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UNC School of Medicine | Office of Research
Expertise. Innovation. Collaboration.

Core Voucher Program

Core Facilities Advocacy Committee (CFAC) SOM Core Voucher Program

 

Important Documents

Core Voucher Program Attestation form  (must be submitted for each core within the proposal)

RFA-SOM-Core-Voucher-Program-FY27 FINAL

CFAC-Voucher-Program-Template-FY27

RFA-SOM-Core-Voucher-Program-Eligible-Cores-FY27

To request review of a core facility not listed here, please e-mail corefacilities@med.unc.edu.

 

General Information

The Core Facility Advocacy Committee (CFAC) in the Office of Research Technologies, UNC School of Medicine (SOM), announces a pilot program to support research projects  that directly utilize UNC SOM biomedical research cores. Please refer to the list of the cores found above.

Core vouchers worth up to $10,000 will be awarded to investigators with qualified projects to be used exclusively for core services.

The CFAC Core Voucher Program will open for submissions July 1, 2026 and close July 24, 2026 at 11:59 pm.

 

Project Eligibility

For FY27, applicants must have full or joint appointment in the UNC School of Medicine and must propose to use at least one SOM core which invoices for services. 

To be eligible, projects must be for new method development or the generation of pilot data for a project that is not currently funded. Applications must additionally fall into one of the following two tracks:

Track A: Innovation and Expansion

The project must meet at least one of the following criteria:

  • Pipeline Project: Utilizes more than one core facility.
  • New Customer: The applicant is a first-time user of at least one core listed in the proposal.
  • New Technology: The applicant is utilizing a specific technology or service they have not used before, even if they have previously worked with that core.

 

Track B: Grant Resubmission Support

The project aims to address a recent grant (within the last two cycles) that was deemed “Competitive but not Discussed.”

  • Reviewer critiques must specifically suggest or request additional pilot data to address a concern(s).
  • Vouchers will only fund the portion of data collection performed at a UNC SOM core facility.
  • Required Documentation: Applicants must provide the reviewer critiques to be addressed with a voucher-funded project and the planned date for resubmitting the grant proposal.

Additionally, projects should spend out their award by June 30, 2027. Feasibility to meet this timeline will a factor in award decisions.

 

Applicants must discuss their proposed project with the collaborating core directors prior to submission and include a Core Director Attestation form (linked at the top of the page) with the proposal submission with signatures of both the core directors and the applicants. Core directors have the right to not sign proposals presented without adequate time to meet and evaluate the project.

 

Funding awards will be transferred to the awardees home department. Spending reports will be requested at the end of FY26. Unused funds may be requested to be returned to the SOM Office of Research.

 

Required Documents

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    1. Project Description: Follow the format of a standard NIH Specific Aims page, including study design and expected outcomes.
    2. Detailed Budget: Itemize costs for each core facility to be utilized.
    3. Other Support: Provide a current “Other Support” and indicate if any current support is provided through the UNC SOM Office of Research Bridge Program or “bridging”-type funds from any other source.
    4. Core Consultation & Attestation: Applicants must consult with the core director/manager(s) before submission.
      • Core Director Attestation: must be signed by each participating core director to verify that the project and budget adhere to the core’s standards of rigor, reproducibility, and transparency.
        • Core directors reserve the right to decline or suggest modifications to a project.
        • Core directors may set internal deadlines to request consultations. Please reach out to all the core directors your project requires well before the RFA deadline
      • Applicant Attestation: Applicants must sign the attestation page agreeing to the conditions of the award.
      • Faculty letter of support for trainee-initiated grants: Trainees, including postdoctoral scholars, graduate students, and post-baccalaureate scholars, are welcome to develop and submit project proposals. We do require a letter of support from their faculty mentor indicating:
        • If awarded, the trainee will have protected time to complete the aims in the project timeline
        • If the trainee leaves before completion of the project, whether the lab will dedicate other staff resources to completing the aims of the project
        • If the trainee leaves before the 12-month or 24-month project report deadline, the primary mentor will assume reporting responsibilities
    1. (For Track B Applicants only) Official grant feedback/summary statement: Applicants must provide official documentation of the reviewer critiques that led to the proposed pilot data collection

 

Submit an Application

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Submit an Application

 

Voucher award decisions will be announced mid-October. Thank you for your patience!

 

Questions

If you have questions about eligibility or the application process please reach out to the Office of Research Technologies at corefacilties@med.unc.edu

 

Acknowledgment guidelines

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  • Cores must be acknowledged in scholarly work stemming from this award, including poster presentations, oral symposia, and publications. .
  • Funding must be acknowledged as: “Funding provided by the Core Facility Advocacy Committee and Office of Research Technologies, UNC Chapel Hill School of Medicine.”