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ICTS PILOT PROJECT AWARDS
The UCI ICTS is pleased to announce a new call for the Pilot Project Awards Program. Four to six one-year awards in the amount of $25,000 - 45,000 will be conferred in this round, with a funding period of April 1, 2013–March 31, 2014. As a reference to applicants, in the previous call, 58 applications were received, 6 of which were awarded.
Eligible Projects
Clinical Translational Science Projects, currently not funded and aimed at obtaining preliminary results for a full application for extramural funds, are considered eligible.
A clinical translational science project is defined as any project aimed at accelerating the transition from discoveries arising from laboratory, clinical, or population studies into clinical applications. It is expected that about half of the funded projects will be focused on novel technology development.
Principal Investigators (PIs) must be full time UCI faculty from any school or discipline; junior faculty (assistant professor or equivalent and lower) are especially encouraged to apply, but established investigators pursuing novel research lines are also welcome.
The review process will be structured in two phases:
- Phase I: submission of scientific abstract
(Deadline: November 2, 2012; notification of results December 1); - Phase II: submission of full proposal; this will be limited to the top 20-25
abstracts submitted during Phase I
(Deadline: January 15, 2013; notification: March 15, 2013, funding date: April 1, 2013)
Application Materials
Phase I:
Abstract Submission: Abstracts are to be limited to 1 page with font no smaller than 11 points and 0.5 inch margins. The information to be provided includes:
- Title of the project
- Investigators; with clear identification of PI and full contact information
- Total amount of money requested
- Indication as to whether the application is new or a revision
- Specific Aims of the project
- A brief description of the research plan
- A signed statement that the project is not funded through another mechanism
Phase II:
Full Proposal Submission
- Biosketch of PI (NIH format)
- Home department letter of support
- Stating availability of matching funds
- For junior faculty only, naming senior faculty sponsor
- Research plan (5 pages max.)
Must include explanation of the following: - Why the project fits the definition of translational science
- Detailed plan and timeline for future extramural fund application(s)
- Budget (itemized, 1 page maximum)
Must clearly state the following: - Total budget for the project
- Amount requested from the ICTS ($45,000 Maximum)
- Matching amount committed by Home Department (If available)
- ICTS funds cannot be used to support the PI’s salary, computer purchases, or travel. Other personnel salaries are allowable.
- For resubmissions only: Investigators who applied to a previous call for Pilot Project Awards Program and were NOT funded are eligible to apply for a second time. These investigators must check the box on the protocol submission page indicating that this is a resubmission from a previous call.
Home Department Involvement
For all applicants: Investigators are encouraged to request that ICTS funding be matched, at least in part, with departmental funds; this will allow the ICTS to support more projects. While applications without commitment of matching departmental funds remain eligible for funding (and indeed have been funded in the past), evidence of home department support, including matching funds, is one of the scoring criteria, and may enhance the chances of a proposal to be funded.
For junior faculty: (assistant professor or equivalent and lower): before funds are released, a senior faculty mentor from the awardee's home department must agree to act as a sponsor (including general project supervision, participation in an initial milestone-setting meeting, and periodic progress report meetings).
Regulatory Approval:Applicants should be aware of the fact that while having regulatory approval i.e. IRB or IACUC for the project is not necessary for funding, funds if awarded will not be release, by NIH mandate, until such approval has been receive.
Notification Emails for Receipt of Proposal
A notification email indicating the receipt of your protocol will be sent within 24 hours of submission. If you have not received an email, please contact Dr. Pietro Galassetti (949-824-3353) or Diana Vigil (949-825-1231).
Resubmissions
Applications that were not funded during a prior call for ICTS pilot awards may be resubmitted by checking the appropriate box during the application process. Resubmissions will have the opportunity to address the criticisms raised during the review process; however, no additional space will be allowed for the rebuttal, which will have to be included in the 1-page limit of the abstract and, if accepted to the second phase, in the 6 page limit of the research plan. A maximum on ONE resubmission will be allowed for each previously unfunded project.
Milestones and Monitoring
Before funds are released, a meeting between the awardee, department sponsor, department administrator, department financial analyst, and ICTS staff will set specific milestones to gauge project progression. Continuation of support throughout the entire award period will be contingent upon meeting the project's goals in a timely manner.
Review Process
Review criteria will include:
- Overall project scientific merit
- Translational nature of the project
- Scientific environment
- Project feasibility within the proposed time frame
- Likelihood of generating extramural funding
- Intrinsic scientific strength and innovation of the research plan
- Significance and impact of the proposed research
- Qualifications of the PI
- Home department support/matching fund
For more information, please contact Dr. Pietro Galassetti at pgalasse@uci.edu or Diana Vigil at dvigil1@uci.edu
To apply, please use this link. (A valid UCI NetID will be required).
THE APPLICATION DEADLINES:
PHASE I (Abstract): November 1, 2012, 5:00 p.m.
PHASE II (Full proposal): January 15, 2013, 5:00 p.m.