UT San Antonio and Texas State University logos under a picture of a team stacking their hands together

Strengthening Translational Partnerships

The Lone Star Collaborative Research Acceleration Pilot (LS-RAP) is a cross-institutional research funding opportunity developed through a partnership between the Texas State University Translational Health Research Center (THRC) and the UT San Antonio School of Nursing Office of Nursing Research and Scholarship (ONRS).

This program supports collaborative, multi-principal investigator (MPI) pilot research projects that bring together investigators from both institutions to advance translational research across the continuum from discovery to practice, policy, and community health outcomes.

By supporting early-stage collaboration, LS-RAP is designed to help research teams generate preliminary data, scholarly outputs, and competitive external grant proposals that strengthen long-term research partnerships.

Program Overview

This Request for Applications (RFA) solicits proposals for cross-institutional research projects led by investigators from both THRC and ONRS.

The program aims to catalyze high-impact research collaborations that leverage the complementary expertise, infrastructure, and community partnerships of both institutions.

Funded projects should demonstrate strong potential to advance translational health research and real-world impact, while positioning research teams for future external funding opportunities.

Program Goals

The LS-RAP pilot program is designed to:

  • Strengthen rigorous cross-institutional research partnerships
  • Build translational research capacity across both universities
  • Generate preliminary data and research products that support competitive external grant submissions
  • Foster sustainable collaborations that translate research findings into practice, policy, or community health outcomes
Expand FAQ List

  • Total Program Funding: $100,000

    Number of Awards:
    Dependent on the number of competitive proposals received.

    Project Period:
    1 year from the project start date.
    No-cost extensions may be considered on a case-by-case basis.

    Funds will be jointly administered by THRC and ONRS in accordance with each institution’s policies and procedures.

  • Applications must be submitted as Multi-Principal Investigator (MPI) proposals.

    Eligible teams must include:

    • At least one Principal Investigator from Texas State University
    • At least one Principal Investigator from the UT San Antonio School of Nursing

    Additional eligibility requirements include:

    • All PIs must hold eligible faculty appointments at their respective institutions
    • Projects must demonstrate meaningful, integrated collaboration, including shared leadership and coordinated research methods
    • Teams must demonstrate joint responsibility for project outcomes

    Single-institution or single-PI proposals will not be considered.

  • Funds may be used to support research activities necessary to complete the proposed project.

    Allowable costs include, but are not limited to:

    • Salary and effort support for faculty and key personnel
    • Research staff support (where permitted by institutional policy)
    • Research supplies and materials
    • Other direct costs required to complete the proposed research

    Budgets must clearly describe how funds from each institution will be allocated and managed to support the project’s aims.

  • Funded research teams must commit to producing clear, measurable research outcomes.

    Within six months following project completion, teams must deliver:

    • At least one conference presentation representing the joint work of both institutions
    • Submission of one or more peer-reviewed manuscripts
    • Submission of at least one external grant proposal based on pilot data generated through the program

    During the project period, the PIs will work with the respective teams at THRC and ONRS to identify and pursue external funding. Teams will develop collaborative agreements for future funding based on project potential, target funding mechanisms, and project investigators. 

    Applications should clearly describe how proposed deliverables align with the project timeline and future funding strategy.

  • Proposals will be evaluated by a joint advisory board composed of representatives from both institutions.

    Applications will be reviewed using the NIH Simplified Peer Review Framework, with scoring based on three core criteria.

    Significance and Impact

    • Does the project address an important problem or gap in knowledge?
    • Is the proposed work likely to advance translational research, practice, or policy?
    • Does the project demonstrate strong potential to lead to external funding?

    Investigator(s) and Collaboration

    • Are the MPI team members well-suited to carry out the project?
    • Is leadership balanced across both institutions?
    • Does the proposal demonstrate authentic cross-institutional collaboration?

    Innovation and Approach

    • Is the project conceptually or methodologically innovative?
    • Is the research strategy feasible within the project period?
    • Are the methods appropriate to achieve the stated aims and deliverables?

    Reviewers may also consider additional factors such as feasibility, resource utilization, and alignment with institutional priorities, consistent with the NIH framework.

  • Applications must include the following materials:

    Project Summary / Abstract
    1 page limit

    Research Strategy
    (including specific aims, research approach, and collaboration plan)
    6 page limit

    Deliverables and Sustainability Plan
    2 page limit

    Budget and Budget Justification
    (by institution)
    No page limit

    NIH-Style Biosketches
    for all MPI and key personnel
    5 page limit

For Questions or Assistance