Research@UIC > Funding Opportunities > Clinical and Translational Research Initiative Pilot Grant
Guidelines

Clinical and Translational Research Initiative Pilot Grant Guidelines

UPDATED! September 28, 2006 Memo from Dr. Eric Gislason, and new form to accompany submissions.

September 1, 2006

To: UIC Clinical, Research, and Tenure Track Faculty

From: Eric A. Gislason, Vice Chancellor for Research

Re: Clinical and Translational Research Initiative Pilot Grant Program Clarification

The specific purpose of this pilot grant program is to facilitate NIH funding of a Clinical Translational Research Award at UIC. All applications, therefore, must involve human subjects, facilitate human subject investigations, or establish infrastructure related to human subject investigation. The original announcement copied below did not make it clear that infrastructure projects, such as creating a tissue bank, were also desirable. Further, applications must be related to areas of investigation within the purview of the NIH. Only those applications adhering to the above requirements will be reviewed.

UIC reserves the right to not spend the full allocation of funds for this program unless warranted by the proposals received.

The original program announcement follows.

To: UIC Clinical, Research, and Tenure-Track Faculty

From: R. Michael Tanner, Provost
Eric A. Gislason, Vice Chancellor for Research

Re: Clinical and Translational Research Initiative Pilot Grant Program

"UIC must also excel in new areas of knowledge, which increasingly cross traditional academic boundaries and deal with important, real-world questions … increased cooperation and collaboration among disciplines can give rise to new knowledge.”
UIC 2010 Strategic Thinking Plan, September 9, 2005

NIH announces Clinical and Translational Science Awards (CTSAs) program designed to “spur transformation of clinical and translational research …give research institutions more freedom to foster productive collaboration… lower barriers between disciplines, encourage creative, new approaches that will help us solve complex medical mysteries”.
NIH Director Elias A. Zerhouni, M.D, October 12, 2005

The office of the Provost, the Office of the Vice Chancellor for Research, and the Health Science Colleges announce a pilot grant program in support of the goals of the Clinical and Translational Research Initiative at UIC http://tigger.uic.edu/depts/ovcr/research/funding/NIH-Clinical.shtml The broad goals of this pilot grant program are to support the transformative aims of the CTSA initiative, namely to encourage new clinical and translational research efforts on the campus.

Proposals will be considered that seek to extend basic discoveries in the physical, biologic and behavioral sciences into the clinical arena, including studies that will develop and evaluate clinical interventions and will ultimately impact on individual and population health. Preference will be given to studies from investigators who wish to move their work into new, clinically relevant areas and to studies that involve new interdisciplinary collaborations. Since a goal of this pilot grant program is to demonstrate the institution’s capacity to launch a new translational research program, a tacit assumption is that all grants will involve human subjects and that all grant applications will articulate a plan that will lead to an application for external funding by the 2007-year end. Attached are the guidelines for preparing applications to the Clinical and Translational Research Initiative Pilot Grant Program

Through this program we invite you to help UIC continue moving toward its vision of the future.

Award Amounts | PI Eligibility | Project Eligibility | Deadlines | Award Decisions | Letter of Intent Instructions | Forms | Proposal Assistance | Application Content | Format | Submission | Review Process | Review Criteria | Progress and Post Award Reporting | Grant Conditions | Questions

Award Amounts

It is anticipated that up to10 grants of $100K and up to 10 of $50K will be funded. The grants will be for one year, with the possibility of continuation for a second year pending competitive review conditioned upon suitable progress.

PI Eligibility

Principal Investigators must be either clinical, research, or tenure track UIC faculty. Others, including adjunct faculty and academic professionals, can serve as named investigators, collaborators, or key personnel.

Project Eligibility

Preference will be given to studies from investigators who wish to move their work into new, clinically relevant areas and to studies that involve new interdisciplinary collaborations. Existing projects or collaborations will only be considered provided they demonstrate how the Pilot funding will allow something new to happen that otherwise would not have occurred. Examples could include early stage collaborations that need to develop pilot data, multidisciplinary groups with the potential to develop new interdisciplinary science, or those needing support to develop the capacity to work as a group.

Deadlines

Mandatory Letter of Intent: Friday September 15, 2006
Proposal: 3:00 p.m. Monday October 16, 2006

Award Decisions

Awards should be announced December 1, 2006 with an anticipated January 1, 2007 start date. Funding for the selected studies will not begin until there is an IRB-approved research protocol.

Letter of Intent Instructions

The letter of intent is mandatory. It will not be evaluated in the review process. The LOI is only for administrative purposes to help configure an appropriate review committee.

LOI to be sent to ahalford@uic.edu by September 15, 2006 as follows:

Subject line: Pilot Grant Notice of Intent.
Attached LOI contains:
1. Names and unit affiliations of PI, CoPIs, key personnel;
2. Working title or broad area of investigation;
3. 5 key words;
4. Very brief description of proposal (200 words or less).

Proposal Assistance

Anyone interested in submitting a proposal is encouraged to contact the OVCR Office of Research Development Services (RDS) (RDS@uic.edu) as soon as possible. RDS will gladly provide assistance in such areas as identifying other faculty on campus who are working in the area and who might be interested in becoming a collaborator. In addition, Research Development Services would be pleased to host the first meeting of a group of faculty active in an area of scholarship who want to explore the possibility of submitting a grant to this program.

Application Content

Cover Page - This form includes the following information:

PI, CoPIs names, department, and contact information;
Initiative Title;
Key words describing research or other activities;
Compliance/Approvals checklist;
Signature of Lead PI, Department Head.

NEW! (October 5, 2006) Reviewer's Guide to Proposal - In order to expedite the review of your full proposal, please include this form with your submission.This should be placed immediately after the cover page form.
Narrative Summary - up to 10 pages (exclusive of references) that may include the following, as appropriate:
1. Abstract - This should present a concise statement of what you are going to do, how you are going to do it, and why, in language suitable for a multidisciplinary clinical review panel. This summary might:
  1. Identify what issues or questions will be explored and the possible long-term societal impact and benefits.
  2. Describe how the proposed work could be supported at a later date by an external agency, if appropriate.
  3. Provide a summary time-line for the scholarship by major aims, goals, or milestones.
  4. Define any terms that are unique to the field.
  5. Highlight critical administrative plans and agreements that will be prerequisites for interdisciplinary collaboration.
2. Specific Aims: The questions or problems to be addressed. This might describe current efforts in this area and why the why pursuit of these questions will benefit from an interdisciplinary approach.
3. Background and Significance in the context of the NIH Roadmap CTSA initiative.
4. Preliminary Data.
5. Experimental Design/ Methods: Applicants may wish to outline the strategies proposed to accomplish the specific aims of the project and discuss the innovative aspects of the approach. Any new methodology and its advantage over existing methodologies should be described.
6. Resources: A description of the resources and working arrangements required to implement each project should be described. A distinction must be made between those resources that already are in place (including staff) and those resources that must be added to advance the project. Each PI’s expected contributions and responsibilities should be outlined. You may wish to discuss any long-term management plans.
7. Plan for submission to an external funding agency.
Budget - Each application requires an appropriate budget with full justification of personnel, materials, supplies, equipment, animal and patient care costs, costs associated with human subjects, and other expenses necessary for the proposed project period. An excel spreadsheet or table is acceptable.
1. Budget cannot include salary support for any investigator but should specify their time commitment.
2. Post Doc support and student stipends/fringes are eligible expenses.
3. Tuition remission is not an eligible expense. This will be covered by campus.
4. Indirect costs are prohibited.
5. Limited travel for purpose of professional meetings or essential collaboration may be approved.
NIH biosketches (including current and pending support for past five years) for all key personnel noting areas of potential funding overlap with this proposal.
Letters of support from the relevant Department/Unit head(s) affirming their agreement to the needed protected time, space, and other resources necessary for all study investigators to conduct the research.
Appendices should be limited to measurement instruments, surveys, and letters describing pledged resources.

Forms

Format

Single-spaced
12-point font minimum
Margins no less than 1 inch (2.5 cm) all around

Submission

The following should be submitted by Monday October 16 at 3:00 p.m.

One PDF file of complete proposal to ahalford@uic.edu. This should be one file and not a series of attachments.
One original and five double-sided paper copies to the attention of: Mr. Anthony Halford, Program Coordinator, Office of the Vice Chancellor for Research, Room 310, AOB, MC 672.

This is an internal competition so do not attach a PAF and do not deliver to the Office of Research Services.

Review Process

Proposals will be reviewed by an advisory panel and then by the CTSA Steering committee.

The CTSA Review Committee will forward their recommendation to the Vice Chancellor for Research who will make the final decisions.

Review Criteria

Review criteria will include the quality of the science, the likelihood that the project will successfully garner extramural support within a rapid time frame, and the potential impact of the proposal on the capabilities of the institution.

As you develop your proposal you may wish to consider the following, as appropriate:

Intrinsic Merit: The overall quality, relevance and innovation of the work to be done; the likelihood that the work will (a) lead to fundamental advances, to new clinical discoveries, or to new technological developments, and/or (b) improve the quality of life in Chicago and the broader community; the likelihood that the initiative will bring distinction to UIC; and the likelihood that the application will lead to successful funding in extramural competition will be factors in review.

Appropriateness: The need for and suitability of the initiative; whether this approach will add significantly to what could be accomplished through other modes of support. In addition, the integration of any component projects is important and should be described explicitly.

PI Qualifications: The qualifications and credentials of the PIs will be considered.

Institutional Commitment: The nature and level of resources available from the colleges/departments and from other sponsoring units will be considered.

Appropriateness of Management Plans and Arrangements: The adequacy of the organizational and administrative plans; the appropriateness of the budget; and the mechanism to evaluate project progress will be considered.

Human and Animal Subjects: Adequacy of the initiative’s plans for protection of human and animal subjects.

Progress and Post Award Reporting

An annual progress report must be submitted to the CTSA Steering Committee at the end of the funding cycle.

Grant Conditions

Grantees will be expected to participate in the CTSA interdisciplinary seminar series, including a presentation of their findings. They may also be asked to serve as peer reviewers in subsequent intramural grant competitions.

Questions

Faculty with questions should contact Tony Halford in the OVCR at 312-996-7036 or ahalford@uic.edu.