UAB: Comprehensive Cancer Center

Each year the UAB SPORE in Breast Cancer provides Developmental Research (Pilot) and Career Development Awards (CDA) to investigators engaged in translational breast cancer research. Each award provides $50,000; proposed projects should be completed within a year, although a second year of funding is available after successful competitive renewal.

Applicants for CDAs are limited to junior faculty (assistant professors and instructors); applicants for pilot awards are available to senior and junior faculty. Post-doctoral fellows are encouraged to be included as co-investigators, but are ineligible to apply as principal investigator; faculty mentor required in role as P.I.

The purpose of CDA grants is to assist newly recruited or newly appointed faculty in initiating independent cancer-related research programs that will be highly competitive for future extramural funding at the national level.

It is expected that pilot project and CDA proposals will have great potential to either become full research projects within the SPORE or will lead to other extramural funding.

--Proposal must demonstrate relevance to breast cancer.

--Areas of interest: clinical pilot projects, laboratory research in phase I breast cancer therapy, diagnosis, cancer control, etc.

--Particular interests: molecular biology and pathogenesis of breast cancer, translation into the clinical setting or novel animal models.

--Applicants with current R01 or other major funding on the proposed research are ineligible.

Application process is two-tiered:

Tier-One: Two-page preliminary proposals are due June 1, 2011; meritorious proposals will be invited to compete in tier-two.

Tier-Two: NIH-formatted application is due August 8, 2011; funding for meritorious awards will begin September 1, 2011.

Tier-One Application Guidelines:

--Cover letter with the title of the proposed project, the type of award to which you are applying (i.e. pilot project, CDA), your name, department, and contact information.

--Two-page preliminary application using NIH continuation pages, outlining the following: objectives, specific aims, significance, and brief methodology.

--Four-page biographical sketch.

Tier-Two Application Guidelines (after successful competition in Tier-One):

--Submit an NIH-formatted full grant (PHS 398/2590 - Rev. 06/2009) including: NIH face page (signed by departmental head, NOT OGCA), abstract page, table of contents, detailed budget for initial budget period, budget for proposed two-year period (including budget justification section), four-page biographical sketch, and research plan (should be limited to five pages in length including graphs and figures).

A committee of UAB Breast SPORE investigators will make the final selection of grant recipients in late August with funding to begin September 1, 2011.

Budget Requirements:

Pilot Projects:

--Budgets are intended to fund technical support and the purchase of animals and supplies.

--Budgets are not intended to fund travel or faculty salaries.

--Indirect cost (IDC) rates are not included in the award and a letter stating IDC will be waived are required prior to funding (required only for non-UAB investigators).

CDAs:

--Budgets for CDAs are intended to fund faculty salary support.

--Not to exceed 30% of the total budget.

--Indirect cost (IDC) rates are not included in the award and a letter stating IDC will be waived are required prior to funding (required only for non-UAB investigators).

Submission:

Tier-One: submit electronic proposals to Carolyn Maddox at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

For additional information, questions or concerns, please contact Carolyn Maddox at (205) 934-2089 or This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it