Funding Opportunities

Career Development Awards are limited to full-time faculty at the rank of assistant professor (all title series are eligible including regular, research, clinical, and special) at UK, and is intended to support early-career investigators as they build their capacity to design and implement innovative, studies in environmental health sciences that will lead to NIEHS pilot and extramural funding. Post-doctoral trainees are not eligible for this award.

The Career Development Awards (up to $30,000 in total direct costs, plus 53 percent for facilities and administrative costs (F&A) for up to nine months) will be made on a competitive basis to support activities designed to grow the faculty member’s EHS program of research. It is anticipated that funds will be available for one to two awards depending on the number of meritorious applications and needs of the specific project.

If you are interested in applying, please visit the Career Development Program page on our website.

• Purpose: This award is to support community‐academic partnerships that address critical research needs identified by community partners. The research must address an environmental health issue of significance to Appalachia.
• Funding: The award amount is up to $10,000. The amount will be shared between the community‐academic partners to accomplish the goals of the project. This award could be in conjunction to the above awards to support the community partnerships.

The UK-CARES Pilot Project Program provides three funding opportunities.

Innovation and High Impact Award

• Purpose: This award is intended to stimulate innovation and to support pilot studies that will advance the field of environmental health sciences.
• Funding: This award is up to $50,000 in direct costs which must be spent over 12 months. If a community partner plans a key role in translational science, an additional amount of $5k may be requested to support the research led by the community partner.

Early-Stage/New to EHS Award

• Purpose: This award is intended to support pilot studies by early-stage investigators or those new to the field of environmental health sciences.
• Funding Support: The maximum award will be $25,000 in direct costs which must be spent over 12 months. If a community partner plans a key role in science, an additional amount of $5k may be requested to support the research lead by the community partner.

community-engaged research award

• Purpose: This award is to support community‐academic partnerships that address critical research needs identified by community partners. The research must address an environmental health issue of significance to Appalachia.
• Funding: The award amount is up to $10,000. The amount will be shared between the community‐academic partners to accomplish the goals of the project. This award could be in conjunction to the above awards to support the community partnerships.

This RFA is open to any faculty member in any UK college who can ask a research question through the lens of climate change and how it impacts human health, or what tools or technologies can be developed to help those affected by events related to climate change. Investigators may request up to $10,000 in direct research costs. The project period is 9-12 months and must be completed by March 31, 2026. This award is for investigators at all stages of career development; early career, midlevel, and senior investigators, and is intended to stimulate innovation and to support pilot studies that will lead to extramural funding.  Submissions will be reviewed and awards granted as applications are received; applicants are encouraged to apply as soon as possible because program funds might be depleted. Because of the short duration of these proposals, the required documentation such as IRB, IACUC, etc., to be in place at the time of submission.  This mechanism will not fund clinical trials (NIH definition).  Submit your application in REDCap.