Funded by the Cardiometabolic Maternal and Perinatal Research Consortium at the University of Minnesota

Link to PDF of Award Info

The Cardiometabolic Maternal and Perinatal Research Consortium (CMPR) is pleased to announce the 2027 Pilot and Feasibility (P&F) Awards for innovative studies related to cardiometabolic maternal and perinatal research.

The purpose of this Request for Applications (RFA) is to support innovative, early-stage research that advances understanding of the developmental origins of cardiometabolic health across the lifespan and maternal cardiometabolic health during pregnancy, while fostering new interdisciplinary collaborations across the University of Minnesota.

CMPR P&F Awards are intended to provide seed funding for promising ideas that may not yet have sufficient preliminary data for external funding. Successful projects should generate meaningful preliminary data, establish or strengthen collaborations, and position investigators to pursue competitive extramural funding.

Examples of relevant research areas include:

• In utero and early-life exposures, including maternal obesity, gestational diabetes, and environmental factors, program metabolic set points and lifelong cardiometabolic risk
• Pediatric obesity and prediabetes
• Hypertensive disorders of pregnancy
• Inflammation and its role in maternal and offspring cardiometabolic health
• Maternal and perinatal determinants of cardiometabolic health
• Other research addressing the developmental origins of cardiometabolic health across the lifespan

Award #1: CMPR Interdisciplinary P&F Award

Building new collaborations within the Medical School

One award of up to $25,000 in direct costs for one year.

The CMPR Interdisciplinary P&F Award supports innovative, collaborative research that brings together investigators from different disciplines, departments, or research areas within the University of Minnesota Medical School to address important questions in cardiometabolic maternal and perinatal health.

The goal of this award is to seed new interdisciplinary collaborations and generate preliminary data that can be used to develop competitive applications for independent extramural research support.

Applications should:

• Include two co-PIs from different disciplines, departments, or research areas within the University of Minnesota Medical School.
• Demonstrate how the investigators' complementary expertise advances the proposed research.
• Address an important question in cardiometabolic maternal and perinatal research.
• Where appropriate, establish a new collaboration or open a new area of investigation.

Award #2: CMPR Cross-School Collaborative Research Award

Building bridges between biomedical/clinical and population health research across schools

One award of up to $25,000 in direct costs for one year.

The CMPR Cross-School Collaborative Research Award is designed to build bridges between biomedical/clinical research and population/public health research by supporting collaborative projects between investigators in the University of Minnesota Medical School (SOM) and School of Public Health (SPH), CFANS, School of Dentistry, or College of Veterinary Medicine.

The goal of this award is to leverage complementary expertise, approaches, populations, datasets, and/or research resources across schools to address important questions related to maternal, perinatal, and lifelong cardiometabolic health.

Applications should:

• Include at least one SOM faculty member + one faculty member from another eligible school as co-PIs.
• Demonstrate meaningful integration of biomedical/clinical and population/public health approaches.
• Address an important question in cardiometabolic maternal and perinatal research.
• Where appropriate, establish a new collaboration or create a foundation for future interdisciplinary or team-science funding.

Shared Goals of Both P&F Awards

Both awards are intended to support innovative, early-stage research and collaboration that will position investigators for future external funding.

Successful projects should:

• Address an important question within cardiometabolic maternal and perinatal research.
• Generate meaningful preliminary data, feasibility data, or proof-of-concept findings.
• Establish or strengthen collaborative research relationships.
• Provide a foundation for a competitive NIH or other extramural grant application.
• Identify a specific future funding mechanism and anticipated submission timeline.

General Considerations for All Applications

• The maximum award is $25,000 in direct costs for one year.
• PI salary and travels may not be included in the budget.
• Projects should be designed so that the proposed research can be completed within the one-year award period.
• Each funded project is expected to generate preliminary data supporting a competitive NIH or other extramural grant application. Applications should identify the anticipated extramural funding mechanism and target submission date.
• Applications do not need to be routed through Sponsored Projects Administration (SPA) before submission.
• Funded PI(s) will be required to submit a final report and an accounting of all funds expended at project completion. Submission instructions will be provided with the award.

Timeline

• Letters of Intent (LOIs) due: November 12, 2026
• Notification of invitation to submit a full proposal: November 20, 2026
• Full applications due: December 23, 2026
• Award announcements: January 25, 2027

Application Process

Step 1 — Letter of Intent

All applicants should submit an LOI by email to [email protected]. 

– with email subject: CMPR LOI

The LOI should include:

1. Project Title and PI Information
   • Project title
   • Names and contact information for all PI(s)
2. Brief Project Description
   • Hypothesis and/or Specific Aims
   • Brief description of the experimental or research approach
   • For collaborative applications, a brief description of the complementary expertise of the investigators
3. Total Budget Requested
   • Up to a maximum of $25,000 in direct costs
4. NIH Biosketches
   • Biosketches for all PI(s), included on separate pages following the LOI

LOIs will be reviewed for eligibility, alignment with CMPR priorities, and overall competitiveness. Applicants invited to submit a full proposal will be notified by November 20, 2026.

Step 2 — Full Proposal

Applicants invited to submit a full proposal should submit the complete application electronically to the email address provided with the invitation by December 23, 2026.

The full proposal should include the following:

1. Cover Page

One page using the template provided to invited applicants.

2. Abstract

A brief summary of the proposed project, not to exceed ½ page.

3. Research Plan

The Research Plan should include:

• Background
• Hypothesis and Specific Aims
• Prior Work Summary, including relevant previous work on the proposed project and, where applicable, prior work conducted by the PI(s) individually and as a collaborative team
• Experimental/Research Plan, including consideration of sex as a biological variable
• References

The Research Plan should not exceed 5 pages.

4. Timeline

Describe the major goals, milestones, and activities to be completed during the one-year award period.

The Timeline should not exceed 1 page.

5. Current and Pending Support

Provide current and pending funding information for all PI(s).

6. Budget and Budget Justification

Budgets should be consistent with NIH guidelines and allowable costs. Indirect costs are not allowed.

Costs for supplies, animal studies, patient care, equipment, and other expenses should be calculated consistent with applicable NIH policies.

PI salary is not an allowable expense.

7. Letters of Support

Letters of support, up to one page per letter, may be included when needed to document access to core services, facilities, collaborators, datasets, patient populations, or other essential resources.

General Considerations for Full Proposals

• A faculty member may submit or serve as PI on only one application per cycle. There is no limit on the number of applications on which a faculty member may participate as a collaborator.
• A proposal may be resubmitted once. Resubmissions should include a brief description of changes made in response to the prior application.
• A Proposal Routing Form (PRF) is not required at the time of application. A PRF will be requested if the application is selected for funding.
• The deadline for receipt of complete proposals is December 23, 2026.
• Award decisions will be announced on January 25, 2027.
• Principal investigator(s) of funded projects will be required to provide a final report and an accounting of all funds expended at project completion. Additional instructions will be provided with the award.

Questions regarding the CMPR Pilot and Feasibility/Research Awards should be directed to:

Emilyn Alejandro, PhD
[email protected]

Supporting Trainee Development and Dissemination of CMPR Research 

Link to PDF of Award Info

The Cardiometabolic Maternal and Perinatal Research Consortium (CMPR) is pleased to announce the 2027 CMPR Trainee Travel Awards.

These awards are designed to support the professional development of CMPR trainees and provide opportunities for trainees to present their research at national scientific meetings.

CMPR will provide three awards of up to $1,000 each to support trainee travel to a national scientific meeting in 2027.

Award Details

• Three awards of up to $1,000 each will be awarded in 2027.
• There will be three opportunities to apply, with application deadlines in January, March, and May 2027.
• Applicants may apply if their abstract has been submitted but not yet accepted at the time of application.
• To receive the award, the abstract must be accepted for presentation, and the trainee must present the work at a national scientific meeting during the eligible travel period.
• Applicants must be a University of Minnesota graduate student or postdoctoral fellow at the time of application and travel.
• The research presented must be directly relevant to the mission and scientific focus of CMPR.

CMPR Scientific Focus

CMPR research focuses on the early-life origins of cardiometabolic health across the lifespan and maternal cardiometabolic health during pregnancy.

Examples of relevant research areas include:

• Maternal obesity, diabetes, hypertension, and other maternal cardiometabolic conditions
• In utero and early-life exposures and their effects on offspring health
• Developmental programming of cardiometabolic disease
• Placental biology and maternal–fetal interactions
• Pediatric obesity, diabetes, and cardiometabolic health
• Inflammation and immune mechanisms influencing maternal or offspring cardiometabolic health
• Cardiometabolic health during pregnancy and across the lifespan
• Other research directly aligned with the CMPR mission

Eligibility

Applicants must:

1. Be a University of Minnesota graduate student or postdoctoral associate/fellow at the time of application and travel.
2. Have submitted an abstract for presentation at a national scientific meeting taking place during the eligible travel period. The abstract does not need to be accepted at the time of application.
3. Be the first author and/or presenting author of the submitted abstract.
4. Present research that is clearly aligned with the CMPR scientific mission.
5. Be in good standing in their graduate or postdoctoral training program.

Important: Submission of an abstract makes a trainee eligible to apply, but funding is contingent upon acceptance of the abstract and presentation of the work at the national scientific meeting. Applicants should provide confirmation of acceptance as soon as it is available.

Application Requirements

Applicants should submit a brief application including:

1. Trainee Information
   Name and status (graduate student or postdoctoral associate/fellow), department/program, and mentor.
2. Meeting Information
   Name and location of the national scientific meeting, meeting dates, and anticipated presentation date, if available.
3. Abstract
   A copy of the submitted abstract. If the abstract has already been accepted, please include confirmation of acceptance.
4. Brief Statement of CMPR Relevance
   A statement of 250 words or less describing how the research aligns with the mission and scientific priorities of CMPR.
5. Brief Trainee Statement
   A statement of 250 words or less describing how attending the meeting will contribute to the trainee's scientific and professional development.

Award Use: Award funds may be used for eligible expenses associated with attendance at the national scientific meeting, including:

• Meeting registration
• Airfare or other transportation
• Lodging
• Other reasonable travel expenses associated with conference attendance

Funds must be used for travel occurring in 2027. Award funds may not be used for salary or other research expenses. Award funds will be released only after the trainee provides confirmation that the abstract has been accepted for presentation.

Selection

Applications will be reviewed based on:

• Alignment of the proposed presentation with the CMPR mission
• Scientific quality and significance of the research
• Potential benefit of the meeting to the trainee's scientific and professional development
• Opportunity for the trainees to disseminate CMPR research and establish national connections

Application Timeline

There will be three opportunities to apply for a 2027 CMPR Trainee Travel Award. Trainees may apply during any one of the three application cycles for a meeting taking place during the eligible travel period: 2027

Please note: Applicants may apply before their abstract has been accepted. However, the award is contingent upon abstract acceptance and presentation of the work at the national scientific meeting. Submit your application with subject CMPR Trainee Award application @ [email protected]

Questions regarding the CMPR Trainee Travel Awards should be directed to:

Emilyn Alejandro, PhD
[email protected]