2024 American Cancer Society - Stanford Cancer Institute (ACS-SCI) IRG Pilot Grants
The Stanford Cancer Institute’s (SCI) mission is to reduce cancer mortality and improve cancer care through comprehensive programs of cancer research, prevention, treatment, education and outreach. To achieve its mission, the leadership and members relentlessly pursue multiple strategic aims which include fostering interdisciplinary basic cancer research, translating scientific discovery into clinical research and optimal patient care, developing improved approaches to the prevention, early detection, precise diagnosis and effective treatment of cancer, and improving the cancer patient experience by using research to develop and validate innovative initiatives in patient-centered care.
The aim of the American Cancer Society (ACS) – Institutional Research Grant (IRG) Pilot Program at the Stanford Cancer Institute (SCI) is to attract and increase the number of junior faculty members, including highly qualified physicians, physician-scientists, population-based or basic/translational scientists, who are dedicated to cancer research and to maximize their potential to be leaders in academic medicine.
Junior faculty from underrepresented groups including women are highly encouraged to apply. A track record of interest and initial productivity in cancer research or other biomedical research with relevance to cancer research is required. Priority will be given to candidates with no current national peer-reviewed funding. The awardee will receive one year of funding of $50,000 per year that can be used for support of individual research projects. Awardees will become members the Stanford Cancer Institute are expected to participate in research meetings, mentoring and educational activities.
TIMELINE (Anticipated / Exact dates TBD)
RFA Announced: November 1, 2023
Proposal submission deadline: January 17, 2024
Notification of Selection: February 7, 2024
Funding Period: Mar. 1st, 2024 - Feb. 28th, 2025
APPLICATION FORMAT
Please include the following in the application:
- Project Title
- Lay Audience Summary (limit to 150 words or less)
- Project Summary (limit to 300 words)
-
Research Plan (limit to 4 pages, 11 point Arial font)
-Specific Aims (.5 page)
-Background and Preliminary Investigation (1.5 pages)
-Experimental Design and Methods (2 pages) - Bibliography
- Budget
- Budget justification (limit to 1 page)
- PI NIH Biosketch and Other Support
- Letter of Support (1 from your mentor)
- Verification of Application Eligibility
- High level potential and interest in cancer research
- Interest in eventually establishing own independent cancer research program
- Track record of initial productivity in cancer research or other biomedical research with cancer relevance
- Strong academic and scholarly record
- Strength of recommendation letters
- Applicants must be MCL/UTL Assistant Professors or Instructors who are within six years of their first independent appointment.
- Individuals who have previously received this award and individuals who already have independent, national competitive research grant funding from the NIH* (e.g., K99, R00, R01, R03, R21), ACS, NSF or Veterans Administration are not eligible.
- Recipients of IRG pilot grants are not required to be U.S. citizens. However, any applicant for IRG pilot project funding who is not a U.S. citizen must hold a visa that will allow him or her to remain in the U.S. long enough to complete the IRG pilot project and provide the Stanford Cancer Institute with the appropriate documentation at the time of submission.
*As long as the applicant meets all other criteria, holders of personnel awards such as the NIH K series, are eligible to receive pilot project money from the IRG. However, this does not apply to investigators with the K99/R00. These individuals already are receiving funding to help support an application for an independent research grant. Thus, an IRG pilot project grant would be more beneficial if awarded to an applicant who has no external support.
- Necessary approvals are not required at the time of proposal application, but are required before funding can be received. Research involving animals or human subjects must be reviewed in accordance with the University's general assurances and HIPAA. Projects involving human subjects must be submitted to an Internal Review Board (IRB). Intervention studies and clinical protocols must be reviewed and approved by the Scientific Review Committee (SRC). Projects involving animal studies must also submit approval forms from the Administrative Panel on Animal Care (APLAC). All investigators and Persons named on the budget page must have certification of training in the protection of human subjects.
- The grantee will meet with his/her mentor at least quarterly during the year of the award to review potential topics for grant proposals, review grant proposals, critique investigators’ manuscripts, discuss with investigator techniques for recruitment of physicians, students, postdoctoral scientists to their studies, as well as personal and career advice and how to balance sometimes conflicting obligations. Grantees who have difficulty identifying and/or securing a mentor may contact Dr. James Ford for assistance.
- Grantee shall notify the American Cancer Society of each funded invention made by Grantee within thirty (30) days after the disclosure of the Funded Invention to Grantee's Technology Transfer Office or the equivalent thereof (refer to ACS Intellectual Property Rights.)
- The ACS requires interaction between the local ACS and awardees. Grantees may be asked to allow local ACS staff and/or volunteers to tour their laboratories and/or may be asked to speak about their research at local meetings. Acceptance of this award means that you agree to participate in some activity or interaction through direct request from the ACS or via participation in local events.
- Grantees will be required to submit to Stanford Cancer Institute a brief annual progress report describing the results of their work, as well as related publications and funding. Annual reports are required for seven years, post award.
- Publications resulting from the research supported by this Institutional Research Grant from the American Cancer Society must contain an acknowledgment such as “Supported by Grant #ACS IRG-23-1074369 from the American Cancer Society.”
- It is understood that the principal investigator, by the act of accepting this award, agrees to abide the American Cancer Society’s INSTITUTIONAL RESEARCH GRANT POLICIES including the Society’s patent policy and Intellectual property rights policy, and failure to comply with such policies or with any other terms in connection with the grant may result in the suspending or cancelling grant funding.
- SCI membership, please see link to apply for appropriate membership and application
Budgets may not exceed a total of $50,000 in direct costs. Indirect costs are not allowable.
Expenditures Allowed
- Research supplies and animal maintenance
- Technical assistance
- Domestic travel when necessary to carry out the proposed research program
- Publication costs, including reprints, not to exceed $500
- Costs of computer time
- Special fees (pathology, photography, etc).
- Stipends for graduate students and postdoctoral assistants if their role is to promote and sustain the project presented by the junior faculty member
- Equipment costing less than $2,000
- Registration fees at scientific meetings
Expenditures Not Allowed:
- Salary of PI (pilot project grant recipient)
- Student tuition and/or fees
- Secretarial/administrative salaries
- Foreign travel; special consideration will be given for attendance at scientific meetings held in Canada
- Honoraria and travel expenses for Visiting lecturers
- Per diem charges for hospital beds
- Non-medical services to patients (patient travel to a clinical site or patient incentives are allowable expenses)
- Construction, renovation, or maintenance of building/laboratory
- Books and periodicals
