Seed Grant Program Draft

Supporting UCLA faculty in advancing global health research

The Global Health Seed Grant was established in 2019 through the generous support of the Dean’s Office and UCLA Health International Services. It serves to support faculty involved in multidisciplinary research in low- and middle-income countries with the aim of fostering longer-term global research partnerships that address important health questions of prioritized concern to the collaborating community.

Dr. Lisa Nicholas
With support from the Global Health Seed Grant Program, Dr. Lisa Nicholas and colleagues are advancing student health through CAR and SACERT—UCLA–University of Venda initiatives promoting sexual, reproductive, and mental health while building mentorship and international research capacity.

Examples of research proposals that have previously been awarded include:

  • “The use of long-term preserved corneas for perforated corneal ulcer in Vietnam”
  • “Behavioral factors impacting adherence and engagement in care among hypertensive adults in Thailand”
  • “Feasibility of Antenatal Syphilis and HIV Point of Care Testing to Prevent Mother-to-Child Transmission in Uganda”
  • “Optimization of mHealth follow-up in Cameroon”
  • “Pulmonary and Economic Outcomes of Treated Tuberculosis in a TB-endemic Population in Peru"

Learn more below about this cycle’s funding levels, eligibility, application requirements, and the application process and timeline.

Funding Levels

For the 2026–27 cycle, awards are available at two levels: up to $50,000 or up to $15,000, each for a period of one year. 

  • Principal Investigator (PI): Must be a UCLA faculty member. Adjunct faculty, fellows, and residents are not eligible to serve as PI, though they may be listed as co-investigators or early career investigators.
  • DGSOM Affiliation: At least one investigator must hold a faculty appointment in the David Geffen School of Medicine (DGSOM).
  • Team Composition: Projects must be led by multidisciplinary teams. This can mean:
    • Two different scientific disciplines (e.g., clinical + social science), or
    • Two distinct clinical specialties (e.g., internal medicine + surgery).
    • Collaboration across UCLA schools is strongly encouraged (e.g., DGSOM + Fielding School of Public Health).
  • Global Partnership: A lead investigator from the global partner site must be included as Co-PI. Proposed work must take place in a low- or middle-income country, as defined by the World Bank.
  • Early Career Investigators: Each project must include:
    • At least one early career investigator from UCLA, and
    • At least one early career investigator from the global partner site.
      These roles are intended to provide meaningful research experience and build capacity at both institutions. A mentorship plan must be included.
  • IRB Approvals: Not required at the time of submission. For funded awards, IRB approval from both UCLA and the relevant regulatory agency at the global partner site will be required before funds are released.

 Ineligible Proposals:

  • Projects focused solely on training exchange (without a clear capacity-building plan for early career investigators)
  • Projects based primarily in UCLA or Los Angeles laboratories (unless directly tied to building lab capacity at the partner site)

  • Repeat proposals by the same PI and partner site in consecutive years

    For complete details, please review the Full Eligibility and Ineligibility Criteria

  • Letter of Intent (LOI) – Due October 10, 2025 
    Applicants must submit an LOI via Qualtrics including:
  • UCLA PI (faculty) information (name, degree(s), department, contact info)
  • Global site Co-PI (name, degree(s), affiliation, contact info)
  • Names and affiliations of all co-investigators
  • At least one early career investigator from UCLA and one from the global site (with explanation of eligibility)
  • Global partner name and brief description of site
  • Specific aims of the project
  • Funding level requested ($15,000 or $50,000)
  • Full Proposal (by invitation only) – Due December 10, 2025
    Invited applicants must submit:
  • Cover page and checklist (template provided)
  • Research proposal (max 4 pages, Arial 11-pt, ½-inch margins), including:
    • Specific aims
    • Significance
    • Approach/methodology
    • Global health impact (partnership, collaboration to date, mentorship/training plan for early career investigators)
    • Project timeline
  • Biosketches for PI and all co-investigators (NIH format; CV allowed for early career investigators)
  • Itemized budget and justification
  • Letter(s) of support from global site Co-PI and key collaborators
  • Letter of support from UCLA Division Chief or Department Chair confirming PI’s standing and support

2026–27 Application Process & Timeline

For complete details, please review the Request for Applications

  • Step 1: Letter of Intent
    Due: Friday, October 10, 2025 – 5:00 PM PST (via Qualtrics)
    All applicants must submit a Letter of Intent before submitting a full proposal.
  • Step 2: Notification to Submit Full Proposal
    Week of November 10, 2025
    Applicants invited to submit a full proposal will be notified by email.
    Please review the [Scoring Criteria for Reviewers] and [FAQs] when preparing your application.
  • Step 3: Full Proposal Submission
    Due: Thursday, December 10, 2025 by 5:00 PM PST
    Resources: [Application Package] | [Budget Justification (Mednet login required)]
  • Step 4: Award Announcement
    Early-to-mid March 2026
  • Step 5: Award Period
    May 2026 – June 30, 2027
    (contingent on UCLA and global partner site IRB approvals)

The terms of this award may be amended should University funding be significantly compromised due to unforeseen circumstances.