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UMD & UMB Seed Grant Program

The University of Maryland, College Park (UMD) and University of Maryland, Baltimore (UMB) campuses are pleased to co-host the joint Research and Innovation Seed Grant Program. The intent of this initiative is to promote structured collaboration between UMD and UMB and to advance the institutions’ joint goals in research and innovation.

Since 2008 the UM Research and Innovation Seed Grant Program has:

  • Fostered creative teams of investigators working across disciplinary boundaries and campuses;
  • Supported new research foci and basic science tracks to pursue future health care improvements and/or technologies; and
  • Stimulated submission and funding of innovative basic and translational science research proposals to federal, public or private funding agencies.

Historically, there have been four to seven awards funded per year, in the range of $50,000 to $75,000; the final number of awards will depend on the quality and quantity of proposals received as well as the proposed budgets. It is expected that the budgeted awards will be distributed equally between the two PIs or institutions, whichever is appropriate.

Click Here for the Maryland Research and Innovation Seed Grant 2018 Announcement PDF

To submit a proposal, please apply here:

APPLY

2017

2016

2015

2014

  • Jonathan Simon (UMD, School of Engineering) & Elliot Hong (UMB, School of Medicine)
    Temporal Auditory Coding in Schizophrenia and Treatment-Resistant Auditory Hallucination
  • Yu Chen (UMD, School of Engineering) & Reha Erzurumlu (UMB, School of Medicine)
    Imaging activity-dependent development of the somatosensory pathway
  • Kan Cao (UMD, College of Computer, Mathematical & Natural Sciences) & Joseph Stains (UMB, School of Medicine)
    The Role of the Beta-Catenin Signaling Cascade in the Skeletal Phenotype of Hutchinson-Gilford Progeria Syndrome
  • Steven Jay (UMD, School of Engineering) & Rajabrata Sarkar (UMB, School of Medicine)
    Engineering extracellular vesicle nanobiotechnology for vascular therapy
  • Yoann LeBreton and Kevin McIver (UMD, College of Computer, Mathematical & Natural Sciences) & Mark Shirtliff (UMB, School of Dentistry)
    Identifying Novel Therapeutic Targets of Invasive Group A Streptococcal Infections Using In Vivo Next-Generation Sequencing RNA-seq and Tn-seq methodologies
  • Robert Feldman (UMD, School of Public Health) & Jane Lipscomb (UMB, School of Nursing)
    Blood Borne Pathogen Assessment Survey among Healthcare Workers in Haiti
  • Amy Karlsson (UMD, School of Engineering) & Mary Ann Jabra-Rizk and Steven Hoag (UMB, Schools of Dentistry & Pharmacy)
    Development and in Vivo Evaluation of a novel antimicrobial agent

2013

2012

  • Peter Kofinas (UMD), Zhongjun (Jon) Wu (UMB), Bartley P. Griffith (UMB), and John R. Hess (UMB)
    Synthetic Polymer Functional Hydrogel for Hemorrhage Control
  • Dr. Volker Briken (UMD), Dr. Feyruz Rassool (UMB), and Dr. Lyle Isaacs (UMD)
    Enhancing solubility of DNA ligase inhibitors for increased efficacy in mouse models of breast cancer
  • Rama Chellappa (UMD) and Mark Smith (UMB)
    Prediction of Cardiac Electrophysiology Tissue Properties from Functional Nuclear Medicine Images
  • George A. Belov (UMD) and Robert K. Ernst (UMB)
    Dramatic increase of fatty acid activation in infected cells: key trigger of viral replication complex formation and a new prospect for antiviral drug development
  • Amitabh Varshney (UMD), Nilesh Mistry (UMB) , Warren D'Souza (UMB), Rao Gullapalli (UMB), and Michael Naslund (UMB)
    Improving Cancer Foci Detection in Prostate Cancer Using Multiparametric MRI/MRS and Machine Learning to better manage the disease
  • Jeffrey John DeStefano (UMD) and Steven Fletcher (UMB)
    Synthetic Beta-Hairpin Flap Mimetics as Allosteric Inhibitors of HIV-1 Protease
  • J. Carson Smith (UMD) and Richard F. Macko (UMB)
    Translational Neuroimaging of Brain Function and Memory After an Exercise Intervention in Older Adults
  • Liqing Yu, MD (UMD), Wengen Chen (UMB), and Vasken Dilsizian (UMB)
    18F-Proline PET/CT Imaging for the Detection of Early Liver Fibrosis
  • Mary Ann Ottinger (UMD), Danna Zimmer (UMB), and Rosemary Schuh (UMB)
    BL355: A Complex Biologic for the Treatment of Alzheimer's Disease
  • Shunyuan Xiao (UMD), Seong-Ho Lee (UMD), Roy Mariuzza (UMD), and Feng Jiang (UMB)
    Induction of apoptosis by 14-3-3 sequestration using synthetic proteins

2011

  • Eva Chin (UMD) and Andrew Goldberg (UMB)
    The Role of Skeletal Muscle Glycoproteins in Insulin Resistance in Type 2 Diabetes
  • Donald Milton (UMD) and Mark Cowan (UMB)
    Novel Exhaled Breath Biomarker Detection
  • Matthew Roesch (UMD) and Joseph Cheer (UMB)
    The Role of Dopamine in Signaling Prediction Errors During Observational Learning in Normal Rats and in Rat Models of Autism
  • Jaydev Desai (UMD) and Timm-Michael Dickfeld (UMB)
    Accurate Robotic in-situ Diagnosis of Ablation Targets for Atrial Fibrillation
  • Sridhar Hannenhalli (UMD) and Christy Chang (UMB)
    Combining Genome-Wide Association Studies, Comparative Genomics and Genomic Annotation to Understand the Genetic Basis of Complex Diseases
  • Joan Kahn (UMD) and Dawn Alley (UMB)
    Developing a Model Linking Financial Strain and Health in Older Adults
  • Balakumar Balachandran (UMD) and Rao Gullapalli (UMB)
    Influence of High Strain Induced Intercellular Moisture Flow on Brain Tissue Material Properties

2010

  • Elbert Glover (UMD) and Rebecca Brotman (UMB)
    Collecting data on the effects of cigarette smoking and its relationship to bacterial vagiosis
  • Patrick Kanold (UMD) and Joseph Kao (UMB)
    Study the brain circuitry of live animals using an inert molecule coupled with new imaging technology
  • John Fisher (UMD) and Elizabeth Powell (UMB)
    Refine a bioengineered drug delivery system to transport hepatocytes
  • Vincent Lee (UMD) and Patrick Bavoil (UMB)
    Decrease the incidence of anibiotic-resistance drugs
  • Doron Levy (UMD) and Jakob Simon, MD (UMB)
    Designing mathematical models that can assist in a vaccine for Shigella bacteria
  • Jose Contreras-Vidal (UMD) and Larry Forrester (UMB)
    Assising the corticol control of gait, for people using artifical limbs
  • Ian White (UMD) and Amy Fulton (UMB)
    Developing a micro total analysis system for selective nano culture mammospheres

2009

  • Dr.Yu Chen (UMD), and Dr. Reuben Mezrich / Dr. Cha-Min Tang (UMB)
    Multi-Modality and Multi-Scale Imaging of Breast Cancer / A Novel Imaging Probe for Interventional and Surgical Procedures
  • Dr. William Fourney (UMD) and Dr. Gary Fiskum (UMB)
    Brain Injury Caused by Explosions: Mechanisms & Neuroprotection
  • Dr. Carl W. Lejuez (UMD) and Dr. Kevin W Chen (UMB)
    Integrative Meditation as an Adjunct Therapy in Treating Cocaine Addiction
  • Dr. Tongtong Wu (UMD) and Dr. Sharon M. Gordon (UMB)
    Evaluation of Behavioral and Molecular-Genetic Contributions to Pain Experience in Humans
  • Dr. Yang Tao (UMD) and Dr. Eliot Siegel (UMB)
    A Novel Combined Multimodal Multispectral Ultra Low-Dose X-Ray and Photon-Selective Imaging Technology for Non-Contrast Agent Differentiation of Vasculatures, Tissues, and Abnormalities
  • Dr. Yu Chen (UMD) and Dr. Bruce Yu (Pharmacy - UMB)
    Mechanical Characterizations of Force-responsive Peptide-based Biomaterials with Optical Coherence Elastography and Dynamic Rheometry
  • Dr. Mei-Ling Ting Lee (UMD) and Dr. Ebere Onukwugha (UMB)
    Hospital admissions among veterans with congestive heart failure: the role of medical noncompliance and mental illness
  • Dr. Volker Briken (UMD) and Dr. Andrei Medvedev (UMB)
    Molecular Mechanisms of Impaired Sensing of Mycobacteria and Their Components by TLR2 and TLR4 Polymorphic Variants
  • Dr. Kevin S. McIver (UMD) and Dr. Mark E. Shirtliff (UMB)
    Identification of determinants essential for biofilm formation and virulence in methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) using a global genetic approach

2008

  • Michael Cummings (UMD) and Christopher Plowe, M. D. (UMB)
    will work together to better understand the basis for resistance in a parasite causing malaria to a class of drugs derived from a Chinese herb
  • Peter Kofinas (UMD) and Bartley Griffith, M. D. (UMB)
    will work together to develop molecular imprinted polymer coatings to enhance the biocompatibility of artificial lungs
  • Sameer Shah (UMD) and Robert Bloch (UMB)
    will work together to examine the roles of intermediate filaments in the stability and function of skeletal muscles
  • Iqbal Hamza (UMD) and Angela Wilks (UMB)
    will work together using genetic, genomic and cell biochemical approaches to elucidate the molecular mechanisms that underlie host-pathogen interactions
  • Siba Samal (UMD) and Abdu Azad (UMB)
    will work together to develop an efficacious and safe vaccine for highly pathogenic avian influenza virus (H5N1 Vietnam/1203/04 strain)
  • Hey-Kyoung Lee (UMD) and Scott Thompson (UMB)
    will work together to explore the concept of using homeostatic synaptic plasticity to better understand how the human brain responds to changes in activity after injury or loss of peripheral sensory inputs
  • Adam Hsieh (UMD) and Alan Shuldiner, M.D. (UMB)
    will work together to study genetic modifiers of disease phenotypes as they relate to osteogenesis imperfecta, a heritable form of osteoporosis
  • Steve Rokita (UMD) and Sarah Michel (UMB)
    will work together to develop a new class of gene therapy agents based upon a zinc finger protein platform