IDD-Reads Grant Awards

Request for Proposals - October 31, 2023

Due: November 30, 2023

Purpose

IDD-Reads (Intellectual and Developmental Disability REsearch And Data Science) Awards are an internal grant mechanism available to teams consisting of:

1. Investigators or Members of the Vanderbilt Kennedy Center, AND
2. Faculty who are advisors of students of the Vanderbilt Data Science Institute.

The purpose is to encourage Vanderbilt Kennedy Center researchers to conduct IDD research using innovative data science tools including, but not limited to, (1) new inferential tool such as second-generation P-values, (2) variable selection with penalized regression, (3) fully Bayesian approach, (4) cross-validation with Bootstrap, (5) machine learning, (6) deep learning, (7) transformers, and (8) technique to integrate multiple large-scale data, and to encourage Data Science researchers to apply their tools/methods to investigate IDD-related research questions. This initiative is made possible by the NICHD-funded P50 award (1P50HD 103537).

Period and Amount of Awards

Awards will be for a 12-month period after the notification of awards and are non‐renewable. Requested budgets should range from $5,000 for studies that can use already curated datasets, to $15,000 for studies involving the pulling and cleaning of new data. Allowable costs include, but not limited to, salary support, travel, publication fees, data collection costs, equipment (e.g., a notebook or workstation computer). The funds must be spent by PI/trainees who are collecting, managing, and analyzing the data.

Research Objectives and Eligibility

This competition is open to teams consisting of VKC faculty Investigators/Members and their trainees, and VDSI faculty (including affiliated faculty)/trainees. The objective is to conduct pilot projects consistent with the mission of the VKC using innovative data science tools. The mission of IDD-Reads is to facilitate discoveries and best practices that make positive differences in the lives of people with intellectual and developmental disabilities and their families. This competition is open to teams consisting of VKC faculty Investigators/Members and their trainees, and VDSI faculty (including affiliated faculty)/trainees. The objective is to conduct pilot projects consistent with the mission of the VKC using innovative data science tools. The mission of IDD-Reads is to facilitate discoveries and best practices that make positive differences in the lives of people with intellectual and developmental disabilities and their families.

Applications are encouraged that seek integration of available large data sets, i.e., BioVU, SD, ImageVU to address IDD-related research questions. Applications from V-DSI M.S students who are in the process of developing their capstone projects are strongly encouraged. Applications that do not include both VKC and VDSI faculty/trainees will not be considered.

If anyone interested in IDD-Reads grant application needs help in finding potential team members, please contact Data Science Core leadership: Hakmook Kang (h.kang@vumc.org) or Jesse Blocher (jesse.blocher@vanderbilt.edu).

Priority will be given to applications that propose innovative, multidisciplinary research, and that are most likely to lead to extramural grant support. Applications proposing research that links biomedical (e.g., neuroscience or genetics) variables with behavioral, educational, or policy components (e.g., learning, behavior problems) are especially encouraged.

Application Procedure

Applications (a one-page application, akin to a Specific Aims page and a project budget which may be found at the button on this page) are due by 5pm, November 30, 2023. Applications submitted beyond that date will not be considered. Applicants should email a pdf file to Julia Harrison (julia.harrison@vumc.org). A return confirmation will be sent to you electronically. Award decision will be made before January 2, 2024, the earliest start date.

Final Report and Seminar

A final written report is due 60 days after termination of the grant. This report should detail major accomplishments and publications obtained as a result of the funding, and a list of new grants submitted as a result of this funding. Also, a seminar is due 120 days after termination of the grant.