OVERVIEW:

This announcement invites junior faculty from all Departments and Schools of The George Washington University to submit application for a one-year, cancer-focused research award supported by the GW Cancer Institute’s American Cancer Society Institutional Research Grant. IRG pilot project grants are intended to support independent, self-directed investigators early in their careers, with novel ideas and promising initiatives in cancer research.

The IRG award is intended to assist independent junior researchers in conducting initial pilot explorations, which may lead to publications and development of strategic preliminary data in support of a successful application for support from a national funding agency.  Submission of a full application for extramural funding is an expected outcome of the award.

Examples of Applications with a cancer emphasis from diverse fields are encouraged: behavioral and psychological research, basic/clinical/ preclinical research, epidemiologic research, cancer control, health policy, bioengineering research, health services research, biological or chemical research, etc. (not exclusive  and listed in order of preference)

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AWARD INFORMATION

FINAL DUE DATE: 4:00pm, Monday, February 15, 2010

Applications will be accepted until 4:00pm, Monday, February 15, 2010 in Ross Hall 514.  Applicants should submit one original proposal, a signature page with the Department Chair’s signature, all attachments as needed, & 10 proposal copies and one electronic copy (Adobe. pdf ).

Upon receipt of award--applications will be routed through the Office of the Chief Research Officer (OCRO).

IRG AWARD PERIOD:

All expenses to the ACS-IRG award must be encumbered and spent within one year of the awarded date.  The applicants department will be responsible for administration of the grant funding.

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REQUIREMENTS:

All applications must follow ACS guidelines and the 11 page limit.  Incomplete applications will not be considered.

PROGRESS REPORTS:

Awarded investigators will be required to produce and submit one hard-copy and one electronic copy of a 6-month progress report and a final report summarizing study results supported by the ACS-IRG.  Progress reports will also include listing of all publications and other grant support received pertaining to the project, and two copies of all publications resulting from the project.   All publications resulting from an ACS-IRG within five (5) years of the award end date must be reported to the GW Cancer Institute.

Failure to submit the completed ACS-IRG Progress Report jeopardizes future individual and institutional funding from the American Cancer Society.  The University is required by the ACS to maintain five years of IRG funded project progress reports, which determine and greatly impact successful future institutional renewal of the ACS-IRG.

Progress Reports should be forwarded to:  Julie C Ost, GW Cancer Institute, 2300 Eye Street, NW , Ross Hall, Suite 514 , Washington , DC , 20037.

Acknowledgements in Publications:

All publications resulting from funding received by the ACS-IRG grant should be acknowledged with the following:

“This research was supported by an Institutional Research Grant (IRG-08-091-01) from the American Cancer Society, to The George Washington University Cancer Institute.”

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SECOND AWARD:

If the project proposal is submitted simultaneously to the ACS-IRG and to a national agency and awarded funding, funds received from the ACS-IRG are to be returned to the GW Cancer Institute.

BUDGET REVISIONS:  The principal investigator may make minor alterations within the budget, provided such changes do not violate the basic budget restrictions outlined on page 5 of these guidelines for travel, equipment, and other restricted expenses.  No modifications or adjustments to the original budget are permitted once the grant has been awarded.

PATENTS:  Grants are made with the understanding that patents will not be applied for in connection with any discovery made under grants awarded by the ACS without prior written consent of the ACS.

TRANSFER OF FUNDS:  Due to the special nature of these seed grants, transfer of funds to other institutions is not allowed.

ACCOUNT ACTIVATION:Award activation of the account number is dependent on receipt from the investigator of required approval forms from the institutional review boards.

The approvals may include any of the following:

• Human Subject Research IRB
• Animal Research
• Radiation Safety
• Office of MedicalCenter Safety, Bio-Security & Emergency Management
• Office of Risk Management

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APPLICATION INSTRUCTIONS:

Applications must be submitted on the forms provided by ACS with the additional pages required as Attachments I, II and III (pages 9, 10 and 11).

We encourage applicants to ask a senior investigator, experienced in obtaining peer reviewed support, to review the application prior to submission to provide advice on the structure and grantsmanship of the proposal.

FORMATTING THE APPLICATION

▪         Single spaced, one sided, with a maximum of 5/8 inch margins.  Space between paragraphs is recommended.  Use 12 point Times New Roman or 11 point Arial as the minimum font size for the text of the application.  A 10 point Times New Roman or 9 point Arial font may be used for figures, legends, and tables with fixed spacing that can be photocopied; DO NOT reduce line space or reduce by photocopying.

▪         The application should follow the headings listed in the Application Format section of these guidelines.

▪         The entire application must NOT EXCEED 11 PAGES (pages 1-8 and Attachments I, II, and III).  Material in excess of the 11 page limitation will not be considered.

▪         Do NOT send supplementary material pertinent to the application unless you have received a specific request from the GW Cancer Institute’s Research Review Committee.  

▪         Submit the ORIGINAL PLUS 10 STAPLED COPIES of the complete proposal (pages 1-8 and Attachments I, II, and III) and letters of support.  Letters of Support are encouraged and not counted in the 11 page limit and should be attached at the end of the application.

▪         Transmit ONE ELECTRONIC COPY, as a single file (Adobe PDF), of the complete proposal (pages 1-8 and Attachments I, II, and III) to canjco@gwumc.edu, cansrp@gwumc.edu

FACE PAGE (FORM PAGE 1) - Required by the ACS

Complete name/degree/title, education and training for the biographical information as requested. Complete information on eligibility and have application signed by your Departmental chair.  All applicants are required to verify their eligibility through their Departmental Chair.

APPOINTMENTS, OTHER RESEARCH SUPPORT, PUBLICATIONS (FORM PAGE 2) -
Required by the ACS

1.      Complete information on Appointments

2.      Other Research Support - (List all current and pending grant support, including agency, principal    investigator, percent effort, amount and terms of award, or list “none.” 

3.      Publications, selected (of Applicant)

RESEARCH PLAN (PAGES 3-7) – Required by the ACS

Complete information on Description of Research Proposed should include the following:

1)   Title of Project

2)   Objective

3)   Background and Significance (emphasizing cancer relevance and potential to attract future extramural)

4)   Specific Aims of the project

5)   Methods

6)   Selected Publications and Cited Literature related to the research project

7)   Description of research facilities

8)   Describe in lay terms the cancer relevance of the project

BUDGET PROPOSED (FORM PAGE 8)

The maximum grant award is $30,000 for one (1) year.  The following budgetary restrictions apply to ACS grants:

-     Budget must not exceed $30,000 (please round to the nearest $100).

-     All requests for personnel must properly be justified.

-     Please adhere to the Expenditures Allowed and Expenditures Not Allowed items described below.

-     University IDC Costs are not to be included in the calculation of this specific budget.

RESEARCH PROMOTION FORM - ATTACHMENT I (FORM PAGE 9)

Please complete the Research Promotion Form based on your willingness and ability to work with the ACS.

ATTACHMENT II (FORM PAGE 10)

Approval Form Checklist:  The applicant is required to complete the Approval Form Checklist and submit with the application.

Maximum allocation for this ACS-IRG seed grant has been set at $30,000.  A justification is required for all expenses, organized by the following Budget Categories.  Grantees have one year to spend allocations of funds.

ATTACHMENT III (PAGE 11)

A registration fee for attendance of one (1) scientific meeting is permissible and is subject to review; submit all relevant conference information with the application here.

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BUDGET ALLOCATIONS

BUDGET CATEGORIES

▪         Personnel:  Names and positions of personnel must be individually listed.  The percentage of effort devoted to research and fringe benefit cost categories should be completed fully. List names, titles, percent or hours of effort, salary, fringe, and total. NOTE: Tuition costs or laboratory fees are NOT allowed to be charged against ACS-IRG Seed Grant Funds.

▪         Consumable Supplies Research supplies should be grouped under appropriate headings with amounts.

▪         Equipment:  Equipment is NOT allowed.

▪         Travel:  Travel costs are NOT allowed.  NOTE:A registration fee for attendance of one (1) scientific meeting is permissible and is subject to review; submit all relevant conference information as

Attachment III

▪         Miscellaneous Expenditures:  Must be listed and justified individually.

EXPENDITURES ALLOWED

▪         Research supplies and animal maintenance

▪         Technical assistance

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

▪         Publication costs, including reprints

▪         Costs of computer time

▪         Special fees (pathology, photography, etc.)

▪         Registration fee to attend one (1) scientific meeting or conference

EXPENDITURES NOT ALLOWED

▪         Salary of Pilot Project Grant Recipient

▪         Travel costs (other than previously noted)

▪         Honoraria and travel expenses of visiting lecturers

▪         Equipment

▪         Secretarial/administrative personnel

▪         Tuition costs

▪         Foreign travel

▪         Books and periodicals

▪         Dues and membership fees in scientific societies

▪         Per diem charges for hospital beds

▪         Non-medical services to patients

▪         Construction, renovation, or maintenance of buildings and laboratories

▪         Office and laboratory furniture

▪         Office equipment and supplies (including computer hardware and software)

▪         Rental of office or laboratory space

▪         Recruiting and relocation expenses

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LETTERS OF SUPPORT

A letter of support is required from the Director of any Shared Resource (Core Facility) if the applicant plans to use the facility for extensive use on the project. Examples include:

McCormick Genomics Center

Center for Washington Area Studies

The Institute for Corporate Responsibility

Biostatistics Center

National Health Policy Forum

W. M. Keck Institute for Proteomics Technology and Applications

Center for Rehabilitation Counseling, Research, and Education

Institute for Biomedical Engineering

Center for Aging, Health, and Humanities

Institute for Global Health Sciences and Services

GW Institute for Spirituality and Health

Wertlieb Educational Institute for Long-Term Care Management

Center for Health Policy Research

Copies of letters of support (if applicable to your project) should be included with EACH copy of the application (1 original, plus 10 copies, and 1 electronic copy).

RESUBMISSIONS

If the proposal is a resubmission of a prior seed grant application, please submit a one-page letter responding to the prior review from the previous grant submitted, noting the modifications and changes in the current application for evaluation.  The one-page letter should accompany a full revised application

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ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

Questions should be directed to the GW Cancer Institute:

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GW CANCER INSTITUTE
2300 Eye Street, NW, Ross Hall 514
Washington, 20037
(o) 202-994-2744
(f) 202-994-1714