IRP Extramural Large Grants 2025–2027: Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

If you still have clarifying questions regarding the submission of letters of interest (LOI) or proposals after consulting our website, please contact us at irpapply@ssc.wisc.edu.

Can UW–Madison faculty be listed as non-funded collaborators?

Yes, as long as all requested budget costs support the work led by the non-UW applicant PI. UW–Madison faculty and postdoctoral fellows are ineligible for funding.

Do the page limits include space for references/citations?

No neither the letter of interest nor the full application page limits include references/citations. Those can be added at the end and will not be included in the page limit.

How much indirect costs can my institution bill to this grant?

Applicants are encouraged to request that their home institution forego or charge minimal indirect costs. However, there is no requirement that home institutions forego indirect costs.

Is there a template for curriculum vitae that must be submitted as part of the LOI and the full application?

No, there is no set template required for CVs.

I forgot to submit part of my proposal with my application. Can I go back and edit?

Please resend your application file to irpapply@ssc.wisc.edu as a single PDF and we will update your information with the correct file.

Can projects have 2 PIs? Or should applicants plan to have 1 PI and a co-I?

The Letter of Interest due on 1/10/24 requires only one PI. That PI should include their CV in the materials submitted. Applicants can choose to include information on additional co-PIs in their Letter of Interest and include the additional PI’s CV. Or, applicants can opt to submit a Letter of Interest with just one PI and, if they are asked to submit a full application, include the information about additional PIs at that stage in the application process.

The Call for Applications lists example research topics. Are PIs limited to research projects focused on those questions or do they have flexibility to explore other research questions?

Applicants are not limited to the research questions listed in the Call for Applications. The research questions included in the Call for Applications are intended to give potential applicants a sense of the types of questions that are of general interest to HHS. However, HHS welcomes projects designed around other research questions.

Should the two-page letter of interest be double-spaced or can it be two single-spaced pages?

The two-page letter of interest can be single spaced.

Would it be acceptable to include a study timeline with the budget document or as an Appendix to the proposal? Or would a timeline need to be included within the 8-page proposal?

While we do not require a timeline, applicants often include one either in the budget document or in the 8-page proposal. Two of the scoring criteria reviewers will use reference time:

e. Demonstrated ability of research to be conducted in the timeframe established in this grant;
f. The reasonableness of estimated cost and time commitments in relation to anticipated results

Applicants could also opt to put the timeline in an appendix but reviewers may or may not read that closely as they will be focused more on the required documents and not the supplementary documents.

Is there a particular format we should use for the itemized budget, and should we include a budget justification?

We do not have a required format for the budget nor do we require a budget justification at this point in the process. You are welcome to include one. The itemized budget must show (as relevant) the researcher’s time, research assistant’s time, travel costs (other than those related to IRP-initiated meetings and events), computer services, supplies, and indirect costs if required. The budget should be presented in the following periods: from July 1, 2025 to September 29, 2025; from September 30, 2025 to September 29, 2026; and from September 30, 2026 to June 30, 2027.