Request for Applications Basic, Clinical and Population Science Pilot Awards Spring, 2013 SUMMARY The University of Wisconsin Carbone Cancer Center (UWCCC) is an NCI-designated Comprehensive Cancer Center which advances cutting edge research on the biology, prevention, detection, diagnosis and treatment of cancer. Through this pilot award mechanism, UWCCC promotes collaboration between Scientific Program members in basic, clinical and population sciences, thereby fostering, facilitating and advancing translational scientific discoveries to meet the needs of the people of Wisconsin and beyond. This pilot award mechanism will support: basic science pilots short term, innovative pilots or phase I institutional clinical interventions focusing on early initial phase testing of agents or devices, for the prevention, detection, diagnosis or treatment of cancer pilots focused on health disparities, health services, comparative effectiveness, supportive care, epidemiology and other population science areas. New additions to this RFA include a focus on pilots which: 1) Foster translational research collaborations between basic, clinical and population scientists within the UWCCC* (any cancer type) 2) Address cancer-related needs specific to the people of Wisconsin* 3) Encourage pilot proposals on the biology, prevention, detection, diagnosis or treatment of pancreatic cancer (* Reflect NCI s new Cancer Center Support Grant guidelines regarding comprehensiveness status. See Attachment A for further information.) PILOT FUNDING OBJECTIVES 1) To foster translational research collaborations on all cancer types, between basic, clinical and population scientists within the UWCCC (per NCI comprehensiveness guidelines, Attachment A). Information on UWCCC Scientific Programs can be found at http://www.uwhealth.org/uwccc-scientific-programs. 2) To address cancer-related needs specific to the people of Wisconsin (per NCI comprehensiveness guidelines, Attachment A). 3) To encourage research in the biology, prevention, detection, diagnosis, and treatment of pancreatic cancer. 4) To expand the clinical research opportunities available within the community by supporting trials within the Wisconsin Oncology Network. 5) To support high quality pilots focused on health disparities, health services, comparative effectiveness, supportive care, epidemiology and other population science areas. Page 1
6) To support mentoring of junior investigators and encourage senior investigators to collaborate with less experienced investigators. ELIGIBILITY 1) Only one Principal Investigator is allowed and he/she must be a UWCCC member. Sub or Co-investigators must be limited to < two, but are not required to be UWCCC members 2) Investigators who have received a prior UWCCC pilot award must have an updated progress report on file in the UWCCC Office of Translational Research Services (OTRS) to be considered for funding. 3) While not an ineligibility criterion, to maximize broad use and distribution of UWCCC funds, members without current UWCCC pilot funding will be prioritized above members with current UWCCC pilot funding. KEY DATES IN PILOT APPLICATION, REVIEW AND FUNDING PROCESS Letter of Intent Application Due Date Review Committee Meeting Award Announcement March 1st April 5th April May LETTER OF INTENT 1) By March 1st, prospective applicants must submit a letter of intent that includes the following information: Descriptive title of proposed research Name and email address of PI and Co-Investigators Names of other key personnel 2) The LOI should be sent to: Dona Alberti at dba@uwcarbone.wisc.edu INSTRUCTIONS FOR SUBMITTING THE UWCCC PILOT PROPOSAL 1) By midnight on April 5 th, applicants must submit electronically: one single PDF file of all required sections 2) Application should be sent to: Dona Alberti at dba@uwcarbone.wisc.edu APPLICATION CONTENT A completed application must include the following sections arranged in this order (additional instructions can be found on the UWCCC Pilot Application form): 1) Title Page (1 page) Date of application Principal Investigator Co-Investigator and other investigators Contact information of Principal Investigator Project Title Page 2
Abstract in lay language 2) Project Proposal (5 pages maximum), to include: Summary of the specific aims, or objectives (including rationale, hypothesis and primary endpoints) Background Preliminary data/progress to date Experimental plan (including statistical considerations, laboratory correlates, patient/study population, competing studies and anticipated accrual). Priority research areas, i.e., whether and how the proposed research: Fosters translation and interdisciplinary collaboration between basic and clinical, basic and population, or clinical and population science at UWCCC (any cancer type) Addresses a cancer-related need specific to the people of Wisconsin Description of how this research will lead to expanded research at the UWCCC and anticipated timeline for obtaining extramural funding to support it. This is an essential component of the application. If it is not included, the application will be administratively disapproved 3) References and Figures (up to 3 pages, maximum) 4) Biosketches 5) Budget page and budget justification 6) Appendix: Additional supplementary materials should be kept to a minimum, and are not encouraged. These may include letters of support from key collaborators, or other information felt essential for the review. BUDGET 1) Budgets must be < $50,000 2) NIH budget template is required 3) Clinical research pilot proposals should adhere to the fee schedule for protocol startup costs below: Page 3 DOWG Administration $2500 Pharmaceutical Research Center $2500 (uncomplicated) $5000 (complicated) UWCCC Biostatistics WON Administration 3P Laboratory $500 $2500 (uncomplicated) $5000 (complicated) $1000 $500 $1300 $375 WON Activation Fee (per site) $500 IRB Initial Application Fee Waived (UWCCC-Funded Pilots Only) 4) Funding of investigator salary is not allowed. Investigators are responsible for obtaining approval
from their department for cost sharing (<5% effort) 5) Graduate student and post-doctoral funding is allowed with justification 6) Graduate tuition remission is required 7) Funding of staff salary is allowed 8) Indirect costs are not allowed 9) A description of funding currently available for this research or a summary of funding strategies that have been considered should be included 10) Budget justifications are required and need to address the details listed in the Budget Justifications section of the pilot application instructions APPLICATION REVIEW INFORMATION Each proposal will be reviewed by one statistician and two reviewers using the NIH grant scoring system, which utilizes a 9-point rating scale designed to encourage more reliable scoring of applications. 1) A score of 1 will indicate an exceptionally strong application with essentially no weaknesses. A score of 9 will indicate an application with serious and substantive weaknesses with very few strengths; 5 will be considered an average score 2) Ratings will be in whole numbers only (no decimal ratings) 3) Each reviewer will give a separate score for each of the following five criteria: Significance Collaboration Innovation Approach Future Potential 4) In addition, each reviewer will give a separate overall impact/priority score rating which considers strengths and weaknesses across all of the review criteria 5) Reviewers will consider not only the relative number of strengths and weaknesses noted, but also the importance of these strengths and weaknesses to the criteria or to the overall impact when determining a score 6) Proposals and scores will be presented by each reviewer at the UWCCC Pilot Review Session. All reviewers will have the opportunity to score the proposals based upon the discussion. An average of all reviewer scores will be the final score for the proposal 7) Scores will be forwarded to the UWCCC Director and leadership. Award decisions will be impacted by the review committee recommendations and scores, funding availability and current UWCCC pilot funding by the investigators. Proposals will also be prioritized based on whether and how the research addresses the following objectives: Fosters translation and interdisciplinary collaboration between basic and clinical, basic and population, or clinical and population science (any cancer type) Addresses a cancer-related need specific to the people of Wisconsin Page 4
ATTACHMENT A Policies and Guidelines Relating To the P30 Cancer Center Support Grant (For applications submitted on or after January 25, 2013) Extracts Focusing on Comprehensiveness 1.5 TYPES OF CENTERS Comprehensive Cancer Centers demonstrate reasonable depth and breadth of cancer research activities in each of three major areas: basic laboratory; clinical; and prevention, control and population-based science. Comprehensive cancer centers also have substantial transdisciplinary research that bridges these scientific areas. They are effective in serving their catchment area as well as the broader population, through the cancer research they support. They integrate training and education of biomedical researchers and community health care professionals into programmatic efforts to enhance the scientific mission and potential of the center. 2.18 APPLICATION AND REVIEW FOR COMPREHENSIVENESS The following review criteria apply for determination of comprehensiveness (approve/disapprove): How adequate are the depth and breadth of science in each of the three major areas of basic laboratory, clinical, and prevention, control and population sciences? What is the degree of evidence for strong transdisciplinary research bridging these sciences? How effectively has the center defined the cancer problems relevant to its catchment area and served its catchment area, as well as the broader population, via the research it supports? How is the scientific mission of the cancer center enabled by training and education of biomedical scientists and health care professionals? Page 5