The LIFT-D Seed Grant Program provides internal funding for pilot studies, new research projects, or other scholarly activities with a clear connection to depression-related research. These awards are intended to support junior, mid-career and established investigators, create new collaboration opportunities between UCI departments and schools, and enhance the likelihood of successful extramural funding applications.
Postdoctoral Fellows, Research Staff (Researcher Series or Project Scientist Series), or full-time faculty from any school within UC Irvine are encouraged to apply.
LIFT-D Grant Tracks
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Track 1: LIFT-D50 Seed Grant
Up to $50,000 in Direct costs (2 awards annually)
Eligibility: Individual Early-career investigators (Postdocs, Project Scientist Series, Researcher Series, or Assistant Professors) within ten years of receipt of their terminal degree as of January 1, 2026 who have not yet received R01-level federal funding. A direct focus on depression-related research is required.
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Track 2: LIFT-D100 Seed Grant
Up to $100,000 in Direct costs (1 award annually)
Eligibility: Multiple-PI (MPI) investigators (2 or more) at the rank of assistant, associate or full professor. A Multi-PI (MPI) plan involving faculty in different UCI departments or schools is required. In addition, a direct focus on depression-related research is required
The project period for both tracks is 1-year (January 1, 2026 - December 31, 2026), with the possibility of a one-year extension at the discretion of the Director.
Restrictions on Use of Funds
Funds may not be used for capital projects, including construction, renovation, or the purchase of large equipment intended to be capitalized, or for the rental or purchase of office/laboratory furniture and/or space. All expenditures must comply with university purchasing policies. Additionally:
- Funds are non-transferable and must be expended within the award period (unless a NCE is granted).
- Any unspent funds at the end of the funding period will be returned to the Drury Institute.
- The Drury Institute does not pay institutional overhead on the Seed Grant Program.
- Cost-sharing is not permitted.
Application Instructions
Interested applicants are asked to submit the following materials by 11:59pm PDT on November 18, 2025 via UCI Review:
Face Page: Via online form requesting PI/Co-PI contact information, 200-word project summary, research area classification, prior/pending applications on this topic, and plans for pursuing external funding.
Application Packet: In a single PDF document (using Arial, 11pt font with ½ inch margins) please provide:
- Proposal (2 pages) including:
- Specific aims and hypotheses
- Significance
- Innovation
- Preliminary data, if available
- Methods
- Analytic plan
- Project timeline
- NIH biosketch or curriculum vitae (5-page limit). If applicable, also include a biosketch for Mentor and/or Co-investigators
- Budget (1 page) with a simplified breakdown of how the funds will be used. Please note budgets should include direct costs only (up to $50K for LIFT-D50; up to $100K for LIFT-D100)
- Mentor Letter (if applicable): If proposal involves a Mentor, enclose a 1-page letter from an on-site mentor stating how the grant will enhance the applicant's training or facilitate transition to an independent investigator
- Letters of Support or Commitment (if applicable)
- References
Projects will be selected after expert peer review based on scientific merit and fit with the Depression Institute research priorities (for a list, see https://depressioninstitute.uci.edu/research-areas/), and the anticipated strength of the data generated by the proposed LIFT project to support future extramural funding.
Additional information
Awardee Responsibilities:
- Obtain IRB/IACUC approval for human and animal subjects, as applicable (obtained after the award)
- Participate in a 6-month check-in meeting to report on progress
- Submit a final report at the end of the funding period
- Present project outcomes at a future departmental event (e.g., research symposium or seminar)
Contact Information:
For scientific content questions, contact Dr. Diego A. Pizzagalli dpizzaga@hs.uci.edu.
For any administrative questions concerning this announcement, contact Janice Kiley jmkiley@uci.edu