UAB: Comprehensive Cancer Center

QUALIFICATIONS:

--Applicants are limited to junior faculty members (Assistant Professors and Instructors) who received their terminal degree (MD, PhD, etc.) no more than 15 years previously, whose “Service Date” on the Faculty Data Form in their current position at UAB reflects three years or less, and who have not received funding from a major extramural agency (NIH, ACS, VA, US Army/DOD), excepting training awards.

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

--Awards will be limited to a maximum of $30,000 per investigator for a 12-month period beginning April 1, 2011 and ending March 31, 2012.

--Current recipients of JFDG awards may submit renewal applications for a total funding period not to exceed two years, as long as the above qualifications still apply. The renewal applications should be prepared exactly as for new applications, but should include a progress report section presenting accomplishments during the initial funding period and a strong rationale for the requested extended support. Renewal applications will be reviewed in direct competition with new proposals.

--Past recipients of UAB Comprehensive Cancer Center’s American Cancer Society IRG awards may apply for the JFDG, if applicants meet the above qualifications but should include a progress report section presenting accomplishments during the ACS IRG funding period and a strong rationale for the requested JFDG support.

--Applicants who previously submitted JFDG or UAB Comprehensive Cancer Center’s American Cancer Society IRG applications that were not funded may submit revised applications, as long as applicants meet the above qualifications. Revised applications should include a one page introduction in the Research Plan outlining the revisions and responses to the previous review committee’s critiques.

--Grant proposals should represent complete NIH R21-style applications, with the exceptions noted below. The JFDG program is not a mechanism to fund short-term investigations with limited potential for future research development.

FORMAT OF APPLICATIONS:

--Proposals should represent NIH R21-type research grant applications, with the important additions and exceptions noted below. Use the NIH PA-10-069 Program Announcement Guidelines (http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/pa-files/PA-10-069.html)

--Arrange application as follows, using NIH instructions except where noted otherwise.

Items # 1 - 10 must be included.

1. Conflict of Interest Disclosure Statements – Original signed forms for all key personnel listed in the application are required. Electronic Form and instructions can be obtained from https://blazerapps.uab.edu/uabforms/Disclosures/default.aspx or the UAB Office of the Conflict of Interest Review Board, AB 1120, phone 5-9691.

2. Face Page (SF424 (R&R) Form Page 1) – Print this page and allow your department’s chair to sign at the bottom. There is not a signature line, create one...

3. Description and Personnel Justification (SF424 (R&R) Modular Budget) – Note: document may be created in accordance to previous PHS 398 form for key personnel and uploaded to the PDF file.

4. Detailed Budget (SF424 (R&R) – Modular budget is not acceptable. See below for allowable expenses. Do not list any personnel with percent effort unless salary is budgeted.

5. Budget Justification (use NIH continuation page) – Describe roles of key personnel and explain any unusual budget requests.

6. Biographical Sketches (NIH Biographical Sketch Format Page) – For principal investigators and all other key personnel listed on form page 2. Two page limit for each sketch. List other support on separate other support pages.

7. Other Support (NIH Other Support Format Page) – For principal investigator, list all past, current and pending extramural and intramural support. Give award dates and total direct costs, and briefly describe each project. For all other key personnel, list only current and pending extramural and intramural awards.

8. Resources (NIH Resources Format Page)

9. Research Plan:

1. Specific Aims (not to exceed 6 pages)

2. Research Strategy (not to exceed 6 pages)

3. Human Subjects Sections

4. Vertebrate Animals

5. Select Agent Research

6. Bibliography & References Cited

7. Consortium/Contractual Arrangements

8. Resource Sharing Plan (Data Sharing and Model Organism Sharing)

10. NO Appendix Material Allowed

--UAB extramural checklist is not needed, and applications do not require full UAB OGCA signatures (“walk-through”). However, items listed below must be addressed, and the face page should be signed by the applicant’s departmental chairman.

--Human Use Approval must be filed with the UAB Institutional Review Board (IRB) for all proposals involving studies of human samples or data, at the time of CPDG submission. There is no “just in time” provision for CPDG applications. Applications using human samples or data that do not have IRB approval pending will not be reviewed. Funding cannot be activated until certification of UAB IRB human use approval has been received. Complete guidelines and forms for human use are available at the website http://main.uab.edu/show.asp?durki=30246, or from the IRB Director’s office, AB 470, phone 4-3789.

--Animal Use Approval must be filed with the UAB Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC) if animals are planned for study, at the time of CPDG submission. There is no “just in time” provision for CPDG applications. Applications using animals that do not have IACUC approval pending will not be reviewed. Funding cannot be activated until certification of UAB animal use approval has been received. Guidelines and forms are available at the website http://www.uab.edu/iacuc/ or from the IACUC Director’s office, VH B-10, phone 4-7692.

--Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) registration must be filed at the time of CPDG application submission. See http://www.healthsafe.uab.edu/pages/home/writingagrant.html for guidelines and forms.

BUDGET:

Indirect costs are not applicable to this award.

The following types of expenditures are allowable:

--Research supplies and animal maintenance

--Technical assistance

--Domestic travel when necessary to carry out the proposed research

--Publication costs, including reprints

--Cost of computer time

--Special fees (pathology, photography, etc.)

--Stipends for graduate students and postdoctoral assistants if their role is to promote and sustain the project presented by the junior faculty member

--Equipment costing less than $2,000 (excluding computers)

--Registration fees for scientific meetings

The following types of expenditures are NOT allowed:

--Construction or building maintenance, major alternations

--Dues and membership fees in scientific societies

--Foreign travel (except for scientific meetings held in Canada, see above)

--Honoraria and travel expenses for visiting lecturers

--Non-medical services to patients

--Office and laboratory furniture

--Office equipment and supplies, including computers and peripherals

--Per diem charges for hospital beds

--Purchasing and binding of periodicals and books

--Recruiting and relocation expenses

--Rental of office or laboratory space

--Salary of Principal Investigator or of secretarial/administrative personnel

--Tuition

SUBMISSION:

Applicants must submit one original paper application plus one complete electronic version of the application (PDF preferred).

Assemble the paper copy, including all original signed forms and notarized documents, in the order listed on page 2 (items #1 – 12). Do not staple; binder clip is preferred.

For the electronic version, Conflict of Interest Disclosure forms (item #2) may be omitted. Scan all other signed form pages and documents. It is recommended that the Research Plan section be directly converted into a PDF using Adobe Acrobat software (instead of scanning), so that figures and diagrams retain original color and resolution. Assemble the entire electronic application (excluding conflict of interest forms) in the same order as the paper application all together into one PDF.

Please deliver the original paper application to, Tinsley Harrison Towers, Room 922, Campus zip 0006 and E-mail the electronic application (PDF) to This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it . Feel free to submit your PDF version on disc if the file is too large to transmit electronically. Thank you.

Both the paper and electronic versions must be received no later than 5:00 pm on February 11, 2011.

REVIEW OF APPLICATIONS AND AWARDS: Applications are scheduled for review in March 2011, by a committee of UAB Comprehensive Cancer Center faculty. Awards are projected to start April 1, 2011. Awards cannot be activated until all applicable UAB conflict of interest, human use, animal use, and OHS reviews have been completed.

For questions about preparation and submission of applications:

Contact: Cheryl C. Lyles

E-mail: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Phone: 205.975.0734