oneColumn

UNF MedNexus Research Innovation Fund

The MedNexus Research Innovation Fund aims to support faculty conducting research that integrates emerging technology to improve health outcomes, delivery of care, or direct clinical impact.

Eligibility

Tenured and tenure earning faculty across disciplines may apply. Collaboration between departments and with other colleges is encouraged. Project including industry partners are of particular interest.

Scope of Funding

Proposals will be funded up to $20,000 each. Faculty salary support is not the primary focus of this funding mechanism and should be limited to no more than 20% of the total budget request. Funds may be used for equipment, patient/participant costs, materials and supplies, high-impact manuscript publication costs, and personnel (including students).

Application

Applications will include a brief paragraph on the study, specific aims for this funding, a brief budget and budget justification, and NIH-style biosketch for each faculty investigator.

MedNexus Research Innovation Fund Application

Timeline

The proposal window opens on January 31, 2025, and closes March 3, 2025. Finalists will be notified and scheduled for in-person interviews by March 14, 2025. Final awards will be announced by April 15, 2025, and funding will be available by July 1, 2025. Funding must be used within one academic year. Faculty awarded an MedNexus Research Innovation Fund grant are eligible to submit for funding to continue their work.

Review Process

Applications will be reviewed by the MedNexus leadership team with additional review by UNF faculty with relevant experience. Finalists will be asked to present their proposal to a panel of industry professionals.

Reviewers will consider the following criteria when scoring proposals:

Scientific rigor
Inclusion of student assistance (undergraduate or graduate)
Clear plan for high-impact manuscript publication, external funding, and/or patents
Inclusion of industry partners
Potential for impact on health and biomedical outcomes

Commitment

Awardees must:

complete a progress report six months after award and a final report.
present a poster or panel presentation at regional healthcare events and conferences.
coordinate with Marketing and Communication to showcase scholarship through media.
submit for external funding

2025 - 2026 MedNexus Research Innovation Fund Scholars

Nelson Delfino De Campos Neto working in the lab

Dr. Nelson Delfino De Campos Neto, Mechanical Engineering

Computational design and experimental validation of new low elastic modulus biomedical alloys for implants

This project works towards the development of new metallic alloy compositions to be used as biomedical materials for implants. In special, it seeks for this new material to have elastic modulus similar to the bones to avoid post implant surgery complications, such as bone resorption and fracture. State-of-the-art computational material methods coupled with new theories will be used to search for new promising compositions to be produced and tested in the laboratory. In the future, the new materials discovered in this project could help to improve patient’s quality of life.

Dr. Marie Mooney, Biology

Improving Brain Health During Aging

This project aims to improve brain health during aging by studying how changes in certain enzymes affect the protective layer around blood vessels in the brain. Using advanced technology, we will identify key factors that could lead to new treatments for maintaining brain health as we age. Once we have prioritized key factors, we will use a rapid drug screening approach to test for therapies that restore function in the protective layer.

Dr. Terri Ellis, Biology

Defining the Selection Window: A high throughput assay to identify how low dose antibiotic exposure drives resistance

This project will investigate how altering the dose or the duration of exposure to low dose antibiotics stimulates the evolution of resistance in medically significant bacteria. We will answer these questions by measuring the changes to the bacterial DNA in response to these low doses. Fully understanding the minimum requirements for the evolution of antibiotic resistance will allow the medical community to better define clinical dosing protocols, guide environmental monitoring of antibiotics in the environment, and identify novel gene targets for new drug development.

Dr. Kerry Clark, Public Health

Optimized Testing fro Tickborne Infections in Chronic Lyme-Like Illness Patients in the Southern USA

This project will optimize the testing of human plasma and serum for tickborne pathogens. It involves testing samples from patients with chronic Lyme-like syndrome (LLSI), analyzing DNA sequence data to determine the genus and species, and comparing sequence variations. The data will be analyzed to characterize the presence of infections with various pathogen groups, species, and strains. The findings will be published in an open-access journal to enhance awareness among the medical and scientific communities.

Dr. Angie LeRoy, Psychology & Brain Sciences

Developing & Testing the 'Writing to Heal' App: Uniting Health Research, Product Design & Technology

This project will address the extreme stress and prolonged nature of caregiving for a spouse with Alzheimer's Disease and Related Dementia (ADRD), often experienced as "living bereavement." Previous research has shown that severe grief symptoms in widow(er)s are linked to greater proinflammatory cytokine production, a risk factor for several diseases. Spousal caregivers experiencing living bereavement may also be at risk for cognitive decline, yet interventions are limited. Developing effective interventions is crucial to preserving caregivers' health and quality of life, as well as their ability to care for their partners.