Collaborative Opportunities Funding Program

Submission Date: Open

Anticipated Start Date: 3 months from proposal submission

Please see the Request for Applications for full information.

NC NM4R has awarded four Collaborative Opportunities grants.

Overview

Seeking to support our Collaborative Opportunities program, the National Center of Neuromodulation for Rehabilitation (NC NM4R) at the Medical University of South Carolina (musc.edu/ncnm4r) will provide up to $7,500 of short-term (a 6-month period) funding for up to 4 collaborative opportunities proposals per year. Collaborative studies considered for this support mechanism:

• must aim to address an important question in basic, translational, and/or clinical research that impacts rehabilitation research,
• must be developed through collaboration with an NM4R investigator,
• must be to promote rehabilitation research that utilizes NM4R methodologies,
• must be ready to be executed (including IRB approval) at the time of proposal submission,
• should yield the data to aid a competitive NIH research grant application or similar extramural grant application, and
• studies that help the field understand the underlying neurobiological mechanisms of NM4R are especially encouraged.

Collaborative Funding Awards

2023: Jinsook Roh, Ph.D., University of Houston, Biomedical Engineering

Effects of MEP up-conditioning on the impaired muscle synergy in upper extremity of people after stroke
Dr. Roh’s group designed and developed the wrist force measurement device system to assess how muscle synergies function during 2- and 3-D wrist rotation force generation. The device system had been finalized and tested at Dr. Roh’s lab at University of Houston. Now it is ready to be used for characterizing impaired upper extremity (UE) muscle synergies and how they may change after a successful neuromodulation intervention improves UE motor function in stroke survivors.

The goal is to develop a collaborative R01, R21, or a similar scale grant application to examine UE muscle synergies as potential mechanisms of impaired motor performance and coordination, and how induction of targeted neuroplasticity in the key corticospinal pathway may change impaired muscle synergy characteristics. To work towards this goal, we have planned the following collaborative activities; (1) MEP conditioning will be administered in several stroke survivors at the MUSC EPOC lab; (2) muscle synergy assessments will be administered at the MUSC EPOC lab by trained personnel from Dr. Roh’s lab; (3) muscle synergy analysis will be performed at Dr. Roh’s lab; (4) and study findings will be disseminated by the two groups.

2022: Jing Nong Liang, PT, Ph.D., University of Nevada, Physical Therapy

Operant Conditioning of Reciprocal Inhibition on Ankle Plantarflexors in People After Stroke
The central hypothesis of our current research is that restoring RI via operant conditioning can improve walking post-stroke. Specifically, we hypothesize that up-conditioning RI on plantarflexors can improve ankle motion during walking, thus improving stroke-impaired gait. Towards examining that, this pilot project aims to obtain the preliminary data demonstrating the feasibility of RI-conditioning and time course of RI changes over the course of up-conditioning. We will also obtain preliminary data assessing functional impacts of RI-conditioning on stroke-impaired gait.

Operant conditioning of RI has been shown to be feasible in rodents, but has not been examined in people with impaired RI due to stroke. By providing the initial results of RI conditioning in people post-stroke, this pilot study will help us develop the RI conditioning protocol for improving stroke-impaired gait. Results of this study are expected to greatly strengthen our planned NIH R03 and/or R21 application on improving post-stroke gait through up-conditioning of reciprocal inhibition.

2019: Ellyn Riley, Ph.D. CCC-SLP, Syracuse University, Communication Sciences & Disorders

Improving Aphasia Outcomes through tDCS-mediated Attention Management
The objective of this project is to determine if tDCS to DLPFC will result in better language recovery. A pilot study using this approach with 11 unimpaired controls showed greater than chance accuracy on a grammaticality judgment task for active tDCS but not sham. See Artificial grammar learning with transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS): A pilot study for further information. This project aims to test this approach in persons with aphasia.

2018: James Sulzer, Ph.D., The University of Texas at Austin, Mechanical Engineering

Can RF H-reflex be operantly conditioned?
The long-term goal of this research is to alleviate hyperreflexia of the rectus femoris (RF) in people with Stiff-Knee gait (SKG) following stroke. Operant H-reflex conditioning is a promising remedy for hyperreflexia since it is believed to modulate the supposed cause of hyperreflexia, presynaptic inhibition of Ia afferents. However, there are currently no published studies showing whether operant RF H-reflex conditioning is possible. We hypothesize that healthy individuals can down-regulate RF H-reflex activation compared to baseline performance in a standing posture. We plan to publish the results of this full experiment in a journal publication and use it as pilot data for an upcoming R21 resubmission on application of RF H-reflex down-conditioning to stroke patients with SKG. 

Request for Applications

Objective: The goal of this Collaborative Research Project Program is to help investigators overcome potential barriers in successful pilot data collection for clear, well-designed NM4R studies that have been developed through collaboration between the applicants and the NC NM4R. This program is for providing immediate funding for groups that have established through collaboration with NM4R investigators that they have a scientifically meritorious, innovative research program that needs a small amount of budget for covering operational cost (e.g., subject remuneration, supplies). This opportunity is not designed to provide ongoing support for a long-term project or to provide supplemental support to ongoing funded research projects. It is required that the study outcomes be used by the investigators to develop collaborative research grant applications for NIH or similar extramural funding mechanisms.

Eligibility: Principal Investigator must be eligible to submit an NIH R application or equivalent at his/her institution. MUSC investigators are not eligible to apply.

Inquiries: Interested investigators are encouraged to contact Aiko Thompson prior to proposal submission. All completed proposals should be sent to Cindy Gittinger.

Aiko K. Thompson, Ph.D.
Dept. of Health Sciences and Research
Medical University of South Carolina
77 President Street, MSC 700
Charleston, SC 29425
843-792-7136
thompsai@musc.edu

Cynthia K. Gittinger
Research Administration
Medical University of South Carolina
77 President St., MSC 700
Charleston, SC  29425
843-792-6236
gittinck@musc.edu

Application Materials

• A study proposal that includes the followings:
  • Descriptive title of proposed research
  • Name, email address, and telephone number of the PI.
  • Complete listing of the investigating team with each individual’s academic title, primary department, institution, and proposed role on the project.
  • Hypotheses and objective of the proposed study (max 250 words)
  • Overview of the study design/methods (max 250 words)
  • Itemized budget and budget justification (max 100 words)
• PI’s NIH-formatted biosketch
• Current IRB approval of the proposed study or studies (without the current IRB approval, the proposal will not be accepted)
• List of facilities and resources that are essential and readily available for the proposed study
• Letter of support (as appropriate)

Review Process

Each proposal will be reviewed by the NC NM4R Executive Committee (EC) on the following six areas: 1) quality of the research (scientific merit, innovation, and impact); 2) relevancy to the mission of the NC NM4R; 3) qualifications of the research team to execute the proposed study; 4) feasibility and readiness of the proposed study; 5) plans to secure future extramural funding; and 6) clear collaboration with the NC NM4R.PI of a selected proposal may be invited to give a 5-minute presentation to the NC NM4R EC.

Budget Justification

Allowable expenses: Research supplies, animal purchase and per diem, institutional core service fees, research subject compensation and transportation, data analysis/statistical support, and publication costs. All expenses must be directly related to the proposed research.

Unallowable expenses: General office supplies, computers and laptops, tuition, membership dues and fees, subscription costs, mailing costs, and rent. Equipment purchase is not allowed. Salary and fringe benefits are not permitted.

Facilities and administrative costs (indirect costs): Preference will be given to applications from institutions that agree to 8% indirect cost rate. This demonstrates commitment by the institution to the applicant, represents leveraging of federal funds on behalf of rehabilitation community, and is consistent with investment in junior investigators. It will be at the discretion of the receiving institution to execute the option to waive F&A costs so that full funding of $7,500 can be applied towards the project or direct costs will be $6,944.44 with F&A of $555.55.