CC-CFAR Pilot Awards in HIV-Associated Malignancies

Disclaimer: The funding for this award is subject to the receipt of the NCI competing renewal award for the parent P30 grant of the Helen Diller Family Comprehensive Cancer Center (CC). The award is expected to be received by the fall. Based on ongoing discussions with the NCI, the CC has every expectation that they will award the grant and fund the CC-CFAR Pilot Award. In the extremely unlikely situation that the award is not received by the fall, the CC-CFAR Pilot Award program will not be funded. If you are planning on applying for this award, it is strongly recommended that you notify Jordan Brainerd, brainerdj@cc.ucsf.edu, to let the CC know of your intention to submit a proposal. When there is an update available on the funding status, Ms. Brainerd will immediately notify all potential applicants.

Project award amount: 2 Awards at $100,000

Description: Malignancies constitute a substantial source of morbidity and mortality among HIV-infected persons, even in the era of anti-retroviral therapy. AIDS-defining malignancies (Kaposi's sarcoma, nonHodgkins lymphoma, cervical cancer) continue to develop in HIV-infected persons, particularly in developing countries, and the incidence of non-AIDS defining malignancies (NADM) is growing among HIV-infected men and women. Funding is available through the Helen Diller Family Comprehensive Cancer Center (CC) to foster the development of the next generation of researchers working in the field of HIV-related malignancies, in collaboration with the UCSF-Gladstone Institute of Virology & Immunology Center for AIDS Research (CFAR).

Proposals considered responsive to this request for applications will be those that focus on maximizing the scientific productivity and correlative science of existing CFAR protocols, or establish novel lines of investigation that may lead to the development of new CFAR protocols. CFAR investigators new to HIV-related malignancies research must collaborate with CC investigators/mentors. CC investigators must collaborate with CFAR investigators/mentors. Investigators who are not part of the CC or CFAR are also encouraged to apply, after being paired with the appropriate CC and CFAR project leaders and co-project leaders, respectively. The proposals may focus either on AIDS-defining malignancies or non-AIDS-defining malignancies.

CC-CFAR Pilot awards seek to provide opportunities to junior scientists to obtain the requisite mentored research experience and training to compete for career-development funds. Project proposals should be geared toward the interests of the applicant (clinical, basic, and/or behavioral-epidemiological research) and focus on topics relevant to the CC and CFAR mission. Applicants for this award must identify BOTH CC AND CFAR faculty research mentors who will commit to guiding the applicant through the duration of the proposed project.

Details:

1. The award level for this program is up to $100,000 in direct costs (may include personnel salary and benefits).
2. The number of grants awarded is determined by funding available.
3. The funding will last for a one-year period.
4. Any carry-forward of funding will require approval and must be fully justified.
5. Progress reports will be due to the CC Program office at midpoint and at the end of the project period (reports should reference subsequent funding acquired, research goals met, posters, publications, etc.).
6. Awardees will be strongly encouraged to participate in the UCSF HIV-related Malignancies Research Group (HMRG) and the Andy I. Choi Mentoring Program of the UCSF-GIVI Center for AIDS Research. The HMRG is part of the CC Cancer, Immunity, and Microenvironment Program and awardees are also strongly encouraged to participate in this program's activities.
7. If applicable, CHR and IACUC approval and must be obtained before funding will be released to the awardee.
8. This award does not support travel or equipment.

Eligibility: Researchers with academic appointments at all levels (excluding faculty without pay) are eligible. Post-doctoral fellows are not eligible. A UCSF CC and CFAR faculty research mentor must be named on the project. The mentors' role is to provide oversight on the planning, direction, and execution of the proposal. The mentors should be recognized as accomplished investigators in cancer research, and should be able to demonstrate past success in training/mentoring independent investigators. In addition, the mentors must commit to mentoring the applicant for the duration of the research project.

Criteria for Review/Evaluation of Applications: Applications that are complete and meet eligibility requirements will be evaluated for scientific and technical merit by an appropriate review committee in accordance with the review criteria employed by the NIH which include five core areas: 1. Significance, 2. Approach, 3. Innovation, 4. Investigator, 5. Environment. Each of these criteria will be addressed and considered in assigning the overall score weighing them as appropriate for each application.

Useful web-links

For information about the Helen Diller Family Comprehensive Cancer Center: http://cancer.ucsf.edu/

The CFAR Andy I. Choi Mentoring Program:
http://cfar.ucsf.edu/cfar?page=education-mentor

For a list of Cancer Center faculty:
http://cancer.ucsf.edu/people/membership/

For information on the Cancer Center’s Cancer, Immunity and the Microenvironment Program:
http://cancer.ucsf.edu/research/immunity

Contact:
Jordan Brainerd
Programs Manager
Helen Diller Family Comprehensive Cancer Center
University of California, San Francisco
Ph: 415-885-3837
E-mail: brainerdj@cc.ucsf.edu