Dear XXXX,
Outlined below is my plan for providing bridge funding support for you.
- Term of support: [month, day], 20XX through [month, day], 20XX.
Your current funding expires in [Month], 20XX, but the Department of [XXXX] has begun to support your laboratory at [levels specified by Chair and Geisel Administration] levels this month [specify salaries and/or supplies].
- Request for financial support from Geisel
I am proposing a sharing of costs with approximately XX% funding from the Department of [XXXX] and XX% funding from central funds of the Geisel School of Medicine:
Dept. of [XXXX] $XXX,000 (XX%)
Geisel $XXX,000 (XX%)
Total $XXX,000 (100%)
The total funding is calculated as the sum of supply funding from [month, day], 20XX, to [month, day], 20XX, plus supplies and compensation from [month], 20XX through [month], 20XX. These costs are proportional by X to the current level of monthly lab expenditures.
- Mentoring Committee
A Mentoring Committee shall be arranged to help guide and advise you in advancing your program. The specific functions shall include
- providing feedback on the terms of this bridge plan,
- helping you prioritize your plan for grant proposals and publications,
- pre-reviewing your grant proposals,
- helping you select the most appropriate journals for your publications,
- pre-reviewing your publication drafts, and
- providing other general advice and suggestions.
The Mentoring Committee will consist of two to three individuals with broad experience and success in grant writing. XXXX, YYYY and [ZZZ] (list investigators) have graciously consented to serve on this committee. If it would be deemed advantageous, the mentoring committee may be expanded in the future.
I propose that your mentoring committee will meet once a month with you, but one member on a rotating basis will touch base in person with you midway between the monthly meetings.
The committee will communicate monthly with the Chair of [XXXX] to review your progress and prospects.
- Milestones and stipulations for continuation of funding:
You must understand that, to justify the department’s and institution’s investment and confidence in you, you must demonstrate a sustained and substantive effort to succeed in securing robust funding. To that end, you need to meet the following milestones in order to continue to receive gap funding:
Grant submissions ADC/OSP/Submission Deadlines
Progress on your [science type] paper submissions will be monitored, and if positive, the following grant submissions will also be expected:
- Outline expectations for paper submissions.
- Outline expectations for proposals (mechanism, e.g., R01), expected submission dates and proposed direct costs. The mentoring plan for submitting proposal may be predicated on the acceptance of submitted papers.
- Outline time frame for expected feedback from Mentoring Committee. Positive feedback from the Mentoring Committee regarding your progress, focus, collegiality, responsiveness, and overall commitment to these goals will be necessary for continuation of funding, even if other milestones are met.
A final decision on these additional submission deadlines will be made by [month, day], 20XX, in consultation with the mentoring committee, the Chair of [XXXX], and the Dean’s Office.
- Other requirements
In order for the mentoring function to work optimally, you must present your grant requests for pre-review by the Mentoring Committee at least two weeks in advance of the submission deadline. Similarly, publication drafts must be available for pre-review at least several weeks prior to a desired submission date.
You will meet with the Chair of [XXXX] every month to review your activities and progress in meeting your goals.
In consultation with the Chair of [XXXX], you will review your teaching duties and other internal and external committee assignments with the aim to reduce temporarily as many such responsibilities as practicable, in order to devote as much time as possible to your obligations in your lab.
- Termination of bridge funding
If you fail to meet any of the milestones outlined above by the deadlines listed, or if you have negative mentoring reviews, there will be an immediate need to revisit the continuation of support, in consultation with your Mentoring Committee, the Dean’s Office, and the Chair of [XXXX].
If you fail to reach your objectives as outlined in this agreement or you receive negative reviews, the Department of [XXX] and Geisel School of Medicine may terminate the bridge funding.