Key Program Facts
Total Funds Available: $250,000
Announcement Date: February 1, 2008
Application Receipt Deadline: March 31, 2008
Earliest Possible Funding: May 1, 2008
Program Description
Purpose
The Clinical and Translational Science Institute (CTSI) develops and supports interdisciplinary and collaborative research that moves scientific discoveries to applications in human health and health care, with particular emphasis on the health of diverse urban populations in and around Los Angeles. The CTSI Pilot and Feasibility Grant Program provides funds to develop new clinical and translational research projects and/or move existing projects through a crucial “next step” in the translational process. The grant program has two types of awards:
- Awards for Complete Pilot Studies: These must be complete projects designed to collect preliminary data, such as proof-of-concept or demonstration of feasibility, for use in development of applications for extramural funding. Funding limit; $50,000 per award
- Awards for Access to Core Resources: These awards will support access to core resources for the collection and/or analysis of data required to advance an existing clinical or translational research project through a crucial “next step”. Examples include, but are not limited to genotyping, microarray analysis, in vivo or in vitro imaging, cell processing, medicinal chemistry, and data analysis. Other uses will be considered if well justified. Funding limit: $20,000 per award
The CTSI takes a broad view of clinical and translational science. We encourage proposals to advance in any way the translation of scientific discovery to improved health and health care, including proposals to develop novel technology that can be applied to clinical and translational research problems. Some examples of the levels of clinical and translational research that qualify for this program are:
- Research to translate basic biological discoveries into novel therapeutic and/or diagnostic tools that can be tested in humans
- Research to apply basic biological discoveries to the identification of novel disease mechanisms in humans
- Proof-of-concept and proof-of-efficacy/safety studies of novel diagnostics or therapeutics in humans
- Studies to translate research findings to clinical care and community health practices and studies to develop novel approaches to that translation
- Computing and engineering approaches to disease diagnosis and treatment and/or approaches to information management and analysis in clinical and translational research
- Development of novel approaches and tools for education and dissemination of clinical and translational research findings among researchers and to care providers, patients and/or the public
The CTSI places particular emphasis on interdisciplinary research; we encourage proposals that will develop new collaborations that cross traditional academic disciplines and institutions.
Eligibility
This program is available to any employee of USC or Childrens Hospital Los Angeles who is eligible to be PI on a research grant at their home institution. Applicants for full pilot projects are strongly encouraged to engage co-investigators from disciplines and institutions outside their own in order to foster interdisciplinary and inter-institutional research. Applicants are also encouraged to include students or trainees in their projects.
Application
Application forms and instructions are available at the CTSI website (ctsi.usc.edu), under the link “Pilot Grant Program”. Note that each program (Complete Pilot Projects and Access to Core Resources) has its own unique set of instructions and application form. Questions can be addressed to CTSI Director Thomas Buchanan (buchanan@usc.edu), or CTSI Administrative Director, Karla Garcia (garcia@usc.edu).
Review
Peer review will be conducted by the CTSI Institute Advisory Committee. For awards to support full pilot projects, emphasis will be placed on novelty, interdisciplinary and translational nature of the research, and potential for the research to serve as a basis for successful translation, including extramural grant support. For awards to support access to specific core resources, emphasis will be placed on the novelty of the work and on the evidence that the proposed core support will provide a crucial next step in the evolution of the translational or clinical research project, including positioning for new extramural support. Final funding decisions will be made by the CTSI Institute Advisory Committee on the basis of scientific merit, match with the mission of the CTSI, and availability of funds.
Funds and Their Use
We plan to award up to $250,000 through this one-time program announcement in the 2007-2008 academic year. Applicants should note that the stated funding limits for each type of application are intended as maximum allowable requests, not as suggested levels of support. Applicants are encouraged to consider and justify requests carefully. Awards will support direct costs only; overhead charges and tuition reimbursement costs are not allowed. Awards for full pilot projects will be made for one year and may include investigator salary up to $5,000 plus applicable fringe benefit costs. Awards for access to core resources will be made for six months; investigator salary is not allowed for these smaller awards. For both types of awards, awardees may apply for a no-cost extension at the end of the award period. Those applications will be reviewed by the CTSI Executive Committee; decisions regarding extensions will be based on progress toward goals stated in the application for funding.
