| Funding Opportunities The Louisiana Cancer Research Consortium has funds to support Members in their cancer research efforts. The types of funds and their prioritization are discussed below:
Direct Research Support
Objectives
To provide funding for novel research projects by Cancer Researchers in the areas of basic, pre-clinical, clinical, and population based cancer research. The goals of this program are to strengthen the programmatic structure of the LCRC, to increase the research base, to improve cancer care for our citizens, and to attain NCI designation as a P-30 funded cancer center.
Funding is dependent on availability of funds.
The following programs of Direct Research Support are covered under this RFP:
Program A
Program B
Program C
This program is currently being evaluated and is on hold until further notice.
Deadlines & Funding Priorities and Elegibility:
Approximately $1,000,000 is available to be allocated among the Bridge, Competitive Advantage and Seed Funds. Priority will be given in the order of Bridge Funds, Competitive Advantage Funds, Seed Funds. Given the limited funding, it is advisable to discuss any application with the appropriate Program Leader or Associate Director prior to submission. LCRC funding does not provide for indirect costs or salary support for the Faculty Salaries. This support is expected to come from institutional funds to assure the protected time for the research project to be successful. Applications for the categories in Program A (Bridge, CAF, SEED) are due April 1, August 1, and December 1.
Approximately $500,000 is available for the postdoctoral fellow program in Program B. These funds are aimed at expanding our base of high quality postdoctoral trainees in strong cancer research laboratories rather than supporting existing trainees. In line with this philosophy, there is no deadline for application for these funds, but instead applications should be made during the recruitment of a candidate.
Eligibility Synopsis:
Eligibility for all funding categories is limited to LCRC members.
Eligible expenses:
Funds may be requested to provide staff salary support and supplies, but major equipment purchases are not allowed.
LCRC funding does not support indirect costs or faculty salaries.
The funding maximum for each award type is as follows:
- The maximum award for a Bridge Fund is $100,000
- The maximum award for a Seed Fund is $100,000/yr for two years
- The maximum award for a Competitive Advantage Fund is $50,000 (renewable one time)
- The maximum award for Postdoctoral Fellow Support is $50,000
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A 1 Bridge Funds
When a competitive renewal to the NIH is not funded, but the NIH Study Section has dertermined a priority score within 15 percentile points of the payline for funding, funds may be provided so that the investigator’s work can continue in anticipation of a successful resubmission. Grants without a percentile score will be evaluated on an individual basis. Upon the recommendation of the Program Leader, the Scientific Executive Committee will evaluate such requests for Bridge Funds with the following priority:
- First or subsequent renewals of a NIH grant that is programmatic but funded by an institute other than NCI.
The upper limit of Bridge Funding shall be $100,000. Duration of funding shall be one year. Additional funding will be dependent on the results of resubmission. NOTE: Special priority shall be accorded requests in the categories above that are “matched” by Dean or Department funds.
Bridge Fund Application and Review Process:
Investigators will submit a detailed budget and budget justification, and a document, no longer than three pages, that responds to reviewers comments and outlines a clear plan and timetable for external funding.
Members will also submit a cover letter documenting their involvement in an LCRC Scientific Program and the relevance of their research to the development of an LCRC Scientific Program. Members should be prepared to provide a copy of their NIH grant submissions if requested. In addition, Investigators may be asked to provide their respective program leaders access to their NIH Summary Statement. Should an issue arise during the application process, access to the Summary Statement may be extended to the members of the SEC. No copies of the Summary Statements will remain on file in any administrative office, as they are privileged and sensitive documents. In the event that the investigator also serves as a Program Leader, support from the Associate Director of Basic Science, Clinical Science, or Population Sciences, will serve as program support. The science of the proposal will determine which Associate Director will recommend submission to the SEC. Submission will simultaneously be sent via email to: rthetonia@lcrc.info and the appropriate program leader.
- Members will be required to specify any overlap with other funding requests or active funding.
- Members are responsible for discussing the program relevance of the proposal with the Program Leader and for soliciting the Program Leader’s evaluation.
- The Scientific Executive Committee consisting of the Co-Directors and Associate Directors of the LCRC will review only those Proposals recommended for review by Program Leaders.
- Program Leader evaluation must comment on merit and Program relevance.
- Grant accounts for the Bridge proposals awarded will be established and managed through the business office of the LCRC partner institution, (LSU-NO, Tulane or Xavier) of which the investigator/ member is a faculty member
Dates:
Established Date: 08/01/07
Deadline(s) Bridge Fund : 08/01/07, 12/01/07, and 04/01/008
Review Date(s) Bridge Fund: 08/28/07, 12/18/07, and 4/28/08
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A 2 Competitive Advantage Funds (CAF)
The CAF is a mechanism whereby LCRC investigators who have come close to obtaining funding for programmatic research during the initial submission of their grant to the National Institutes of Health or other federal agency can obtain funds from the LCRC aimed at supporting their research during the period of grant resubmission.
The maximum award from the Competitive Advantage Fund is $50,000.
LCRC funding does not support indirect costs or faculty salaries.
Eligible members are:
- Junior faculty members who have obtained a priority score within 20 percentile points above the payline at the time of their review.
- Senior faculty members who have obtained a priority score of 15 percentile points above the payline at the time of their review.
- Grants submitted in response to RFPs and assigned to special study sections which do not provide “percentiles” will be considered on an individual basis. The SEC may require the summary statement to help in the review and priority process.
Junior Faculty
- Junior faculty members are Cancer Center investigators who have never obtained an NIH or competitive federal grant OR investigators who have obtained their first RO1, but have not yet had it renewed through a competitive renewal process.
- Eligible junior faculty must submit their initial grant application with the reviews from the NIH to their Program Leader.
- The Program Leader will assist the investigator select a qualified grant reviewer (the Scientific Program will provide funding support for external reviews).
- If NIH review results in a priority score within 20 percentile points of the payline, but the application is not funded, the investigator will submit through the Program Leader a request for CAF to the Scientific Executive Committee (SEC).
- The SEC, consisting of the Co-Directors and Associate Directors of the LCRC, will review and approve/deny the CAF request.
- Grant accounts for the CAF proposals awarded will be established and managed through the business office of the LCRC partner institution, (LSU-NO, Tulane or Xavier) of which the investigator/ member is a faculty member.
Senior Faculty
- Senior faculty are Cancer Center investigators who have had NIH RO1 grants.
- If NIH review results in a priority score within 15 percentile points of the payline, but the application is not funded, the senior investigator will submit through the Program Leader a request for CAF to the SEC.
- The SEC will review the proposal and the program leader’s critique and recommendations. If the SEC recommends external review, such review may become a condition of CAF support. The LCRC will provide funds for external review.
- The SEC will review and approve/ deny the CAF request.
Competitive Advantage Funds (CAF) Application and Review Process:
Investigators will submit a detailed budget and budget justification, and a document, no longer than two pages, that responds to reviewers comments and outlines a clear plan and timetable for external funding. Members will also submit a cover letter documenting their involvement in an LCRC Scientific Program and the relevance of their research to the development of an LCRC Scientific Program. Members should be prepared to provide a copy of their NIH grant submissions if requested. In addition Investigators may be asked to provide their respective program leaders access to their NIH Summary Statement. Should an issue arise during the application process, access to the Summary Statement may be extended to the members of the SEC. No copies of the Summary Statements will remain on file in any administrative office, as they are privileged and sensitive documents. In the event that the investigator also serves as a Program Leader, support from the Associate Director of Basic Science, Clinical Science, or Population Sciences, will serve as program support. The science of the proposal will determine which Associate Director will recommend submission to the SEC. Submission will simultaneously be sent via email to: rthetonia@lcrc.info and the appropriate program leader.
- Members will be required to specify any overlap with other funding requests or active funding.
- Members are responsible for discussing the program relevance of the proposal with the Program Leader and for soliciting the Program Leader’s evaluation.
- Program Leader evaluation must comment on merit and program relevance.
- The Scientific Executive Committee consisting of the Co-Directors and Associate Directors of the LCRC will review only those Proposals recommended for review by Program Leaders.
- Grant accounts for the CAF proposals awarded will be established and managed through the business office of the LCRC partner institution, (LSU-NO, Tulane or Xavier) of which the investigator/ member is a faculty member.
Note: The K series award covers salary of the cancer researcher. These are not eligible for the $25,000 incentive but are eligible for interim salary support. The LCRC will cover the amount requested in the K award.
Dates:
Established Date: 08/01/07
Deadline(s) Competitive Advantage Fund : 08/01/07, 12/01/07, and 04/01/008
Review Date(s) Competitive Advantage Fund: 08/28/07, 12/18/07, and 4/28/08
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A 3 Seed Funds
Funds will be available to LCRC Members to support pilot research projects with the goal of competing successfully for NCI (or equivalent) peer-reviewed research funding. Priority will be given to members with existing extramural funding and to new recruits to whom LCRC has pledged support for an initial start-up period.
All proposals will require project descriptions to be written in standard NIH grant submission format - RO1 format is preferred. The applications should include specific aims, background & significance, preliminary studies, research design & methods, as well as references, a budget and budget justification, biographical sketches and a complete description of other support. All proposals will be evaluated by the appropriate LCRC scientific program leader and recommended to the Scientific Executive Committee (SEC) for further review and determination. Qualified reviewers will be used as deemed appropriate by the LCRC scientific leadership. Therefore, the applicant should provide three (3) names and contact information for qualified reviewers. Scientific merit, potential for NCI funding, and programmatic fit will be used by the Scientific Executive Committee as criteria to prioritize funding. Priority will be given to the research proposals that are collaborative between the parent institutions: Tulane University, LSUHSC New Orleans, and Xavier University.
Funding will be limited to a maximum award of $100,000 per year for a maximum of two years for projects involving collaboration between universities. For projects at a single institution, funding is limited to a maximum of $50,000 per year for a maximum of two years. There must be a detailed progress report consisting of a formal written plan for grant submission including a specific aims page and a detailed plan for obtaining the preliminary data to meet the aims of the proposal. This progress report should be in standard NIH format and is due to the Office of Scientific Administration eleven (11) months after the date of the award letter. This progress report will further require a presentation to the Scientific Executive Committee (SEC).
LCRC funding does not support indirect costs or faculty salary
Seed Fund Application and Review Process:
Prior to proposal submission, members will submit a Letter of Intent (LOI) that includes the specific aims of the project, researcher biosketches, the specific roles for the collaborating laboratories, a description of the long-term benefits the project provides to the LCRC research program, and an outline that sets a clear plan and time table for external funding. The SEC will request a full proposal submission for approved LOIs in the standard NIH grant format, R-01 format is preferred, with a 10 page limit with a detailed budget and budget justification. Members will also submit a cover letter documenting their involvement in an LCRC Scientific Program and the relevance of their research to the development of an LCRC Scientific Program. In the event that the investigator also serves as a Program Leader, support from the Associate Director of Basic Science, Clinical Science, or Population Sciences, will serve as program support. The scientific content of the proposal will determine which Associate Director will recommend submission to the SEC.
All components of the grant proposals will be submitted to the Office of Scientific Administration OSA in one PDF document on or before the deadline for applications.
The documents should appear in the following order:
- One cover letter documenting the points listed above and signed by all investigators.
- One letter of support from the Program Leader(s) addressing the scientific merit of the project and their approval for the project to go before the SEC for review.
- The proposal in standard NIH grant format.
- Current Bioskeches of all investigators involved with the project.
- One year detailed budget in NIH format.
- One page detailed budget justification.
- Qualified reviewers critique when applicable.
Progress reports will also be sent to the OSA in one PDF document. The documents should appear in the following order:
- The progress report in standard NIH grant submission.
- Proposals requesting a second year of funding should submit a detailed budget in NIH format with a detailed budget justification.
Submission will simultaneously be sent via email to: rthetonia@lcrc.info and the appropriate program leader.
- Members will be required to specify any overlap with other funding requests or active funding.
- Members are responsible for discussing the program relevance of the proposal with the Program Leader and for soliciting the Program Leader’s evaluation and support.
- Members should provide 3 names and contact information for qualified reviewers. External reviews will be supported by Scientific Program Funds
- Program Leader evaluation must comment on merit and program relevance.
- The Scientific Executive Committee consisting of the Co-Directors and Associate Directors of the LCRC will review only those RFPs recommended for review by Program Leaders.
- Should an investigator employ the use of an external reviewer the critique should be included as part of the submission packet.
- Xavier members will include a letter documenting release time agreed to by their University Dean and Department Chair when applicable.
- Dates for the presentations to the SEC will be determined and may coincide with SEC meetings or LCRC retreats and seminars. The SEC will determine the date of project presentation and the OSA will coordinate the event with investigators.
- LCRC members may only participate in a major role in one Seed Fund proposal during the Seed Fund term. Members are eligible to apply for other LCRC funding - Bridge Funds, CAF, and PIP - while applying for or participating in a Seed Fund project or proposal.
- Grant accounts for the Seed proposals awarded will be established and managed through the business office of the LCRC partner institution, (LSU-NO, Tulane or Xavier) of which the investigator/ member is a faculty member
Dates:
Established Date: 08/01/07
Deadline(s) LOI: 07/07/07, 11/01/07, and 03/01/08
Deadline(s) Seed Fund : 08/01/07, 12/01/07, and 04/01/08
Review Date(s) Seed Fund: 08/28/07, 12/18/07, and 4/28/08
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B 1 Postdoctoral Fellow Support
Postdoctoral support provides the opportunity for support to newly funded and established labs. Funds are provided by two separate mechanisms to Consortium members.
All requests for postdoctoral support will be evaluated and prioritized by the Program Leader and reviewed by the Associate Directors who will recommend support within budget to the Co-Directors. Applicants should have a Postdoctoral candidate in mind, since the review process will evaluate both the laboratory training and the candidate potential for independence.
- Upon the recommendation of the Program Leader, an investigator may be eligible for a salary supplement for a postdoctoral fellow supported by NIH, DOD, or National ACS grant. Highest priority will be given to investigators supported by grants from NCI.
- Upon recommendation of the Program Leader, an investigator may be eligible for support of a postdoctoral fellow to enhance or expand his/her NIH-funded research program. In this instance, the LCRC would be underwriting the cost of the postdoctoral fellow for competitive faculty. Highest priority will be given to investigators funded by NCI and for support of NRSA-eligible fellows. (http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/pa-files/PA-06-373.html#SectionIII)
There is no deadline for application for postdoctoral support funds, but instead applications should be made during the recruitment of a post-doctoral candidate.
Budget: Funding is allowed up to the NIH allowed salary level for one (1) year. Funding for an additional six (6) months is dependent on the timely submission of a NRSA-equivalent postdoctoral fellowship application. http://grants1.nih.gov/training/nrsa.htm
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Pilot Incentive Program - On Hold
This program is currently being evaluated and is on hold until further notice.
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Indirect Research Support Guest Speakers/Visiting Professors
Scientific seminars and speakers will be supported from Consortium funds provided that external scientific experts are utilized and the seminars address programmatic and strategic needs within the Consortium. These visiting scientists may, for example, be members of study sections of focused interest for faculty members applying for grants or they may be experts who can provide advice and critique in a specific area of ongoing or proposed research. For external scientific visitors it is necessary to pay for transportation, hotel, and meals, as well as an honorarium. The honorarium will be in accordance with generally accepted norms and will be used to attract particularly qualified researchers for visits, seminars, and faculty interactions.
Travel Funds
Travel budgets to support faculty members who have successfully earned presentation opportunities at national research meetings is an appropriate use of Consortium funds. These funds will be used primarily to promote presentation of scientific findings at such meetings. Commonly at scientific meetings the interplay between collaborators (both old and new) is critical for ongoing grant success as well as for publication of manuscripts in prestigious peer-reviewed journals. The presence of Consortium members at prestigious scientific meetings is an important aid to faculty recruitment. Other travel may be supported if it is in direct support of Consortium program development goals. Travel support will be granted within budget by the Program Leaders.
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Research Infrastructure Support Cores
A high priority for the Consortium and each University is the acquisition of and accessibility to state-of-the-art research instrumentation. Initially, Core structure will have to accommodate investigator activity in two locations. Ultimately, the Consortium research and the Consortium Cores will be consolidated in the building currently being planned. The Consortium is currently developing the following Cores: Genomics, Proteomics, Biostatistics/Bioinformatics, Immunology, and Tissue Acquisition.
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External Grant Review Pre-Submission
External grant consultants are valuable to program development. Their role is to critique grant proposals in terms of format, structure, logic, scientific content and impact. Grant consultants may be drawn from external faculty sources and are paid a grant review fee that is dependent on the complexity of the grant. Alternatively, a more general consultant may be retained and paid in accordance with generally prevailing rates. Grant consultation is approved by Program Leaders within budget.
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External Funding Opportunities
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For More Information...
Contact
Rhonda Thetonia, Ph.D., Associate Director for Scientific Administration at the LCRC,
Phone: 504-680-2998
Email:rthetonia@lcrc.info
Copyright(c) Louisiana Cancer Research Consortium, 2003-2006
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