Project Summary – Developmental Research Project (DRP) Program The Developmental Research Project (DRP) program has been an instrumental part of SC INBRE III’s success in promoting the growth of biomedical research and increasing student training opportunities in South Carolina and will continue as a dominant component of SC INBRE IV. As SC INBRE continues to expand its reach across South Carolina in INBRE IV, our thematic scientific areas match the breath of the institutions and their faculty in the network. The research areas supported by the DRP program align with the scientific expertise of the SC INBRE program and include Biochemistry/Cell and Molecular Biology, Bioinformatics, Bioengineering, Regenerative Medicine and Neuroscience. Independent investigators at the Assistant or Associate Professor level at participating SC INBRE network or outreach/alumni institutions, who work in or are interested in developing research projects focusing on any of SC INBRE’s thematic scientific areas, are eligible to participate. DRP applicants will typically be tenure-track or tenured faculty and may not be the PI on an NIH R01, R21, R15 or COBRE project. The typical DRP applicant during SC INBRE III was a junior faculty member in the early stages of their career and that trend is expected to continue in SC INBRE IV. Faculty at more advanced career stages who wish to re-tool, enter a new area of research, and re-gain competitiveness for independent NIH funding will also be considered, if they meet the funding criteria noted above. DRP awards will be for $50,000 for one year and may be renewed up to three years. Six DRPs will be awarded to faculty at CRUs and eight to faculty at PUIs through a competitive funding process. While all submitted proposal will undergo review by the Scientific Review Committee and the EAC together, PUI and CRU faculty will not compete with each other for funding. The review process will be organized by the Administrative Core which will manage all aspects of the DRP program. The final selection of proposals to be recommended for funding will be made by the EAC. Each SC INBRE institution has committed to support the success of DRP recipients with release time, and additional funds in the case of the CRUs, to ensure the awardee can focus his/her efforts on building their research program and participating in career development activities. Each DRP recipient will be counseled by their career and scientific advisors and the awardees progress monitored by the Steering Committee. Upon receipt of an NIH research project grant, a DRP recipient will “graduate” from the DRP program, but will be encouraged to continue to attend SC INBRE activities and to train SC INBRE students.