How To Fund Your Research

Through AHEAD's credit system, all full-time School of Medicine faculty are eligible to use up to 50 hours (one credit) of AHEAD services per fiscal year. 

Interested faculty should first seek approval from their department chair or designee. Once approved, please proceed with a service request.

Credit Details

• Only full-time SOM faculty are eligible to use a credit.
• Department chairs have autonomy in determining how to approve and distribute credits to their faculty. The AHEAD Institute provides department chairs with monthly reports on departmental credit usage.
• Faculty using a credit are required to complete a project narrative for the Institute of Clinical and Translational Sciences (ICTS) Just-In-Time Award application. They are encouraged to apply for the Just-In-Time award, and AHEAD staff will provide support throughout the application process.
• Projects that exceed 50 hours are not appropriate for the credit system and should identify a separate funding source. AHEAD staff will assist in identifying an appropriate funding source for these projects. 

Frequently Asked Questions

Core Concepts

• What is a credit?
  • One credit is equivalent to 50 hours of AHEAD services.
• Who can use credits?
  • • Full-time SLU School of Medicine faculty (tenure-track, non-tenure-track, research, clinical).
• What does a credit cover?
  • Study design
  • Data pulls and cleaning
  • REDCap survey development
  • Biostatistics and analytics
  • Manuscript and abstract support
  • Pilot analyses for grant preparation
  • Not covered: Student-led projects

Eligibility and Use

• Can trainees use credits?
  • No. Trainees may participate, but only faculty can use credits and must lead the project.
• Can credits be used for teaching or service projects?
  • Yes, if they require analytics and result in scholarly output (e.g., manuscript, abstract).
• Can credits be used for grant preparation?
  • No. Grant preparation services are free (up to 10 hours) if AHEAD is budgeted in the grant. Otherwise, these services are billed at $150 per hour.
• Can student-led projects be supported?
  • No. Students may assist, but cannot lead credit-funded projects.
• Can credits be used with external collaborators?
  • Yes, if a SLU SOM faculty member is PI and only AHEAD services are funded.

Credit Value and Limits

• How many hours is one credit?
  • 50 hours. Projects exceeding this must secure additional funding.
• What if scope changes mid-project?
  • PI must find funding for hours beyond the original 50.
• What’s the overage rate?
  • $150 per hour.

Approval and Process

• What approvals are needed?
  • Department Chair approval is needed. A departmental credit must be available. Intra-departmental processes may differ.

Timelines & Expiration

• How long does a credit last?
  • Credits last until the end of the fiscal year: June 30, 2025. After this date, new credits will be allotted and distributed to SOM departments.
  • Exception: Projects started in last 2 months of fiscal year (May or June) can extend 2 months into the next fiscal year.
• What if I do not use all my hours?
  • • Unused hours expire.

Sharing and Splitting

• Can two faculty members share a credit?
  • No.
• Can one faculty member split a credit across projects?
  • Yes.

Communication

• Who is my point of contact, and how do I check my credit balance?
  • Lizzie Ward, AHEAD Program Coordinator, (lizzie.ward@health.slu.edu) is the point of contact. Monthly updates are sent to Department Chairs.

Researchers can apply for up to $5,000 through Washington University’s ICTS Just-In-Time (JIT) Funding Program to access AHEAD services. The AHEAD Institute must approve projects before submission.

The JIT Core Usage Funding Program is supported by the ICTS, Mallinckrodt Institute of Radiology, Foundation for Barnes-Jewish Hospital, St. Louis Children’s Hospital, Hope Center and Siteman Cancer Center.

If you are interested in JIT funding, please complete a service request, and our team will schedule a meeting with you to guide you through the application process. 

Learn about ICTS JIT Funding

Grants can budget AHEAD services at either $150 per hour or as percent effort salary support for a specific analyst.

Percent effort salary support must be greater than or equal to 5%. The optimal way to fund analytic time is grant-dependent and will be discussed in the initial consultation with AHEAD personnel.