Request for Proposals: Translating Duke Health - Center for Brain Metastasis

October 9, 2017

Duke Health is pleased to announce its first Translating Duke Health call for proposals to stimulate interdisciplinary research in the newly formed Center for Brain Metastasis.

Translating Duke Health is one of the signature programs underlining Advancing Health Together, our Duke Health Strategic Planning Framework. Translating Duke Health is a multiyear, multidisciplinary program to capitalize on our collective strengths in research, clinical care and population health to address major health challenges.  The Center for Brain Metastasis is the cancer-focused pillar of this initiative.

This particular opportunity is open to all regular rank Faculty (Medical Instructor, Research Assistant Professor, Research Associate Professor, Research Professor, Assistant Professor, Associate Professor and Professor), and, in a team project, at least one involved investigator must be a member of the Duke Cancer Institute (DCI). Applications from junior investigators (less than three years faculty status at Duke) are strongly encouraged.

Projects that will be considered for this funding opportunity will either focus on preclinical modeling of brain metastasis (areas include brain metastasis development, models of established brain metastases, and models of therapeutic delivery to brain metastases), or translational/clinical projects. Translational/Clinical projects should be multidisciplinary, and preference will be given to projects that have faculty collaborating across schools (i.e. biological sciences, engineering, nursing etc.). Special consideration will be given to proposals focused on improving outcomes in the treatment of brain metastases.

Projects will be reviewed based on the following criteria:

  1. Innovation, novelty, and soundness of the research plan;
  2. Relevance to cancer;
  3. Likelihood that the project could lead to new peer-reviewed funding; and
  4. Reasonableness of the budget in regards to the project plan.              

Application Deadline: Wednesday, November 1, 2017

Award Details

Funds will be awarded on a competitive basis, for a maximum of $100,000 over two years per project. The maximum duration of the initial award is 12 months for $50,000, with the option to submit a renewal application in the following year for an additional year of funding at $50,000. Proposal budgets can support research staff, equipment, supplies, but not principal investigator effort or travel. The earliest anticipated start date is January 4, 2018.

Review Criteria

Members of an external review committee will perform an initial screen. This will be followed by a review of the most meritorious applications at a roundtable discussion of the Center for Brain Metastasis Steering Committee. The Steering Committee will inform all applicants of the outcomes by December 15, 2017.  Please note that Steering Committee will not provide written feedback. 

Instructions for Submitting an Application

One PDF file of the application materials should be sent to https://dci.duke.edu/2017FallBrainPilot.      

Please utilize NIH budget, biosketch and research format (11 point Arial font for text, 9 point Arial font for figure legends, 0.5-inch page margins, no appendices).  See http://grants.nih.gov/grants/funding/424/index.htm for further details.

  • An NIH biosketch for you and your faculty collaborators. The PI needs to be a standing member of the DCI; Co-PIs do not need to be DCI members.
  • Budget summary for two years totaling no more than $100,000; and
  • A 3 page (limit) proposal encompassing the following sections, in this order:
    • A brief abstract with specific aims
    • A significance section, paying particular attention to relevance to cancer
    • An innovation section
    • A research design section, including relevant preliminary data and figures
    • A brief statement indicating the need for the funds and an indication of how these pilot funds will assist you in obtaining peer-reviewed funding
  • References (no page limit)

If you have questions about this funding opportunity, please contact Erin Carr (erin.carr@duke.edu) or Daven Reagan (daven.reagan@duke.edu).  Thank you.

Scroll back to top automatically