The Dana Foundation
Neuroimmunology of Brain Infections and Cancers
**Funding Opportunity---Internal selection process required*
Every medical school in the United States, and several select free-standing research institutions, are invited to submit proposals, through a Request for Proposals (RFP). (Faculty from Schools of Medicine, Humanities & Sciences and Engineering may apply per the internal selection guidelines below.)
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Sponsor's website
Internal Deadline: Tuesday, March 3, 2009 4pm
(see
internal submission guidelines below).
Number of applicants
permitted: 1
Projects should be feasible to complete within the limit of $200,000 total over a period of up to three years. Please note that the Foundation does not provide support for indirect costs. As much as 10 percent of the grant amount may be used to purchase equipment. The balance is to be used to meet direct research costs. (Per the sponsor's website: "Please note that due to financial constraints, selection this year will be extremely competitive with fewer than 10 percent of preliminary proposals likely to receive funding.")
Eligibility
Stanford faculty with PI eligibility
(Note: Eligible faculty from other Schools may also submit proposals per the guidelines below)
Support is focused primarily on providing research support to faculty tenure track researchers early in their career, at the assistant professor level, or early in their associate professor career.
Established researchers pioneering efforts in these two fields (brain infections and cancers) will still be eligible to apply.
Post-doctoral fellows are not eligible.
Projects involving collaborations with NIH intramural researchers or industry scientists are acceptable.
Program
The Dana Foundation is pleased to announce a call for proposals for its Neuroimmunology program, focusing on brain infections and cancers.
Specifically, we will be inviting studies of
1) immune-based therapies for primary brain tumors, and for metastases to the brain of other cancers;
2) immune responses to infections in the brain, including but not limited to viral encephalitis, meningitis, cerebral malaria, and prion diseases, and
3) how the immune system affects the brain and how the brain modifies immune function.
The following are examples of the areas of focus:
--Exploring ways to stimulate immune cell recognition and attack of primary brain tumors and metastases
--Measuring responses to therapeutic vaccines or other immunotherapies for treating brain tumors
Determining ways to prevent and defend against viral infections in the brain
--Examining ways to treat infections in the brain, including cerebral malaria
--Characterizing the roles of immune cells in normal brain and how these functions are modified under abnormal brain conditions.
This program focuses on clinical studies in humans or human tissues. Animal studies that are directly relevant to human disease, but not ready for application to studies of humans or human tissues, will also be considered. Proposals for research that can be supported through clinical income should not be submitted.
Internal Submission Guidelines
By Tues., March 3, 2009, by 4pm, please send the following preliminary proposal in one PDF file to Jeanne Heschele at jheschele@stanford.edu.
(Please note: these guidelines are identical to the preliminary proposal guidelines outlined by the sponsor, with the exception of the cover page.)
All applications should be in the form of a two-page preliminary proposal, using at least 11-point font size (font sizes smaller than that will not be reviewed) and .5 inch margins in all directions with numbered pages. This should include:
Cover Page:
On institutional letterhead:
Project title; investigator(s') name(s), title(s), phone and fax numbers, E-mail, and street addresses.
(no department chair signatures are required)
Pages 1-2:
Section I: A clearly and succinctly stated hypothesis.
Section II: The aims of the proposed research project: how does this proposal advance our understanding of brain cancers, infections, or immune functions in the brain?
Section III: The research significance and potential clinical application(s) of the research.
Section IV: The methods. What specific tests or studies are proposed to develop the pilot data? If human participants are planned, please provide preliminary evidence that the number required can be recruited from the participating institution(s).
Section V: The qualifications of the primary investigator(s) for undertaking the proposed research. What facilities and resources at the applicant institution(s) would be used in the research? Please provide evidence that required technologies would be available for this project.
Additional Pages:
Appendix A: A list of all active grants and pending proposals by the applicant(s). Please include an abstract, specifying the aims, for any existing or pending grants, and indicate any potential overlaps between these sources of support and the proposed Dana project.
Appendix B: Please provide a standard NIH two-page format CV for the primary investigator(s).
Please note: At this time, do not send any other supporting documents, or a budget, although you may use up to two more pages for references.
Selection Process:
Your proposals will be distributed to Dr. Peter Sarnow and the School of Medicine Awards Committee for review. That committee will select the proposal to represent the university. The applicant selected with revise the cover page per the sponsor's guidelines and will, with the assistance of his/her respective Research Process Manager (RPM) will obtain the signatures, including the Dean's.
Preliminary proposals received at the Dana Foundation by the April 1 deadline will be considered for further development. Applicants will be informed within approximately six weeks from receipt of proposals of whether or not they are being invited to prepare full proposals. Selected grants will be funded starting in October 2009.
