Mentored Research Development Award (MRDA)
The MRDA from the DE-CTR ACCEL Program supports junior faculty with mentorship and resources to develop strong, competitive research grant proposals without funding direct research activities.
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Funder: DE-CTR ACCEL Program
Due Dates: September 11, 2026: Preliminary application deadline | October 9, 2026: Full application deadline
Funding Amounts: Up to 20% salary support for 6 months (clinical) or 10% faculty buyout/1 course release (academic) or up to $10,000 for grant development activities (up to $20,000 for enhanced awards); mentor support up to ~$2,250.
Summary: Supports junior faculty at Delaware partner institutions with mentorship, protected time, and resources to develop competitive grant proposals.
Key Information: Funds cannot be used for direct research activities—only for grant writing and proposal development.
Description
The Mentored Research Development Award (MRDA), offered by the DE-CTR ACCEL Program, is designed to increase the grant writing success of junior faculty by providing structured mentorship, protected time, and access to ACCEL's comprehensive resources. MRDA Scholars work closely with selected mentors to reach key milestones in preparing a targeted grant application. The program includes grant writing workshops, peer mentoring, grant review sessions, and expert consultations in biostatistics and study design. The award supports protected time or activities directly related to proposal development, not the conduct of research itself. At the end of the MRDA period, scholars are expected to submit a fully-developed grant proposal to a federal agency or recognized foundation.
