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Flying WV
West Virginia University Office of the Provost

Frequently Asked Questions

Eligibility

JHU – Eligible JHU PIs include full-time tenured, tenure-track, and non-tenure faculty, including clinical, research, practice, and teaching faculty, as well as research scientists. All other eligible JHU participants—including additional faculty, research scientists, part-time, adjunct, and affiliated faculty, emeriti professors, and lecturers—may participate as senior key personnel. Visiting professors are ineligible.

WVU – 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 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.

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.

The final, combined proposal submissions need to be submitted by the lead principal investigator at JHU via the InfoReady system. Each proposal must include one principal investigator from Johns Hopkins University and one principal investigator from West Virigina University. Only one application per lead PI will be accepted. There is no limit to the number of proposals you can participate in as a co-investigator.

The WVU principal investigator and their research team must work with the WVU Office of Sponsored Programs to submit the WVU proposal components through the WVU Research Administration Portal (WRAP) for institutional review and approval by Tuesday, September 22, 2026. Once approved, the JHU principal investigator may submit the complete application through the JHU InfoReady system by the program deadline.

WVU provides additional guidance on submission specific to WRAP.

Yes. Postdoctoral fellows and trainees may participate in the research and be supported through the project budget but may not serve as principal investigator.

Yes. Previous awardees are welcome to apply in future funding cycles.

No. Faculty may serve as principal investigator on only one application per funding cycle.

Projects that overlap significantly with existing or pending external funding are not eligible. Proposals must clearly articulate how the requested funds will support new, distinct, or expanded lines of inquiry.

All participating investigators must meet their respective home institutions’ requirements for research eligibility and compliance. Projects involving human subjects, animal research, or other regulated activities must obtain all necessary approvals following both institutions’ standard operating procedures prior to award activation.

No. Projects that align with shared institutional priorities and leverage complementary strengths across both universities will be most competitive. However, these areas will be considered intended areas of investment, but alignment is not required. Projects may span any area of scholarship, and we welcome novel collaborations that build upon the complementary strengths of both institutions. Areas of shared strategic interest include neuroscience, substance use and mental health, dementia, neurosurgery, environmental exposures, population health, engineering, artificial intelligence, urban-rural health. Other innovative and high-impact areas of interdisciplinary collaboration that benefit the combined expertise of investigators at JHU and WVU are also encouraged to apply.

Team Composition

No. The only requirement is that each proposal includes one principal investigator from JHU and one principal investigator from WVU. Research teams may include additional co-investigators, collaborators, trainees, or staff from JHU or WVU, where appropriate to the project scope. Collaborators external to JHU and WVU must comply with program requirements limiting external subawards.

Yes. The purpose of this program is to foster new and lasting research collaborations between Johns Hopkins University and West Virginia University.

Applicants are encouraged to explore faculty and departmental webpages to identify investigators with complementary expertise. Faculty at both institutions have expressed strong interest in prospective collaborations, and applicants are encouraged to reach out directly with a short introduction outlining your shared interests. We may offer structured collaboration or matchmaking sessions in the future, but any additional resources will not be available until the next funding cycle.

Yes. External collaborators may participate in the research; however, projects should be led primarily by investigators from JHU and WVU. Expenses for collaborators outside the two institutions — including consultants, contractors, vendors, and subawards — are subject to a combined cap of 10% of the total project budget.

Yes. JHU Applied Physics Laboratory staff are eligible to participate. Please contact Jason Fayer (Jason.Fayer@jhuapl.edu) for additional guidance regarding internal APL approvals.

Funding and Budget

Yes. Please use the JHU-WVU Research Collaborative budget as the preferred budget template.

Funds may be used to support personnel working directly on the proposed project, including salary and fringe benefits. Graduate student expenses—including stipends, fringe benefits, and tuition—are allowable only when the student is actively contributing to the awarded project. Funds may also support postdoctoral fellows, technicians, equipment, fees for the use of existing institutional core facilities and shared research resources, travel necessary for the project, supplies, and other research-related expenses necessary to complete the proposed work.

Yes. Equipment that is essential to the proposed research project is an allowable expense.

Expenses for collaborators outside the two institutions — including consultants, contractors, vendors, and subawards — are subject to a combined cap of 10% of the total project budget.

The following expenses are generally unallowable under the JHU–WVU award mechanism:

  • Facilities and administrative/indirect costs
  • Expenses associated with projects that substantially overlap with existing funded work
  • Construction or renovation costs
  • Tuition support or administrative costs not directly tied to the proposed research activities
  • Entertainment expenses
  • Travel expenses unrelated to proposed research activities

All proposed expenses must be reasonable, directly related to the project objectives, and consistent with institutional priorities at both JHU and WVU.

Reasonable post-award budget modifications may be considered, provided they remain consistent with the approved project scope and objectives. The lead PIs may rebudget up to 25% of the total award costs at their discretion. Requests to rebudget more than 25% must be submitted in writing at least 30 days before the proposed change and must include a justification and revised budget for administrative review and approval.

Application Materials

No. Any biosketch or curriculum vitae (CV) format is acceptable.

Any format is acceptable.

No. To maintain an equitable and streamlined review process, additional or supplementary materials, such as letters of support, are not permissible as part of the application submitted for consideration.

Review Process

Applications will undergo joint review by senior research leaders from Johns Hopkins University and West Virginia University. Proposals will be evaluated using the published review criteria, including scientific merit, collaborative potential, feasibility, and program alignment.

Funding decisions are expected to be announced in December 2026.

Award Administration

Projects are expected to begin on January 1, 2027.

Awards may support projects for up to two years.

Projects involving regulated research activities (e.g., human subjects, animal research, or export-controlled work) must obtain all required institutional approvals prior to award activation. Depending on the project, approvals may be required at both JHU and WVU.

Yes. One no-cost extension (NCE) of up to one additional year may be requested. Extensions beyond three total years will not be granted. A no-cost extension request must include the estimated unobligated balance, an explanation of how the remaining funds will be used during the proposed extension period, and a brief justification of the scientific need for the extension. Requests based solely on the existence of an unobligated balance will not be considered or approved. NCE requests must be submitted at least 45 business days before the award’s scheduled end date and may be sent directly to OVPRawards@jh.edu for consideration. Joint JHU–WVU research leadership will review each request and make the final determination.

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.

Please notify the program at OVPRawards@jhu.edu and OSP_Help@mail.wvu.edu as soon as possible if there is a change in project leadership or team composition. We will work with the remaining investigators to determine an appropriate path forward, which may include identifying a replacement investigator.

Logistics

No. Once submitted, applications cannot be modified. If the lead JHU PI submitting the proposal experiences technical issues during submission, please contact OVPRawards@jh.edu as soon as possible.

Late applications will not be accepted. We anticipate offering this funding opportunity again in 2027.

Please direct questions to OVPRawards@jh.edu or OSP_Help@mail.wvu.edu

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