The IRB Review



For research to be eligible for Exempt IRB Review, all research activities must fall into one or more of the regulatory exemption categories and the IRB must agree the level of review is appropriate based on ethical principles. 

ORI has created a new interactive decision tool to guide researchers in determining if a study might qualify for Exempt IRB Review Interactive Tool. Researchers can use the tool to explore exempt categories and answer a series of questions to determine if their research might qualify for Exempt IRB Review.  



Minimal risk research qualifying for Exempt IRB Review is excused from the requirement for annual or continuing review. 

Skills for Health and Research Professionals (SHARP) Training

Scholarship applications will open on November 20 for the summer Skills for Health and Research Professionals (SHARP) Program, with a deadline of February 29, 2024.

The1-4 day trainings in omics, data science, climate and professional development are geared towards early-career faculty and postdocs, and are offered in a variety of in-person, virtual, and hybrid formats. These scholarship awards cover at least 50% of the registration fee, increasing the accessibility and participation of early-stage researchers and professionals in learning in-demand field methods. 

The Career MODE program: Careers through Mentoring and training in Omics and Data for Early-stage investigators

Early-stage investigators are encouraged to apply for Career MODE, an 11-month hybrid mentorship and training program in omics and data science. Funded by NIH/NIGMS (R25GM143298), trainees will be paired with two expert mentors, join a network of established researchers, and receive intensive training in grant writing, leadership skills, and omics and data science approaches to support their ongoing research. Cohort members are expected to participate 8-11 hours per month.

Biomedical researchers across the U.S. are encouraged to apply for Career MODE by February 2. 

CPH Research Day



Save the date for the next CPH Research Day! Stay tuned for more information and a CPH calendar invite coming soon.

Public Health Showcase 2024

Registration Now Open!

We are please to announce that registration for the 2024 Public Health Showcase is now open! Stay tuned for more information about the event. Visit the events page to keep up to date on information related to showcase.

We hope to see you there next year!

Responsible Conduct of Research (RCR) training applies to ALL faculty, staff, graduate students, undergraduates, and postdoctoral fellows participating in research.

Click Here for full list of available trainings

Climate Change and Human Health Seed Grant

Agency: Burroughs Wellcome Fund

Description: The Climate Change and Human Health Seed Grant aims to stimulate the growth of new connections between scholars working in largely disconnected fields who might together change the course of climate change’s impact on human health. Over the next two years, we will dedicate $1M to supporting small, early-stage grants of $2,500 - $50,000 toward achieving this goal.

Proposals will be accepted on a rolling basis through July 2026. A review will be conducted quarterly.

Sponsor Deadline: January 25, 2024, April 25, 2024, July 25, 2024

Limited Submission-HRSA-Rural Health Network Development Planning Program

Agency: HRSA

Description: The Health Resources and Services Administration announce the Rural Health Network Development Planning Program (“Network Planning Program”). The purpose of the Rural Health Network Development Planning Program (“Network Planning Program”) is to plan and develop integrated health care networks that collaborate to address the following legislative aims: (i) achieve efficiencies; (ii) expand access to and improve the quality of basic health care services and health outcomes; and (iii) strengthen the rural health care system. For the purposes of this program, HRSA defines a health care network as at least three regional or local health care organizations that come together to plan and develop strategies for improving health services in a community. The entities should have a common and collective interest in improving health and addressing health care challenges in their local community.

Announcement Number: HRSA-24-007

Institutional Limit: 1

Internal Competition: To participate in the university’s selection process, please upload the following, assembled into a single PDF file, to the Office of the Vice President for Research via this portal with a copy to your Associate Dean for Research by December 5, 2023:

1.    Names and departments or affiliations of the applicant and other key personnel or partners

2.    Title of program and/or funding opportunity announcement number

3.    Brief project description (2 pages maximum)

4.    Brief biographical sketch

A committee will be convened to review the material and make a recommendation.

For questions or issues with submission through the portal, email the limited submission mailbox (limitedsubmissions@uky.edu), or call 257-2861.

Sponsor Deadline: January 26, 2024

Rural Community-Centered Drug Misuse Prevention and Harm Reduction Research: Addressing Implementation, Dissemination, and Equity Challenges across the Continuum of Care (R61/R33 Clinical Trial Only)

Agency: National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA)

Description: This notice of funding opportunity (NOFO) will support research projects that develop and test drug misuse prevention and/or harm reduction strategies, extending the continuum of care within U.S. rural communities impacted by the opioid/stimulant epidemic. The overall goal is to reduce drug use and associated risks and harms for individuals with unmet prevention and/or harm reduction needs. Research activities will be conducted in two phases (i.e., developmental R61 phase and implementation and effectiveness trial R33 phase). Each phase of the project must involve community partners and potential end users of the research findings. These projects should yield effective community-level strategies to meet prevention and/or harm-reduction needs in diverse rural communities in the U.S.

This NOFO requires a Plan for Enhancing Diverse Perspectives (PEDP), which will be assessed as part of the scientific and technical peer review evaluation. Applications that fail to include a PEDP will be considered incomplete and will be withdrawn. Applicants are strongly encouraged to read the NOFO instructions carefully and view the available PEDP guidance material.

Announcement Number: RFA-DA-24-036

Sponsor Deadline: January 26, 2024

Phased Research to Support Substance Use Epidemiology, Prevention, and Services Studies (R61/R33 Clinical Trials Optional)

Agency: National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA)

National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA)

Description: The purpose of this notice of this funding opportunity (NOFO) is to support translational research across epidemiology, addiction services, and prevention to, ultimately, reduce the burden of substance use on public health. This NOFO encourages research that facilitates rapid translation from one discipline to another (e.g., epidemiology to prevention); supports community/stakeholder engagement in substance use treatment and prevention clinical trials; or reduces the research to practice gap through the rapid transition from pilot study to clinical trial, or effectiveness to implementation study. The goal is to support translational research improving our ability to 1) identify and characterize malleable individual, familial, behavioral, developmental, and socio-cultural/environmental factors (within the population or precise subgroups) with the potential for multi-directional transfer of knowledge; 2) prevent initiation of substance use or progression to misuse or use disorder; and 3) maximize the efficient delivery of high-quality, personalized addiction treatment and related services to ultimately inform and facilitate real world responses designed to reduce the burden of substance use, misuse and/or addiction on the health of the population. This NOFO invites projects for which preliminary feasibility or pilot data are not available. 

This NOFO requires a Plan for Enhancing Diverse Perspectives (PEDP), which will be assessed as part of the scientific and technical peer review evaluation. Applications that fail to include a PEDP will be considered incomplete and will be withdrawn. Applicants are strongly encouraged to read the NOFO instructions carefully and view the available PEDP guidance material.

Announcement Number: PAR-24-062

Sponsor Deadline: February 14, August 14, November 14