Cornelius Hopper Diversity Award Supplement

Application procedure for the Hopper Diversity Supplement: Request for the Hopper Diversity Supplement must be submitted as part of an ongoing non-mentored grant’s scientific progress report (such as High Impact Pilot Research Award, High Impact Research Project Award, New Investigator Award, or Community Practice-Based Research Awards) to be considered for funding.

All applications must address one or more of our eight research priorities and must be tobacco-related.

Maximum supplement amount per year: $20,000 (direct cost)

Maximum duration: 2 years

Allowable direct costs: Salary and benefits, tuition, enrollment fees for the trainee, supplies, domestic travel

Equipment: Not allowed as part of this supplemental funding

Supplies and Travel:

• Project-related travel: As needed (must be fully justified)
• Travel to TRDRP conference: $750 (mandatory)
• Scientific conference travel: Up to $2000 per year (excluding a mandatory allocation of $750 in one year of the project for travel to the TRDRP Conference)
• Supplies: Up to $2200 (must be fully justified)

Indirect costs: Not allowed

Cornelius Hopper Diversity Award Supplement requirements:

• The Hopper Diversity Supplements are intended to support the initial entry of individuals into the field of tobacco-related research or within the stated research priorities. Eligible trainees, working under the mentorship of a currently funded TRDRP investigator, may be undergraduate students, graduate students who have not advanced to candidacy, individuals who are working in the tobacco control field or proposed research area but do not have experience in research, community members, school personnel or health sciences students. Individuals who are eligible for TRDRP fellowships and other career development awards are encouraged to apply through those award types rather than asking for support through a Hopper Diversity Supplement.  Individuals that have earned a doctoral or other advanced degree (e.g. Ph.D., M.D., M.P.H.) are not eligible to be supported by this supplement.
• Investigators must have at least one year remaining on their TRDRP award to ensure the best conditions and results for prospective trainees and Hopper Diversity Supplement applications must be submitted as part of an annual scientific progress report.
• The Hopper Diversity Supplement is available to principal investigators of any TRDRP award except for Postdoctoral Fellowship Awards, Predoctoral Fellowship Awards and Mackay Policy Scholar Awards.
• Principal investigators should encourage trainees from socioeconomic, cultural, ethnic, racial, linguistic and geographic backgrounds who would otherwise not be adequately represented in their field or who are from underserved communities. However, in accordance with state law, preference will not be given to applicants based on race, color, ethnicity, gender or national origin.

Supplement proposals will be evaluated for the strength and quality of the following:

• Trainee must demonstrate a commitment to and pursuit of a career in tobacco research and tobacco control or any of the stated research priorities.
• Trainees should document barriers, both current and past, that may prevent her or him from realizing a research career. For example, the absence of a family member who attended college; matriculation in an educational setting with poor curricular support and financial backing for higher education; having a physical or learning disability and/or working long hours while attending school.
• Trainees should describe in their own words the extent that their previous and current research interests focus on cultural, societal, health or educational disparities as they affect underserved segments of our state. Additionally, describe how the research in the proposed area may contribute towards ending California tobacco-related disease or health disparities.
• Principal investigators and trainees must construct a detailed, well-rounded training experience. This should include, but not be limited to: scientific research methods that will be learned; classes, seminars and symposia that will be attended; the identification of a relevant research question to be pursued; research team meeting participation; other mentor-like relationships the trainee will have with research team members; and, if applicable, any relevant involvement in the community, school, etc.
• Principal investigators should document the exact amount of time that they will meet regularly with the trainee. Investigators should also identify other members of the research team who will play a mentoring role and specify their time commitment to mentoring the trainee and their contribution to the trainee’s learning experience.