We welcome new applicants to our Year 4 announcement.

Objective

The aim of this RFA is to identify, train and/or develop talented individuals to become successful translational investigators in the field of lymphoma. The program will support 1 or 2 individuals per year for up to two years per awardee, based on competitive renewal. Awardees will be integrated into the SPORE in order to monitor their progress and ensure successful outcome of their research projects, and will be prepared to obtain independent peer-reviewed funding.

Funding

The program will support 1 or 2 individuals per year for up to two years per awardee, based on competitive renewal. The maximum award will be $50,000 for one year. Applicants will be funded for a maximum of two years with funding for the second year contingent on documented significant progress during the first year of funding, and peer review evaluations.

Candidate Eligibility

Investigators at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, Rockefeller University, Weill Cornell Medical Center, Columbia University, Mount Sinai Hospital, and NYU, are eligible.

Funds from this program may be used to support junior faculty or established investigators who wish to enhance or refocus their careers on translational research. Eligible candidates will include individuals with the following qualifications:

• M.D. (or D.O), PhD, or MD/PhD degree. This program is not a training program and does not support pre- or post-doctoral fellows, either pre-clinical or clinical. However, advanced post-doctoral or clinical fellows who provide a letter from an institution stating that the candidate will be joining its faculty within the year are eligible for this program.
• Commitment to a career path in translational lymphoma research. Candidates must have demonstrated a strong aptitude for and interest in biomedical research, as evidenced by experience in the laboratory or other relevant research.
• Exceptional clinical candidates that do not currently have an active laboratory program may also apply, provided they have a strong scientific/laboratory background, and are working with a laboratory mentor who can provide them with the necessary guidance and resources to develop a hypothesis that can be tested in the clinical setting
• Investigators supported by NCI career development awards (K series) may also be eligible for support through this program. Investigators with previous R01 or equivalent level of funding related to lymphoma translational research are not eligible

Proposals

Proposals cannot be currently funded by an extramural agency or foundation. The budget is limited to $50K/year (direct costs. No indirect costs). Proposals must be submitted to Teodora Gueorguieva ([email protected]) by July 1, 2020.

Required Information

Research proposals must be no longer than 5 pages (excluding budget) and should follow the format for an R01 grant application; the length of the final proposal are limited to 6 pages. The proposals will require the following standard NIH format:

Format: Applications must be in 11-point Arial. Margins must be at least 0.50 inches wide on all sides of each page.

• Face Page (including Title, Name of Applicant, and Names of Key Collaborators)
• Abstract (250 words max)
• Research Plan (5-page limit). Include the following content: Specific Aims, Preliminary Studies, and Research Strategy (a. Significance, b. Innovation, c. Approach)
• Research environment (1 page)
• Include up to 6 Literature Citations
• Human Subjects or Vertebrate Animals. (Please follow the NIH guidelines)
• NIH Biosketch for all key personnel (5 pages each in NIH-specified format)
• Budget and Budget Justification. Include a detailed NIH-format Budget for one year totaling $50,000 direct costs. The application must include a detailed budget for the initial year, a summary budget, and a budget justification.
• The application should include a statement of long-term career goals, letter of support from the mentor with the Mentor’s CV, and 3 letters of recommendation.

Review Criteria

Applications will be reviewed and scored by the CEP Committee, which is composed of a diverse pool of experienced individuals with laboratory and clinical expertise. The CEP Co- Directors will assign two reviewers from the CEP Committee (one primary and one secondary reviewer) for each proposal. The initial selection will be based on the following criteria:

• Scientific merit of the proposed project
• Innovation
• Approach
• Qualifications of the investigator
• Qualifications of the mentor
• Research environment

IRB approval (or waiver) will be required before funding if the study involves human subjects.

Scientific Review Committee

The CEP Co-Directors will assign two reviewers from the CEP Committee (one primary and one secondary reviewer) for each proposal.

Funding Cycles

Awards will begin on August 30, 2020

Authors must cite the MSK Lymphoma SPORE (P50 CA192937) in the funding acknowledgements when submitting a manuscript based on research supported, in whole or in part, by this SPORE-Career Enhancement Program.

Written progress and final reports will be required at the end of funding period. Any questions regarding this solicitation should be directed to Teodora Gueorguieva ([email protected]) or to the CEP directors; Dr. Riccardo Dalla Favera ([email protected]) or Dr. Andrew Zelenetz ([email protected]).

• Key Dates
• Applications are due on July 1, 2020
• Award Announcements by August 15, 2020
• Award Start Date: August 30, 2020

Submission Information

Proposals must be submitted electronically to Teodora Gueorguieva ([email protected]). Proposals must be submitted as a compiled PDF document.

Additional Budget Information

Up to $50K direct costs for one year, may be renewable for an additional year based on review

Expenditures allowed

• Research supplies and animal maintenance.
• Technical assistance.
• Publication costs, including reprints.
• Data analysis.
• Special fees (pathology, photography, etc.).
• Stipends for graduate students and postdoctoral fellows.

The following expenditures will not be considered

• Secretary or administrative personnel
• Office equipment or supplies
• Laboratory equipment or computers
• Tuition
• Foreign travel
• Honoraria and travel expenditures
• Recruitment
• Patient care charges (requires justification if a clinical trial is proposed)
• Non-medical or personal services to patients