DRPP Project Summary DEVELOPMENTAL RESEARCH PROJECT PROGRAM The goal of the Developmental Research Project Program (DRPP) is to strengthen and expand the research programs of the participating primarily undergraduate institutions (PUIs) through funding of peer-reviewed research projects and strong mentoring of faculty and students. These activities will increase the research training of students, as well as the experiences of faculty pursuing biomedical research projects. The program will produce positive impacts on filling the pipeline of biomedical scientists within the state and expanding the workforce. Developmental Research Projects (DRP) include: New Faculty Start Up projects which a aimed at attracting more biomedical researchers to the state and help them establish a research laboratory; Pilot Research projects aimed at exploring a biomedical research idea through a peer reviewed process; Full projects, which aim to expand the successes of Pilot projects and helping investigators establish a research program in his/her laboratory; and the Developmental Translational Projects, which will promote translational research in collaboration with Louisiana’s IDeA-CTR, Louisiana Clinical and Translational Science Center (LA CaTS). LA CaTS will not only support the projects through collaborative intellectual efforts and infrastructure, but will also supply one-third of the funding. In addition, Shared Instrumentation Grants through matched funding with PUIs will help with increasing the research infrastructure of the PUIs. All of the projects and PIs will undergo a through quarterly evaluation by the Steering Committee (SC) and annually by the External Advisory Committee (EAC). The goals of the DRPP will be met by the following Specific Aims: Specific Aim I. To promote, identify, select in a competitive manner and, mentor Development Research Projects from PUI applicants. Specific Aim II. To Evaluated progress of Developmental Research Projects quarterly using a Logic Model and annually by the EAC. External evaluation by American Association for the Advancement of Science’s Research Competitiveness Program (AAAS RCP) will be used twice during the course of the program.