Research Support & Services: Funding: Intramural Funding Opportunities

UM Center for Computational Medicine and Bioinformatics

Call for Proposals
Pilot Research Grant Program 2008

Deadline: Monday, October 20, 2008

The Center for Computational Medicine and Bioinformatics announces its Pilot Research Grant Competition for 2008 (FY2009). The goal of the Pilot Grant program is to bring together research faculty in different fields (computational/mathematical/statistical/informatics and biological/chemical/clinical/translational) in joint projects which will foster successful future proposals to NIH or other funding agencies.

The CCMB is committed to developing and applying computational and informatics approaches in biomedical research through faculty interactions, our academic program and seminars, major interdisciplinary research, and Pilot Projects. In 2000-2003, the Bioinformatics Program awarded four rounds of pilot grants (19 awards in all), which proved highly productive. In 2006, nine pilot projects and one working group (of 35 submitted) were funded from 2005-2006 budgets. Last year 7 proposals were funded (of 27 submitted). This year we will have $520K available for grants, permitting 8 or more grants, depending on the average budget awarded. We are making the announcement well in advance of the October 20 due date to encourage formation of new collaborations.

Proposal Criteria:

In preparing your proposal, please address the following criteria, which will be used by the reviewers to score the proposals: 

  1. A pairing of a computational/mathematical/statistical/informatics PI and a biological/chemical/clinical/translational PI. The two primary collaborators must be from the two different domains, and both must make substantive research contributions.  At least one investigator must be on the roster of CCMB Affiliate Faculty (see the faculty roster for potential collaborators). A letter must be included describing the collaborative nature of the project, and the level of personal commitment, signed by both PIs.
  1. Compelling and feasible research aims combining use of computational and informatics capabilities with an important biological or biomedical problem. Innovation on both computational and experimental sides is strongly encouraged.
  1. Justification that $50,000 to $70,000 total over a 1 year time-frame would make a significant difference in generating a strong research proposal for external funding.
  1. Please limit the number of proposals per PI to two (one proposal per PI is preferred).
  1. Proposals that involve students from the Bioinformatics Graduate Program are encouraged.
  1. Whereas proposals from all areas of computational medicine and biology are welcome, we particularly encourage proposals oriented towards:
    1. modeling physiological and pathological processes using systems approaches with focus on disease-specific datasets, or
    2. using NCIBI tools and developing next generation computational and data integration tools that enhance the biological models.

** Please note that all PIs who received awards in 2007 will be ineligible to compete this year; however they will be eligible in subsequent years. We expect that investigators funded in 2007 will serve as reviewers for the 2008 competition.

Funding and Timeline:

Maximum request accepted: $70K, to cover salary, equipment, supplies, software, other research needs. Number of awards expected: at least 8.

Timeline: Deadline for submission: October 20, 2008; notice of awards after review and possibly requests for additional information: December 31, 2008.

Application Process:

Submission and Format of the Grant:

Applications must be submitted by Monday, October 20, 2008 electronically as a single PDF file to: (CCMBpilotRFA@umich.edu). PLEASE NOTE THAT E-MAIL SUBMISSIONS ARE NOT ERROR-PROOF. WE ACKNOWLEDGE RECEIPT OF ALL ELECRONIC SUBMISSIONS.

If you do not receive a response from us by the end of the next business day, please call us at 734-763-4086.

The body of the proposal will be organized as follows:

  1. Cover page with title, investigators, departments, requested amount, other details (Download application)
  1. Abstract (250 words)
  1. Body of proposal, 8 pages max, single-spaced with spaces between paragraphs, 11 point font, including text, figures, tables, and references. Organization:
  • Specific Aims: no more than 1/2 page. A pilot project must be focused on a clear aim.
  • Rationale, motivation, and preliminary findings
  • Research Plan, explicitly tied to Specific Aims
  • Nature of the collaboration of the complementary PIs
  • Relationship of the proposed work to current funding and work plan with timeline to credible high-probability funding proposal to NIH (or other specific funding agency)
  • Space, equipment, and other resources to meet needs of the proposed work.
  • References
  1. Budget and budget justification (Download form). The maximum budget request accepted is $70K, to cover salary, equipment, supplies, software, other research needs.
  1. Standard 2-page PHS 398 biosketch for each investigator (Download blank template)
  1. Other Support information for each investigator in NIH format (Download blank template)
  1. Letter of Collaboration signed by both PIs

No other appendices accepted.

Progress Reports:

Grant recipients will provide a progress report after 6 months; also, periodic follow-up thereafter on publications and grants.


Questions?

Please contact Alla Karnovsky, CCMB Pilot Project coordinator, at (akarnovs@umich.edu), phone 734-615-9314; or Gil Omenn, CCMB Director, at (gomenn@umich.edu).