R01 Immersion Program

The R01 Immersion Program is a nine-month program designed to help School of Medicine research-intensive junior faculty and new investigators receive R01 grants from the National Institutes of Health (NIH). Senior faculty with strong NIH funding records mentor groups of investigators through the grant proposal development process. The team-based structure fosters peer support and constructive feedback. Within this structured, mentorship-driven environment, participants gain the knowledge and guidance needed to successfully prepare and submit competitive grant applications.

The R01 Immersion Program has a dual purpose: to improve the School of Medicine’s R01 success rates and to cultivate a cohesive community of peers and mentors with strong relationships between faculty and members. To promote these aims, participants are grouped into small teams of mentees and coaches and include team science training throughout the process.

Participants are required to submit a grant within one year of the end of the program.  There are timed metrics to meet and multiple checks, including a mid-program progress report, which is sent to Department Chairs.

A complete program guide is available here. 

Applicants must meet the following criteria:

• Be a junior faculty member or new investigator at the UVA School of Medicine (tenure-track or non-tenure-track).
• Be preparing their first major NIH proposal or have submitted a previous NIH proposal that was not selected for funding.
• Be  aware of and prepared to adhere to all the time commitments, responsibilities, and deadlines.

Researchers who already have been awarded a K-series award are eligible to participate in this program if they are now writing an R-series proposal. Individuals who have already been awarded R01-level funding are not eligible.

Applications will be reviewed by a committee of senior faculty and program leadership to assess each applicant’s readiness to develop and submit an R01 or equivalent grant within one year of completing the program..