HPD Research Committee
Mission Statement
The primary mission of the Research Committee of the Nova Southeastern University Health Professions Division is to evaluate research risk and provide a centralized assurance of research safety for all projects involving risk to the Health Professions Division and its components. Our mission also involves assurance of scientific merit for all projects requesting research funding from Nova Southeastern University.
Committee Policies and Activities
Grant Program
The Nova Southeastern University Health Professions Research Grant Program is an internal grant-funding opportunity specifically designed to help investigators initiate projects that will lead to extramural funding. Grants are awarded monthly in amounts up to $7,500. Grant applications are reviewed monthly. To be considered in the month of application, proposals are due by the third Wednesday of each month by 5:00 p.m. Funding is for up to two years.
Composition
The committee is comprised of the NSU Vice President for Research and Technology Transfer (ex-officio) and at least one representative from each HPD college. The Chair will vote to break ties. Faculty are appointed by their college’s dean for terms of three years. At the dean’s discretion a college’s representative may be removed before his or her term expires.
Committee Members
| College/Unit | Current Member(s) |
|---|---|
| Allopathic Medicine | Michelle Demory Beckler, Ph.D. Patrick Hardigan, Ph.D. |
| Dental Medicine | Jeffrey Thompson, Ph.D, Chair Cristina Garcia-Godoy, D.D.S. |
| Health Care Sciences | Cheryl Hill, Ph.D. |
| Nursing | Gesulla Cavanaugh, Ph.D., R.N. |
| Optometry | Bin Zhang, M.D., Ph.D., F.A.A.O. |
| Osteopathic Medicine |
Stephen Grant, Ph.D. |
| Pharmacy | Peter Gannett, Ph.D. |
| Vice President for Research and Technology Transfer (Ex-Officio) | Gary Margules, Sc.D. |
Activities
The NSU HPD Research Grant Program supports meritorious research to assist faculty with initiating research endeavors that will lead to extramural funding. The Principal Investigator must have a primary appointment within the Health Professions Division. Funding decisions are made on scientific merit, need, and the potential for extramural funding. The program is not intended to provide funding for multiple similar projects for one investigator nor is it intended to replace departmental start-up funds for new faculty members.
The program judges the scientific merit of the application without concern for the start-up needs of a faculty member. Investigators should submit their most important projects; ones that have the greatest potential to develop into long-term focused research programs with a high chance of extramural funding.
The Committee typically meets every fourth Wednesday of the month (and may meet on an ad hoc basis) to review research proposals and course protocols. To confirm a meeting date or request a list of upcoming meetings, please email sblythe@nova.edu.
The program maintains a record of submitted research proposals, submitted course protocols, and Health Professions Research Grant Program responses and documents.
Funding
- Limited to $7,500 per project
- Will not fund faculty salary
- Cash incentives to subjects must be authorized by the applicant's dean in writing
- Travel money is limited to $1,500 per project
Post Award
It will be the responsibility of the Principal Investigator and his/her respective division/department/college to monitor funding activity and expenditures. In the event that the Principal Investigator leaves the institution during the period of the grant award, the remainder of the grant funds will be returned to the researcher’s college. All abstracts, publications, and/or oral presentation must reflect funding by the Health Professions Division Research Committee. Additionally, all grantees will be required to submit a progress or completion report two years after the grant is awarded.
Close-out
Once the project has been completed or if the principal investigator leaves, the investigator’s section/division/department is responsible for closing out the account. Any positive balance is to be transferred back to the respective college; deficits are the responsibility of the section/division/department. All accounts will be closed after two years unless the researcher receives permission from the Chair for an extension.
Research Documents
Use the Application Checklist to ensure you have met the minimum requirements for submitting your grant application. All of the elements must be present before your grant will be reviewed by the committee. Use the Grant Application Instructions as a template for completing the Grant Application Submission form. The instructions contain guidelines for the information you will need to supply on the submission form. Please do not submit your grant application using the instruction form. Click here for an example of a good grant proposal.
Signatures from deans, research deans, and other parties are required before the grant submission form can be reviewed by the HPD Research Committee. Because those persons can be difficult to reach, the committee recommends leaving paperwork with the dean's executive assistant or other such appropriate person rather than attempting to coordinate a meeting with a dean etc.