Johns Hopkins University and West Virginia University Research Collaborative

Applicants must include:

• One Principal Investigator from Johns Hopkins University
  • Eligible JHU PIs include full-time tenured, tenure-track, and non-tenure faculty, including clinical, research, practice, and teaching faculty. All other eligible JHU participants—including additional faculty, APL staff, research scientists, part-time, adjunct, and affiliated faculty, emeriti professors, and lecturers—may participate as senior key personnel. Visiting professors are ineligible.
• One Principal Investigator from West Virginia University
  • Applications are open to full-time faculty (defined as Tenured, Tenure-Track, and Research Non-Tenure Track) and Staff (defined as Directors of University recognized centers and institutes). Other individuals serving in other roles such as teaching or service track, adjunct faculty, or research scientists would need to seek approval to serve in the role of PI, as described in the WVU PI eligibility policy. Additional collaborators from either institution may be included as co-investigators
• Postdoctoral researchers and students may participate as members of the research team but may not serve as senior team personnel. Their support may be included in the project budget.
• Principal investigators should align with institutional policy for eligibility. Visiting faculty are ineligible. Review the JHU–WVU Research Collaborative FAQ for additional information on eligibility.

• PIs may submit one application per cycle.
• There is no limit to the number of proposals investigators may participate in as co-investigators.
• Projects must represent new or substantially expanded collaborations between JHU and WVU.
• Applications from all academic disciplines are encouraged.

Only faculty are eligible to serve as PI. Students and staff at both Johns Hopkins University and West Virginia University may be supported through the project budget and are encouraged to participate fully in the proposed research.

Proposals should:

• Establish new, meaningful collaborations between Johns Hopkins University and West Virginia University investigators
• Address important scientific, clinical, engineering, public health, humanities, social science, or societal challenges
• Demonstrate innovation and originality
• Leverage complementary expertise across both institutions
• Generate preliminary data or other outcomes that position the team for competitive external funding
• Demonstrate a credible pathway toward sustained collaboration beyond the seed funding period
• Show strong potential for long-term scientific, scholarly, translational, or societal impact

Funds may be used flexibly to support collaborative research activities, including:

• Research personnel
• Graduate students and postdoctoral fellows including fringe, stipends, and tuition
• Research supplies and consumables
• Equipment
• Data collection and pilot studies
• Computational, data science, and artificial intelligence resources
• Fees for the use of existing institutional core facilities and shared research resources
• Travel between Johns Hopkins and West Virginia University to support collaboration
• Other activities necessary to execute the proposed research plan
• Combined expenses for consultants, contractors, subawards, and other external collaborators (outside JHU and WVU) may total up to 10% of the overall project budget

Awards may begin once all applicable institutional approvals and compliance requirements have been met.

Requirements include:

• Application narrative (maximum 3 pages, excluding references; 12-point Arial font; minimum ½-inch margins) describing:
  • Innovative research question or objective
  • Significance and potential impact
  • Nature of the JHU–WVU collaboration
  • Research approach and feasibility
  • Expected outcomes during the award period
  • Future external funding strategy
• Budget and justification
• Current CV or biosketch for all individuals assigned with senior key personnel roles
• Current and pending support for lead principal investigators
• Brief Collaborative Management Structure outlining roles, responsibilities, and decision-making processes
• Keywords to assist reviewer assignment

To ensure an equitable and efficient review process, no additional or supplementary materials, such as letters of support, will be accepted.

Applications will undergo a competitive peer review process, with funding recommendations jointly considered by leadership at both institutions.

Proposals will be evaluated based on:

• Scientific merit & innovation
• Strength of the cross-institutional collaboration
• Alignment with program priorities
• Feasibility and approach of the proposed work
• Potential for external funding and impact

Reviewers will place particular emphasis on proposals that demonstrate meaningful collaboration between investigators at both institutions rather than projects that could reasonably be accomplished independently.

Award recipients will be expected to:

• Submit annual progress reports throughout the award period. Awardees will receive an annual survey link at the conclusion of each performance period and will be required to submit a progress report describing project accomplishments, collaborative activities, publications, subsequent funding, and other program outcomes. Completion of the annual progress report is a condition of the award and may affect continuation of the current award and eligibility for future funding opportunities.
• Participate in future JHU–WVU research symposia, seminars, or showcase events highlighting funded projects
• Engage, where appropriate, with innovation and commercialization resources at both institutions to maximize the translational impact of funded research

JHU and WVU plan to issue an additional Research Collaborative RFA in 2027.