RFA: Mentored Postdoctoral Scholar Award

 

Project Award Amount: $12,000

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Description

The UCSF P30 Center for Environmental Research and Translation for Health (EaRTH) invites applications for UCSF postdoctoral scholars to carry out independent projects in basic science, clinical science or epidemiology focused on environmental health. These awards are intended to provide resources to these early career researchers so that they may advance their own innovative research project or add an environmental component to their current work. The expectation is that the funded project will result in a publication and will support the submission of a competitive NIEHS grant application such as a K99/R00. The awards may be used for the collection of preliminary data, equipment, supplies, and/or research support personnel.

Projects should be broadly aligned with the theme of the EaRTH Center, which is to understand how exposure to environmental pollutants and/or environmental chemicals during development influence disease and to intervene and prevent exposures to improve health throughout the lifespan, especially among vulnerable and underserved populations. Exposures may include relevant environmental chemicals and food additives, as well as factors that may affect biological responses to exposures such as psychosocial stress and the intersection between health and climate and environmental change. We encourage use of at least one EaRTH Center Core, which should be detailed in the Project Proposal Description. Topics of interest include but are not limited to:

• Adverse health outcomes related to exposures during pregnancy and early development
• Mechanistic studies that identify pathways disrupted by environmental exposures
• Interactions between genetics and exposures in disease
• New technologies for monitoring exposures or their effects
• Interventions for mitigating the effects of exposures
• The intersection between health and climate and environmental change

The maximum award amount per recipient is $12,000 and the award period is six months. There is a limit of one award per postdoc fellow. A report is required at the end of the funding period, identifying accomplishments, resulting publications, and subsequent funding obtained to support the projects. Any resulting publications or public presentations must directly acknowledge funding from the UCSF P30 EaRTH Center P30ES030284.

 

Eligibility

• Applicant must designate a UCSF co-mentor/collaborator with experience in environmental health who is not their current or past mentor. (Please email [email protected] if you need assistance identifying a co-mentor.)
• The funds must be used to support a project that is new or ventures beyond current research. The distinct nature of the proposed work should be addressed in the application.
• The UCSF postdoctoral scholar must have been in a UCSF laboratory one year or longer, but no more than 5 years.
• EaRTH Center funds can only be used while a postdoctoral scholar is affiliated with UCSF.
• Postdoctoral scholars who have been awarded a career transition fellowship (e.g. K99, Burroughs Wellcome) are NOT eligible for the EaRTH Center Mentored Postdoctoral Scholar Award.
• No prior experience in environmental health research is required.
• Current membership in the P30 EaRTH Center is not required, although awardees will be required to participate in Center functions during the duration of their project and present their results.

 

Criteria for Review/Evaluation of Project Proposals

Proposals will be evaluated based on innovation in ideas or approach, quality, potential of the project to advance understanding and prevention of harmful environmental exposures, as well as PI qualifications.  Proposals must adhere to the following:

• Projects are encouraged to involve at least one P30 EaRTH Core service. Please consult https://earth.ucsf.edu or reach out to [email protected] to discuss details. Funds may be available for Core services in addition to the $12K amount. You must consult with the Core director to discuss details, price estimate and feasibility of them completing your needed service during the 6-month project window.
• Applications should be written for a broad scientific audience with inclusion of only necessary details.
• Projects that involve human subjects or animal subjects must comply with NIH rules and will be expected to submit initial IRB/GESCR applications and/or IACUC revisions before funds are released.

 

Selection of Awardees

Award decisions will be based on several factors, including conformity to stated guidelines and alignment of proposal to the P30 EaRTH Center’s strategic goals available at https://earth.ucsf.edu.

 

To Apply

Prepare your application as a SINGLE PDF and email to UCSF EaRTH Center [email protected].  Components of the proposal include:

1. Cover Page:  a) title of project; b) your full name, position, department and contact information; c) optional: race/gender identity/other identity; d) name, position, department of faculty project mentor; e) mechanism to which you are applying; f) type of project: basic science, clinical, epidemiology, education, outreach; g) 5+ keywords

2. Project Description: Please convey: 1) goals for the project, significance for environmental health, innovation; 2) how the project goals align with the EaRTH Center goals; 3) specific aims for the funding period; 4) methods for implementation, including where the project will occur; 5) a description of how the project is distinct from those of the fellow’s primary mentor; 6) which EaRTH Core service(s), if any, will be used.

              a. Format Requirements: Not to exceed 1 page of single-spaced Arial font at 11 pt (including references); minimum 0.5 inch for all margins; no appendices.

3. Budget: $12,000 maximum per proposal; round up to the nearest thousand (i.e. instead of $11,869 list $12,000). PIs are required to list their effort whether paid or in kind. Use the form: PHS 398 Form Page 4, “Detailed Budget for the Initial Period”: https://grants.nih.gov/grants/funding/phs398/phs398.html

	Allowable	Not Allowable
PI and/or Co-PI Salary *	X
Subcontracts		X
EaRTH Core Services	X
Administrative Support		X
Supplies	X
Equipment	X
Software		X
Personal Computers		X
Mailing	X
Tuition		X
Travel		X
Publication Fees		X
Research Staff Support (e.g. SRA; Technician, Clinical coordinator)	X
Patient Care/Patient remuneration	X

*NIH base salary cap. Fully justify all requests.

4. Budget Justification: Clearly and fully justify all costs (1 page maximum).

5. NIH Biosketch of Applicant: Please use the most recent template, 5 page maximum per biosketch.

6. From the applicant’s postdoc supervisor:

              a. A brief statement explaining how the postdoc’s proposed project is distinct from the supervisor’s work as well as the supervisor’s approval for the fellow to initiate the proposed project (<300 words).

              b. The supervisor’s NIH biosketch. Please use the most recent template, 5 page maximum per biosketch.

7. NIH Biosketch of UCSF co-mentor/collaborator with experience in environmental health who is not their current or past mentor: Please use the most recent template, 5 page maximum per biosketch. Inclusion of this biosketch implies consent and support of application from co-mentor/collaborator.

 

Questions?  Please contact the EaRTH Center ([email protected]).