DaCCoTA posts COVID-19-related pilot grant awards
The Dakota Cancer Collaborative on Translational Activity (DaCCoTA) Pilot Projects Program is requesting applications for COVID-19-Related Pilot Grant Awards. The goal of the DaCCoTA program is to stimulate growth of expertise and engagement in cancer-related clinical and translational research (CTR) in the Dakota region encompassed by the states of North and South Dakota. The mission of the Pilot Projects Program is to provide seed funding to highly innovative projects in clinical and translational cancer research.
This award is intended for projects that address the intersection between cancer and/or cancer-related care and the COVID pandemic environment. Applications will focus on T2- T4 translational research, although T1 studies will be considered if there is a clear plan to progress to T2-T4.
Eligibility Criteria: Faculty and clinicians at participating DaCCoTA institutions who have applied and been accepted into the DaCCoTA Pathfinder network (https://pathfinder.med.und.edu/) are eligible to apply. Investigators with a Principal Investigator (PI) role on other NIH IDeA funding mechanisms are not eligible for a PI role on DaCCoTA awards.
All proposals must include a discussion of the relevance of the proposal to the DaCCoTA mission and consideration of relevance for high priority cancers and vulnerable populations in North and South Dakota. Additionally, participation in the DaCCoTA Pathfinder network is required. Prior consultation with the DaCCoTA 1) Pilot Projects, 2) Biostatistics, Epidemiology, and Research Design, 3) Community Engagement and Outreach, and 4) Clinical Research Resources and Facilities Cores is required. Demonstration of available research percentage effort for the PIs/co-Is and associated personnel on the proposal must be provided.
Evidence of available research effort and salary support must be provided in the form of a letter from the departmental chair or clinical service unit chief for each PI/co-I. All proposals must have completed internal approval at their respective institution.
Team Requirements: Applications must be from a collaborative clinician/non-clinician team. The teams may or may not require mentoring and collaborative support to initiate and carry out a research project with the express goal of maintaining a research effort. All pilot awards must have a PI or co-I who is a clinician and a PI or co-I who is a non-clinician. If a potential PI needs but has not been able to identify a relevant teammate, the Pilot Projects Program will assist in identifying one from among the collaborating academic institutions and hospital networks participating in the DaCCoTA program. The primary PI must also meet eligibility requirements for NIH funding. Preparation of all pilot awards should involve extensive interaction pre-submission as well as post-award with the Pilot Projects Program, which will coordinate interactions with other cores to provide insight regarding research design, grant/publication preparation, and federal/non-federal funding mechanisms.
Awardees are required to provide an oral presentation at the annual DaCCoTA symposium and provide milestone reports.
Funding: Funds up to $50,000 (direct+indirect costs) per award are anticipated to begin in July 2020. Awards smaller in scope and budget are also encouraged. No extensions will be allowed. Funds may not be used to support PI/co-I salaries, consultant/collaborator salaries, or to purchase capital equipment. PIs must have an eRA Commons username.
Application Process and Deadlines: Applications must be submitted as a PDF attachment and must use PHS 398 forms https://grants.nih.gov/grants/funding/phs398/phs398.html.
- Letters of intent (1-page maximum) will be accepted on a rolling basis but no later than May 1, 2020.
- Full applications will be invited from selected applicants with submissions accepted on a rolling basis but no later than May 22, 2020.
- Expected award period will be July 2020-June 2021.
The letter of intent and subsequent full application should be submitted as a pdf to: Jessica.craig@und.edu.
All applicants proposing studies involving human subjects or vertebrate animals must initiate the process of obtaining IRB or IACUC approval prior to submitting their applications.
Questions related to the COVID-19-Related Pilot Grant Awards should be directed to Jessica Craig, Pilot Grant Core Coordinator (jessica.craig@UND.edu).
