OPSCD Bridge Grant | UCLA Healthscience Events

Hosted by: Office of Physician Scientist Career Development

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Important Dates

Application Deadline: Friday, October 17 at 5:00PM
Virtual Info-session: Wednesday, September 10 (11AM-12PM) Sign up here
Finalist Mini-Interviews: Early December
Award notification: Late December – Early January
Funding period: January 2026 – December 2026

DGSOM’s OPSCD is pleased to announce the OPSCD Bridge Grant for highly qualified junior faculty clinician-scientists and postdoctoral trainees. Eligible physician scientists are invited to apply for a bridge grant of up to $50,000 for K applicants and $100,000 for R applicants if their department is willing to commit to covering 50% of the total budget that is awarded.

This bridge funding is specifically intended to help early career faculty who have an unfunded NIH grant application that was submitted within the last 18 months and have received a summary statement on their proposal. This funding will support the faculty member and provide additional time for productivity as they strengthen their proposal for resubmission.

Who May Apply

Applicants must:

Be a full-time UCLA DGSOM junior faculty, fellow or resident, including clinical instructors, seeking an independent research career (Please refer to the NIH definition of an early stage investigator).
Have a clinical appointment.
Plan to resubmit an NIH application (resubmission or new submission) in response to the review within the next 12 months, with a preference for projects that plan to resubmit within 6 months.

**Those who have already received an OPSCD Bridge Grant are not eligible to apply again.

Bridge Grant Review Process

First Round: The bridge grant application packets will be reviewed by a committee of senior scientific UCLA DGSOM Faculty representative across the various departments.

Second Round Mini-Interviews: The top applicants from the first round of reviews will be invited to a 15-minute virtual interview with the OPSCD Directors.

Final decisions will be made by the Dean’s Office and are contingent upon approval from the candidates’ department chair for 50% co-funding.

Award Information

OPSCD Bridge Grant recipients will receive funding for up to 1 year. Funding will be provided on a cost-reimbursement basis. Funding may be used for salary support or research support including supplies and staff. Funding may not be used for expenses that are not directly related to research project support, such as travel or membership dues.

Application Packet

Please submit your online application packet HERE by 5:00PM on October 17, 2025.

Your application must include the following items:

A copy of the most recently submitted complete NIH application materials on Standard Forms SF424 (R&R).
NIH Summary Statement received in the last 18 months (April 2024 – October 2025).
Draft of the Introduction for re-submission (1 page maximum). This file should:
1. Summarize substantial additions, deletions, and changes to the upcoming application.
2. Respond to the issues and criticism raised in the summary statement.
NIH Biosketch with a PubMed link to a complete list of prior publications (please only list peer-reviewed original scientific articles).
Other Support page listing of current and all prior funding. Please include all grants and institutional support you are receiving (e.g. starter package).
Detailed budget page
1. Complete Form page 4
2. Reminder: Budget should not exceed $50,000 for K grant applicants, and $100,000 for R grant applicants
Budget Justification
Statement (1 page maximum) addressing the following questions:
1. How will the bridge grant help you specifically prepare for a grant resubmission?
2. If you are using the bridge grant to help your salary support, explain why you need this salary support?
3. Is your department currently giving you salary support and for how long?
4. Do you have funds available to you in a start-up or retention package from your division/department or dean’s office? If so, how much funding do you have and when does it expire?
5. What are the major concerns from your recent grant application review and how will you respond?
Project timeline (1 page maximum) including plans for relevant grant submissions and publications.

**A departmental letter of support is not required. The Dean’s office will obtain approval from the department for co-funding.

Selection Criteria

The following criteria will be used to select Bridge Grant awardees:

Responsiveness: Promising NIH grant applications with addressable concerns from reviewers, and a clear plan to respond in resubmission.
Impact: Innovative and highly significant research.
Need: Evidence that bridge funding would help support the candidate during a critical time in their career path to independence and extramural funding.