INSTRUCTIONS
A. Basic Projects in Environmental Health Sciences
Applications for basic research Pilot Projects are sought that study the mechanisms by which environmental factors may cause or influence human disease or that aim to develop methods for early detection, prevention, and control of environmentally related diseases. Responsive applications might include studies designed to define host responses to environmental exposures and to understand how diet and genetic background influence these responses. Pilot Projects in basic research will be funded up to a maximum of $30,000 for a one-year Project. Pilot Project awardees who are not Center Members will receive access to the CRED's Facility Cores, including allotments for use in each of the Cores.
B. Translational Projects
For the current round of funding, the CRED is placing emphasis on translation of basic research advances related to environmental exposures, mechanisms of response to environmental exposures, and susceptibility to environmental disease. Proposals are sought that involve both basic and clinical or population-based researchers aimed at translating basic research to outcomes that positively affect public health. The CRED has recently established a new Facility Core, the Integrative Health Sciences Facility Core (IHSFC), whose purpose is to facilitate collaborative research between basic scientists and clinical and population-based researchers. The IHSFC will facilitate interaction between these investigators by providing 1) a central clearing house of information on ongoing epidemiological studies by investigators at M.D. Anderson that have suitable study populations and biospecimens; 2) expertise to help plan new studies of these populations in terms of the services needed, sample sizes, feasibility, cost, etc.; 3) a variety of services suitable for the conduct of such studies; and 4) coordination between the stakeholders in the research, both basic and population-based, and the resources that provide the needed services. Responsive proposals will utilize the IHSFC to translate basic research into the clinic or public heath setting (bench-to-population). Examples include translation of basic research findings that have identified a new mechanism of toxicant response or a new gene that may impact environmental disease risk; investigations aimed at exploring new opportunities for intervention; or validation of new methodologies for exposure assessment. Proposals are expected to formulate a hypothesis that relates basic research findings to a clinical problem or a particular study population that is testable, and identify a study population that could be used for an initial, pilot-type study to obtain sufficient data to support subsequent, more extensive studies with extramural funding. It is expected that such proposals will utilize the IHSFC to facilitate the design and conduct of such research. More information about study populations that may be available and services that can be obtained through the IHSFC can be obtained on the Facility Core 5 website. Dr. Sara Strom, Department of Epidemiology, UT M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, is the Director of this Core, in close collaboration with Dr. George Delclos, UT Houston-School of Public Health as Co-Director. Prospective applicants for these Pilot Projects must have approval from Drs. Strom and Delclos prior to submission of a proposal. Potential applicants should contact Drs. Strom (sstrom@mdanderson.org; 713-792-8274) or Delclos (George.Delclos@uth.tmc.edu; 713-500-9459) as soon as possible to discuss the feasibility of the Project and in order to avoid overlap with ongoing research; a short Abstract of the proposed Project will be required.
Applicants may request up to $30,000 for a one year Project; an additional $20,000 supplement will be made available for Projects that will incur extensive costs for environmental sampling, subject enrollment, obtaining questionnaire responses, biosampling and the like.
PRE-PROPOSAL
Preproposals are due 1/15/2008, and should be submitted in electronic format only; either Microsoft Word documents or .pdf files are acceptable.
The application should be comprised of the following items, in the order given. Type size must conform to the NIH Grant guidelines (Arial 11).
| 1. | Pre-proposal Face Page (shown below; you may download the packet of required forms) |
| 2. | Biographical sketch - use the two page NIH format; Principal Investigator only |
| 3. | One page description of proposed Project. Please include separate sections for:
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University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center/University of Texas at Austin
Pilot Project Program Grant Application - PRE-PROPOSAL FORM
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TITLE OF PROJECT | ||
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PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR: NAME (Last, first, middle) |
DEGREE(S) |
DATE OF APPLICATION |
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ACADEMIC TITLE |
PRIMARY ACADEMIC AFFILIATION | |
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CONTACT INFORMATION Mailing Address: Telephone: FAX: E-Mail Address: |
PERFORMANCE SITE | |
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NAMES AND AFFILIATIONS OF COLLABORATORS | ||
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Does your Project involve human subjects? YES___ NO___ Will you utilize Facility Core 5? YES___ NO___ Expected budget level: ___ $30K: Basic funding ___ $50K: Basic funding + supplemental funds for human subjects | ||
FULL PROPOSAL
If your pre-proposal is approved by the Internal Advisory Committee, a
Full Proposal will be due in electronic format by 2/29/2008;
either Microsoft Word documents or .pdf files are acceptable.
The Full Proposal should be comprised of the following items, in the order given. Type size must conform to the NIH Grant guidelines (Arial 11).
The application should be comprised of the following items, in the order given. Type size must conform to the NIH Grant guidelines (Arial 11).
| *1. | Full Proposal Face Page (shown below, you may download the packet of required forms) |
| 2. | Budget Page (1 page) |
| 3. | Biographical Sketch (2 pages per investigator) |
| †4. | Other Support (as many pages as needed) |
| 5. | Resources and Environment (1 page) |
| 6. | Specific Aims, Background, Preliminary Results, Research Plan (LIMIT: 8 pages including References, Figures and Tables) |
| +7. | Institutional Assurances (Animal, Human Subjects, etc.) UT-Austin and UTHSC SPH - use the OSP forms UTMDACC & SPRD - Submit only after the pilot grant is awarded. |
| 8. | Applications requesting supplemental funding should include clear justification of the need for such funds on a separate page attached at the end of the proposal. These requests will be reviewed administratively. |
* The Abstract on the Face Page should include a clear statement of the relevance of the project to Center goals stated in the RFA.
† The description of Other Support should include a clear statement indicating why current funding is not sufficient for the Project.
+ P.I. must obtain protocol approval by the grant start date of May 1, 2008 or risk delay or loss of funds.
University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center/University of Texas at Austin
Pilot Project Program Grant Application - FULL PROPOSAL FORM
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TITLE OF PROJECT | ||
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PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR: NAME (Last, first, middle) |
DEGREE(S) |
DATE OF APPLICATION |
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ACADEMIC TITLE |
PRIMARY ACADEMIC AFFILIATION | |
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CONTACT INFORMATION Mailing Address: Telephone: FAX: E-Mail Address: | ||
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NAMES AND AFFILIATIONS OF COLLABORATORS - On an attached page, briefly describe the role of your collaborators(s) on this project. | ||
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PERFORMANCE SITE | ||
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TOTAL AMOUNT REQUESTED | ||
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ABSTRACT | ||
| CRED Pilot Project Application |
| Budget |
| PERSONNEL |
Role On Project |
Percent Effort on Project | Dollar Amount Requested | ||
| NAME |
Salary Requested |
Fringe Benefits | Total | ||
| SUBTOTALS | |||||
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SUPPLIES (itemize) | |||||
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TOTAL | |||||
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OTHER EXPENSE (itemize) | |||||
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TOTAL | |||||
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TOTAL DIRECT COSTS FOR PROJECT | |||||
RESOURCES
FACILITIES: Specify the facilities to be used for the conduct of the proposed research. Indicate the performance sites and describe capacities, pertinent capabilities, relative proximity, and extent of availability to the project. Under "Other," identify support services such as machine shop, electronics shop, and specify the extent to which they will be available to the project. Use continuation pages if necessary.
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Laboratory: |
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Clinical: |
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Animal: |
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Computer: |
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Office: |
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Other: |
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MAJOR EQUIPMENT: List the most important equipment items already available for this project, noting the location and pertinent capabilities of each. |
SERVICES
Integrative Health Sciences Facility Core : Services/Infrastructure Provided
The Integrative Health Sciences Facility Core (FC5) will provide services supporting translational environmental research. The major services envisioned are described below; other services may be added as additional needs are identified.
1. Protocol development and administration
The Core can assist Center members by offering the following protocol and IRB-related services: 1) training on protocol submission, handling correspondence for IRB-related matters, completing required IRB forms, and delivering necessary documents to the IRB; 2) ensuring protocols include all required elements; 3) revising IRB protocols and providing supplemental documentation; 4) completing annual IRB renewals; and 5) writing informed consent documents or obtaining waivers of informed consent.
2. Access to existing populations
This Core will facilitate integrative environmental health sciences research by providing expanded access for CRED members to well-defined study populations (partial list available on CRED website under FC5, http://cred.mdanderson.org/fc/fc5.htm), a variety of existing resources, and by providing new methodologies and assays that can be applied to samples derived from these populations. The goal is to establish collaborations that will result in cross-fertilization of ideas between disciplines.
3. Questionnaire development
The Core will offer consultation services as well as questionnaire design, development and validation. Questionnaires can be developed using either hard-copy format or scannable format. For the scannable questionnaires, we use TeleForm, a state of the art form-development and document-processing software, that scans handprint, machine print, checked-boxes, and barcodes.
4. Database development and support
The Core also provides database and IT support for CRED members. The following tasks may be supported: 1) design, develop and deploy computerized databases; 2) develop and maintain systems for data entry; 3) provide ad hoc queries and reports; 4) perform and assist in data entry; 5) adapt, implement, and maintain software to meet various studies' needs; 6) combine and utilize experience in designing, coding and implementing various applications and operating systems; and 7) develop edit check programs and protocols.
5. Exposure Assessment of home and residential environments
We also offer methods to evaluate participant home and neighborhood environments using standardized questionnaires, measuring of airborne contaminants, determining ventilation effectiveness and air exchange rates, and analyzing bulk dust samples. The Core can: 1) develop sampling strategies for exposure measurements; 2) provide the necessary equipment to measure contaminants; 3) provide training, personnel and expert faculty oversight for sample collection; 4) store, extract and analyze samples; 5) interpret and validate the results; 6) develop models of exposure to incorporate in statistical analyses; and 7) provide QA/QC protocols and oversight for measurements and analyses. We have the capability to measure/characterize particulate matter, ozone, multiple volatile organic compounds, trace metals, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, non-volatile unstable compounds requiring derivatization, some pesticides or pesticide derivatives, airborne and waterborne aldehydes, and certain biomarkers.
6. Nutritional Assessment
The Core offers dietary, anthropometric and biochemical markers of nutritional status through nutrient and food analysis of dietary data collected in human research. The dietary tools include food frequency questionnaires and food records. Instruction in dietary methodology is available to both investigators and participants. Dietary intake of macro-nutrients (e.g. fat, fiber, calories) and micro-nutrients (e g. alpha-tocopherol, carotenoids) are estimated from the dietary tools.
7. Analytical Support
The Core statistical analysts can provide statistical consultation for all aspects of the projects, including study design, sample size determination, statistical analysis and reports using standard analytical approaches. Software applications that are used include SAS, S+ and R, Stata, and SPSS. In addition, the statistical analytical group writes original code in high level programming languages such as C++.
8. Archiving Laboratory Core
The Population Studies Laboratory (PSL) Core can provide specimen processing and banking services/facilities, as well as RNA and DNA extraction, DNA amplification, and protein extraction. Additional services include specimen retrieval and archiving. The PSL offers long-term storage of whole blood, fractionated blood, DNA, RNA, urine, tissue, and other biologic samples. A customized database has been developed and is being used to manage samples, freezer space, usage tracking, and results.
