RFA: Mentored Scientist and Mentored Clinician Awards

 

Project Awards Amount: $15,000

 

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Description

The UCSF P30 Center for Environmental Research and Translation for Health (EaRTH) invites applications from junior faculty and clinicians to embark on new projects in basic, epidemiological, or translational science or clinical/education through the following mechanisms:

Mentored Scientist Award – For launching a scientific research project on environmental health, either by collecting preliminary data in new project, pioneering a new method, or adding an environmental health component to an existing project.

Mentored Clinician Award – For launching an innovative new clinical, health education or outreach project in environmental health.

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. All awards are strongly encouraged to use at least one EaRTH Center Core, which should be detailed in the Project Proposal Description.

Awards are for one year and are not renewable. 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

  • Limited to Early-Stage Investigators, (ESIs) as defined by the NIH, with a faculty appointment at UCSF prior to the application deadline and clinical faculty. Eligibility requirements need to be met as of date of submission; no waivers will be accepted.
  • 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.)
  • 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

We invite the submission of bold new project proposals that respond to a timely, research or clinical need relating to environmental health. Proposals will be evaluated based on innovation in ideas or approach, quality, and the potential of the project to advance understanding and prevention of harmful environmental exposures.  Proposals must adhere to the following:

  • Projects are strongly 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 $15K amount. You must consult with the Core director to discuss details, price estimate and feasibility of them completing your needed service during the 1-year 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) ESI status; d) optional: race/gender identity/other identity; e) name, position, department of faculty mentor; f) mechanism to which you are applying; g) type of project: basic science, clinical, epidemiology, education, outreach; h) 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) methods for implementation, including where the project will occur; 4) which EaRTH Core services 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. NIH Biosketch of Applicant: (5 page maximum per biosketch): Please use the most recent template.

4. From the applicant’s co-mentor/collaborating environmental health faculty mentor:

              a. A brief letter of support that describes his/her role on the project (limited to 1/2 page).

              b. The collaborating scientist’s NIH biosketch (up to 5pages). Please use the most recent template. 

5. Budget: $15,000 maximum per proposal; round up to the nearest thousand (i.e. instead of $14,869 list $15,000). PIs are required to list their effort whether is 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.

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

 

 

 

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