Frequently-Asked Questions

Bridge Funding Program FAQs

Application Process

Do I need to route the application for the bridge funding through sign-off with an eGC1?

You don’t need an eGC1 to request bridge funding.

Should the documentation of the match commitment and the budget for the match be approved and signed by the college/school of the applicant PI?

The letter of matching commitment should be confirmed by the Chair or Dean who provides the funds. An email confirmation is sufficient.

Components of the Bridge Proposal

Are the CV and the record of funding a maximum of four pages or does the four pages just apply to the record of funding?

The CV and record of funding are a maximum of four pages, including both.

Does the five page maximum for the proposed research include or exclude the bibliography?

The five page maximum includes the bibliography.

For the support page, do you want direct cost or total cost (indirect) included?

Include only direct costs.

For the budget page, should we submit the budget for the matching amount from the department?

Yes, we need to know the costs to be covered by the matching funds. If all costs will be split 50:50, just state that under the budget.

Eligibility

A faculty member has a Royalty Research Fund grant from the University, are they still eligible to apply for Bridge Funding?

They need to wait until the RRF grant is within six months of ending.

I have previously received a Bridge award, am I eligible to apply for a second Bridge award?

Yes. However, applicants who have previously received an award will have a lower priority for funding than first-time applicants.

Are faculty who have an Acting appointment or Teaching Professor appointment eligible?

No. Faculty with Acting appointments or Teaching Professor appointments are not eligible.

Are research faculty eligible?

Yes. Research faculty who have PI status and whose grants are (or will be) administered by the UW are eligible.

I have an appointment at the VA and I am a UW faculty member. Am I eligible?

If your grants are submitted through the UW, you are eligible. However, if you currently have research funds through the VA, you are not eligible.

If I am losing a significant amount of my salary funding, can I become eligible earlier for Bridge Funding?

Yes. You can become eligible for Bridge Funding even if you currently have some research funding, if you are losing or have lost at least 50% of your salary within 6 months of the application. Bridge Funding from the Provost cannot be used for your salary, but the matching funds can be used for your salary.

A faculty member has a current grant, but it will only cover their salary and none of their research – are they eligible to apply?

If it is an award (such as some NIH K awards) that is restricted to pay only their salary, they are eligible.

The SOM Bridge Funding guidelines read, “Support for a faculty member’s salary and fringe benefits can apply towards the match if the salary support is greater than the tenure line of the faculty member.” Are state lines considered to be tenure lines even if the faculty aren’t tenured?

Yes. This applies also to faculty who are not tenured. However, the extra salary funding can only count as matching funds if it was not in place before the faculty member started to lose their funding (see below under Matching Funds).

One of the PIs in our department is losing all of the funding for one of their most important projects, but they will still have funding for a different project. Are they eligible?

No. Due to limited funds, we only accept bridge proposals from PIs who will lose ALL of their funding within the next six months, with the exception noted above regarding the loss of 50% or more of their salary.

I am losing all of my research funding within 6 months, and I wish to obtain funds to start a new project, so I can obtain preliminary data for a federal grant. Is the Bridge program appropriate for this purpose?

No. the Bridge award program is not a seed project program. The University program for seed project funding is the RRF program.

I have a grant that has been approved for funding, but it will start late, giving me a 3-month gap in funding. Am I eligible for a Bridge award to bridge that gap in funds?

Yes. The budget should be for the time period of the gap.

I have a grant that is funded through June 30, but all the funds will be spent by May 1. Am I eligible to apply for the Nov. 1 deadline?

No. As PI, you are responsible to spend your funds in the allotted time period such that you do not fall into a budget deficit. Eligibility is decided based on the funded time period of the grant.

I have a grant currently in a one-year budget extension that will have more than $30,000 remaining in 6 months. Am I eligible?

No. You should wait for the next deadline to apply, if you have not obtained new funding by then.

I have a grant currently in a one-year budget extension with less than six months, and the remaining funds are less than $30,000. Am I eligible?

Yes. In your application please indicate the amount that is left and confirm that it will be gone within six months of the application date.

I am a junior faculty and have received some extramural funding (R03 and R21) that is expiring. Am I eligible?

Yes. Junior faculty need not have already obtained external funding to be eligible; however junior faculty who have received external funding in the past and are now losing all of it are definitely eligible.

I have a non-renewable grant for $50,000 that ends in one year. Am I eligible?

No. You must have less than $30,000 remaining to be eligible.

Matching Funds

I am a research faculty member. The department normally pays for part of my salary when I teach. Can I count that as matching?

No, the matching funds must be a new commitment; it cannot be funding that was in place before the faculty member started to lose their funding.

I regularly obtain part of my salary from an outside agency. Can I use that for matching funds?

No, the matching funds must be a new commitment; it cannot be funding that was in place before the faculty member started to lose their funding.

Post-Award

I have a bridge funding award and happily, I have received funding only six months into the award. Do I need to return any unspent funds?

Yes, in order to help others who have lost all of their funding, we ask that you return unspent funds once you receive outside funding.

I have received external funding ten months into my award, but I have no funds to return because I spent all of the Provost funds first. Is this allowed?

No. All Provost funds spent must be matched 1:1 by matching funds spent. At the end of the project period any unmatched Provost funds must be returned.

If I don’t spend all of the funding within the year of the award, can I request an extension?

Yes. You can ask for an extension of up to one additional year by specifying the amount to be spent and how it will be spent. No additional funds will be provided. In those cases, the Annual Status Report deadline will also change accordingly (a one-year extension will add a one-year delay to the Annual Status Report). Any funds remaining at the end of this second year must be returned to the Provost.

What documentation do I need for the annual report that is required at the end of the bridge funding year?

Your department administrator will be asked to give a final accounting of the funds that were spent from the Provost and matching fund sources, respectively, and you will be asked to report on the research that was carried out, any publications that resulted, and any grants that were awarded or are pending.