Request for Research Catalyst Funding Proposals

University of Rochester Environmental Health Sciences Center & Institute for Human Health and the Environment

REQUEST FOR RESEARCH CATALYST FUNDING PROPOSALS

The University of Rochester’s Environmental Health Sciences Center (EHSC) and the Institute for Human Health and the Environment (IHHE) have Research Catalyst Funds to support a limited number of meritorious pilot projects. Through a strong multi- and interdisciplinary framework, the EHSC and IHHE foster advances and innovations in research examining relationships between the environment and human health and disease. The objective of the proposed research project needs to address a problem or issue that is related to understanding how environment—a single factor or exposure or group of factors—has a beneficial or deleterious impact on human health. This includes research that involves in vitro systems, mammalian and non-mammalian model organisms and model systems, human subjects, archived human tissues and cells, databases, computational and in silico studies, as well as community-based participatory research. Applicants may request a maximum of $50,000 for the duration of one year.

Goals

The Research Catalyst Program is intended to provide seed funding to obtain preliminary data for extramural grant submissions. Research Catalyst Funds are intended to help develop new research directions, and to promote new collaborations among investigators, particularly collaborations that span disciplines or bring together individuals who have not yet worked together previously; however, this is not a requirement. UR faculty at all levels (Assistant Professor level or higher) are eligible to apply. Faculty from all departments are eligible, and membership in the EHSC or affiliation with IHHE is not required. Funds may be used for research expenses, staff salary, and trainee stipend or salaries, but not for equipment, computers, renovations, or travel.  While faculty salary is typically not supported, salary support for programmers, biostatisticians or research faculty is permissible. Applications with more than one Principal Investigator are permitted, with justification; however, concurrent funding of more than one pilot award to the same principal investigator is not permitted.

Applicants are encouraged to take advantage of the outstanding EHSC Cores, which include the Community Engagement Core (directed by Katrina Korfmacher), the Biostatistics and Bioinformatics Core (directed by Sally Thurston), and Translational Research Support Core (TRSC directed by Steve Georas and Todd Jusko). The EHSC’s TRSC operates two research facilities: Behavioral Sciences (co-directed by Marissa Sobolewski and Debbie Cory-Slechta) and Inhalation Exposure (directed by Alison Elder).  Applicants are encouraged to reach out to the Community Engagement, Biostatistics and Bioinformatics, TRSC, and research facilities prior to developing their applications. More information can be found on our website: https://www.urmc.rochester.edu/environmental-health-sciences/cores-facilities.aspx.

Deadlines and process

Preliminary proposals are accepted twice each year (fall and spring). Applicants are notified approximately 2 weeks after submission whether to proceed with a full proposal.  Full proposals are due approximately one month later.  Awards are usually made within 4 weeks of full proposal submission. Please note that all funding must be expended within one year. In rare cases, funding start date may be delayed to match the needs of the scientific proposal.  A justification for changing the start date of funding must be included in the Budget Pages, and will be considered by the reviewers of the application. Applications are reviewed by a Standing Review Committee of faculty at UR, and with ad hoc experts from within and external to UR (e.g., other universities or community organizations) added based on scope of submissions.

Requirements

All successful applicants must acknowledge the NIEHS grant that supports the EHSC (P30ES001247) in all publications and presentations of this work. All Research Catalyst Fund recipients will be required to provide timely reports of progress and outcomes for at least 5 years after the end of the award period. 

Format for Proposal Submission

Preliminary Proposal

A preliminary proposal must contain the following information. There is no required form.

1. Title of the project
2. Investigators, with clear identification of PI and full contact information. 
3. Project Abstract (one page) describing the proposed research and its relevance to human health and environmental exposures or how environment influence human health and disease. Please explicitly describe how this project relates to the EHSC’s mission or to the focus areas of the IHHE. When relevant, describe how this research promotes interactions with members of EHSC, involves new collaborations, and indicate existing or proposed use of EHSC Facilities and Cores.
4. Submission - Proposals must be submitted electronically as a single pdf via RedCap.

Full Proposal

The Full Proposal must contain the face page application form and budget page (provided below), as well as the following sections:

1. Specific Aims (1 page or less) - Include the objectives or hypotheses to be tested
2. Project Narrative (3-4 sentences) - Describe the goal of this project, and how it relates to human health and the environment. This narrative will be posted on the EHSC and IHHE web pages if the application is funded.
3. Research Plan (not to exceed 4 pages)
   1. Significance/Background information needed to frame the proposed research - Summarize related work done by others and you.  Describe gaps in knowledge this pilot would fill
   2. Experimental Approach and Outcomes - Describe the experiments to be performed, data to be collected, anticipated results and alternatives
   3. Future plans/goals - Briefly indicate anticipated purpose or use of findings generated by the proposed pilot project
4. Relevance to EHSC and/or IHHE mission (1 page or less)
   1. Indicate how this project relates to environmental modifiers of or influences on human health and disease. Be as specific as possible.
   2. Interactions with EHSC Center members or IHHE Affiliates - Describe how this research promotes interactions with members of EHSC and IHHE affiliates, and how this project connects with the EHSC’s mission & IHHE’s focus areas
   3. Indicate any proposed use of EHSC Cores - Describe interactions with Biostatistics, IHSFC, and/or Community Engagement Core
   4. Indicate any proposed use of CART (UR Center for Advanced Research Technologies, formerly called the Shared Resource Labs or SRL). 
5. Bibliography (50 references or less; no page limit, provide complete information on all references)
6. IRB and UCAR status (Note: All animal and human subject protocols must be approved prior to the start date of funding. No funds will be released until these approvals have been documented.)
7. Biosketches of the PI and co-investigators in NIH format. 
8. Budget page  (see template of allowable expenses in the attached EHSC IHHE Pilot Application Template)

All figures and tables must be contained within the Research Plan section of the proposal.  Revised versions of previously submitted applications that have not been funded may be resubmitted.  Revised proposals may only be resubmitted one time, and must contain a 1-page maximum introductory statement responding to prior concerns.

Conditions of Award

All awardees are required to present their findings at one of the monthly EHSC/IHHE faculty meetings during or shortly after the pilot project funding period ends. All publications resulting from or that are supported fully or in part by funds from the Research Catalyst Program need to acknowledge NIH Center Grant P30 ES001247. All awardees will be interviewed by the Community Engagement Core Director or staff, and aspects of their research interests can be shared in Your Health & the Environment Newsletter (with their prior approval of content).

Contacts

If you have questions regarding this request for proposals, please contact one of the following:

General inquiries:

Janice Van Opdorp
Janice_Vanopdorp@urmc.rochester.edu
585-276-1036

Scientific and Peer Review contacts:

Martha Susiarjo, PhD
Martha_Susiarjo@urmc.rochester.edu
585-273-4964