MULTICENTER START-UP PLANNING AWARDS

Project Award Amount $20,000

Multicenter clinical trials and prospective cohort studies are extremely difficult to plan and get funded. Beyond identification of an important research question, planning requires development of a data management plan, selection of clinical sites, complex biostatistics, data monitoring plan, and complex budgeting. By their nature, multicenter clinical studies involve collaboration between many investigators, staff, and institutions. The Multicenter Start-Up Planning Grants are designed to assist investigators in initiating such studies by providing support for consultation and grant development in these diverse areas, drawing heavily on expertise in the CTSI BREAD program and the San Francisco Coordinating Center or other programs in CTSI-affiliated organizations. These organizations may assist in the actual performance of a study depending on the needs of an investigator and the fit with existing research priorities.

Each funded grant will have a maximum budget of $20,000, which will be applied to consulting activities through BREAD, the SF Coordinating Center, or other approved organization. Other reasonable uses directly related to the planning of multicenter studies are allowed, but funds may not be used for investigator salary support. Projects are for one year and are not renewable. To determine what is allowable and what is unallowable please refer to the application form.

Each SOS Center funded grant will require an end of grant progress report and a second report 12 months following the end of funding identifying resulting publications and subsequent funding recruited to support the expanded/extended projects. Any resulting publication must cite CTSI SOS Center funding. 

Note: As a general rule, within any category, priority is given to applicants who have never received funding in that category, except for the Fogarty International Training Awards in HIV/AIDS and International Mentored Scientist Award Program in HIV/AIDS.

Eligibility
All UCSF and CTSI-associated institutional faculty in any series may apply, but preference will be given to mid to senior-level faculty who are recognized experts in their field.

Criteria for Review/ Evaluation of Applications
The proposals will be reviewed based on the quality of the proposal and its potential to lead to fully funded multi-disciplinary, multicenter research programs. Finalists may be asked to present proposals in person to the review group.
The proposed multicenter study should meet these criteria:

• Multicenter phase 2, 3 or 4 clinical trial or multicenter prospective cohort study
• For industry-sponsored studies: the investigator initiated or has the lead role in the design and conduct of the trial
• Important research question that requires a multicenter study to address
• Evidence that an excellent proposal could be funded
• Feasible
• Clear capability of recruiting a sufficient number of subjects
• The proposed coordinating center team has sufficient expertise and experience to conduct the multicenter study, if funded (This may require identifying an experienced co-investigator.)

Contact:
Emanuela (Emy) Volpe
CTSI-SOS Center Program Administrator
Ph.: 415-514-0301
E-mail: sos@ucsf.edu