allowable NIH expenses. Domestic travel expenses are allowed for conducting fieldwork as part of the project, accessing experts or other resources, or giving invited presentations on Nevada INBRE-related activities at meetings/conferences. Equipment is generally not allowable. Awardees are required to attend the Nevada INBRE Network-Wide Annual Research Conference and must budget travel funds accordingly.

Eligibility

The PA supports Nevada INBRE PUI faculty who develop undergraduate research curriculum (e.g. CUREs) or lead small-scale research projects, thereby expanding hands-on research training and enriching STEM education at the undergraduate level. The Nevada INBRE network includes the following PUIs:

• College of Southern Nevada (CSN)
• Great Basin College (GBC)
• Nevada State University (NS)
• Truckee Meadows Community College (TMCC)
• Western Nevada College (WNC)

Applicants must have a full-time faculty appointment at one of the Nevada INBRE PUIs list above.

Milestones and progress

PA recipients will be required to meet the requirements in the checklist below.

PA milestones and progress checklist:

• Meet with the Nevada INBRE evaluator and PC to define measurable milestones
• Report to Nevada INBRE via the tracking database upon request
• Present activities at the Nevada INBRE Network-Wide Annual Research Conference
• Present activities to the External Advisory Committee (EAC)

Preceptor Award key dates

Applicants must submit the pre-proposal materials to be considered. Based on the letters of intent/abstracts, Nevada INBRE will send eligible applicants an invitation to participate in a required Nevada INBRE pre-proposal workshop for full application submission details. Invitations for pre-proposal workshops are expected to be sent out to applicants by Oct. 17, 2025.

Required pre-proposal workshops will be held in late Oct. to early Nov. 2025. Full application documents and access will only be given to those who complete the pre-proposal workshop. The pre-proposal workshop will cover the specific information needed to complete the Nevada INBRE application, including the preparation of the budget, specific aims, and detailed plan of proposed activities, The pre-proposal workshop will also cover required application documents such as Institutional Review Board approval, planned enrollment reports, etc. All pre-proposal workshops will be held via Zoom.

The application due date is expected to be Dec. 5, 2025. Full applications will only be accepted from eligible applicants who have completed the pre-proposal workshop. Applications will be submitted electronically through the link provided. Merit reviews will be based on the NIH criteria (overall impact, significance, investigator, innovation, approach, and environment). Proposed projects must include undergraduate researchers or the development of undergraduate research curriculum. The External Advisory Committee (EAC) will make funding decisions based on merit, programmatic priorities and institutional participation in the network. Presentation of clear, reportable milestones appropriate for the PA scope of work will be an important review criterion. Funding preference will be given to proposals that describe a biomedical research project that engages undergraduate students.

Please note that you may only submit one proposal.

Funding of a PAs depends upon the successful renewal of the Nevada INBRE grant and the timely arrival of NIH funds. The earliest possible start date is April 1, 2026, but may be delayed.

Contact Eduardo Robleto at eduardo.robleto@unlv.edu and Christy Song at cmsong@unr.edu for further information.