SCI 2024 Equity Impact Research Grants
In recent years, the incidence and mortality for most types of cancer in California have declined; however, disparities persist for historically marginalized communities. For example, the cancer incidence rate for all cancers combined is lower among Black women and men compared to non-Hispanic White women and men, but death rates are higher. The Stanford Cancer Institute (SCI), Office of Cancer Health Equity is pleased to offer a call for cancer health equity proposals. Applicants can respond to one or more of the tracks outlined below. The Stanford Cancer Institute serves Santa Clara, San Mateo, Santa Cruz, Alameda, Contra Costa, Monterey, San Benito, San Joaquin, Stanislaus, and Merced counties, prioritizing lung, breast, pancreatic, liver, and lymphoma cancers. For both tracks, we welcome proposals that focus on these counties and priority cancers in addition to the incorporation of data collection and/or analysis component.
Challenge awards will be granted for 2 years and up to $100,000. Seed grant awards will be granted for 1 year and up to $50,000. Proposals are due Monday, May 3rd, 2024, 5:00 pm Pacific Time.
Track #1: Challenge Award
Track 1 is focused on addressing strategies and methods to either increase or enhance opportunities for community-based screening interventions. This year we are partnering with our CAB as well as other key stakeholders to address barriers to screening to increase equitable opportunities for cancer screening and prevention. The SCI catchment area covers a ten county area that includes racially/ethnic diverse communities that experience significant barriers to screening leading to increased cancer risk and burden of disease.
Proposals should include a component of community engagement and/or community partnership that focuses on delivering or improving screening efforts related to breast, pancreas, liver or lung cancer.
Track #2: Seed Grants
We invite the submission of seed grant proposals to address and reduce cancer disparities among underserved populations in California. Applicants are not limited to a specific topic, cancer type, or study design. However, preference will be given to proposals that focus on counties served by the Stanford Cancer Institute and/or the following priority areas:
- Understanding and addressing systemic, geographical and policy-driven factors that contribute to financial toxicity in underrepresented communities. Proposals may focus on investigating the effects of financial toxicity and its associated factors at the system and institutional levels, including, but not limited to, the following: 1) distribution of community benefit; 2) institutional/systemic racism; and 3) interrelated factors inherent to inequitable access to cancer treatment such as employment, income, community of residence and insurance status.
- Integrating cancer health equity and community engagement in the context of a basic science research program. SCI is seeking projects that integrate and apply a component of health equity addressing disparities in cancer risk, care or treatment. The research should focus on the SCI catchment area and optimally will yield actionable outcome that can be utilized by both community stakeholders and the associated research program to promote research integration in the community. Proposals are not required to focus on the entire SCI catchment area, but their findings should be applicable to an underrepresented community.
- Leveraging real-world data to reduce cancer disparities in California. We are interested in supporting innovative projects that harness real-world data to reduce cancer disparities in underserved Northern Californian communities (especially in counties served by SCI). For example, applicants could propose a blueprint for co-creating a data ecosystem that, as its implemented and reaches maturity, can provide secure and easy access to a diverse portfolio of cancer-related datasets or develop a use case that has the potential to scale.
- Cancer Health Equity
- Community Engagement
- Research Integration
- Open to Stanford faculty with PI eligibility (with UTL, MCL, NTLR faculty appointments) and Clinical Educator (CE) faculty with an approved PI waiver.
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Clinical instructors, instructors, graduate students and post-doctoral scholars (clinical and non-clinical) may serve as co-PI or co-investigator, but are required to include a PI-eligible faculty member as lead PI on the application.
Please note, University Research Agreements (URAs) now require COI (OPACS) for all Co-PIs. As a Co-PI on this project, your Conflicts of Interest (COI) needs to be done before this award amendment can be released in SERA. Please be sure to go into OPACS https://opacs.stanford.edu/ to complete your COI declarations for the noted project if you haven't done so
Progress reports will be required at 12 and 24 months after funding begins. Earlier progress reports will be requested if the award recipient is leaving the University. Recipients may be asked to present the results of funded research project at the request of the SCI.
- A cover sheet (1-page limit; upload as a single PDF) that includes:
- Title of proposal
- PI name title, email and department
- Co-PI, Mentor name (if applicable) and co-investigator names, departments and emails
- 4-sentence summary of proposed project
- Amount of funding requested
- Body of proposal (3-page limit; upload as a single PDF)
- Please answer the following questions:
- Potential impact. As the project evolves into a larger full-scale project, is the knowledge gained from the project likely to inform cancer-related policy, practice, and/or paradigms?
- Cancer health equity focus. Does the project have the potential to generate knowledge that can contribute to the promotion of cancer health equity?
- Community engagement. Have key stakeholders been identified and engaged in the proposal and are there plans for fostering bi-directional partnerships throughout the project?
- Methods. How will the proposed study design and methods ensure you are able to achieve your project goals and objectives?
- Scope and budget. What is your plan for completing the project within the one-year time frame? What is your proposed high-level budget?
- Contribution to investigator’s training. Will the project facilitate new collaborative work for the investigator in cancer disparities research?
- Potential to lead to longer-term projects. What steps will you take to help ensure the project develops into a longer-term, comprehensive, collaborative project?
- Human subjects. If applicable, have you applied for or received human subjects approval (please provide your application, approval, or exemption reference information)?
- Please answer the following questions:
- Budget (not part of 3-page limit; upload as a single Excel file) https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1Qu_-LJ0rKcMaI_DU4wH2yd35YZ5XOz1C/editusp=sharing&ouid=109573846026859517863&rtpof=true&sd=true
- Allowable expenditures include investigator’s salary, research personnel salaries, travel (if project-related) and project supplies.
- Budget should include some measurable effort for Principal Investigators (PIs), Co-PIs, and other personnel performing work (associate director and program manager can advise, if needed).
- Unallowable expenditures include capital equipment costing more than $5,000, intellectual property services, and food.
- Do not include indirect cost expenses.
- Use of gift cards will not be permitted.
- Allowable expenditures include investigator’s salary, research personnel salaries, travel (if project-related) and project supplies.
- Budget Justification (not part of 3-page limit; upload as a single PDF).
- Proposal Routing Form (not part of 3-page limit). Please download, complete, and attach the Proposal Routing Form (available at https://med.stanford.edu/cancer/research/funding.html).
- Bios (1-paragraph maximum for each key personnel; upload as a single PDF file) are required for the PI, Co-PI(s), and each key personnel involved in the Pilot Project. Bios are not part of the 3-page limit.
Notes
- Figures and tables included within the body of the proposal will count towards the 3-page limit.
- References may be included and are not part of the page limit.
- Do not include appendices to the proposal.
- If human subjects are involved you must submit your eProtocol application or approval reference information before funds can be distributed.
- Applications that do not comply with the above requirements will not be considered for review.
Challenge award will be granted for 2 years up to $100,000. The award period is July 1, 2024 -June 30, 2026. Seed grant awards will be granted for 1 year up to $50,000. The award period is July 1, 2024- June 30, 2025.
In accordance with University research guidelines, funds may be used for:
- PI Salary Support (minimum of 1% of the NIH salary cap ($221,900) not to exceed 10% of total award)
- Other personnel directly supporting the proposed project
- Equipment and supplies
- SCI will allow up to 5K for capital equipment
- Once awarded, compliance documents (IRB or APLAC) will need to be obtained to process the PDRF in the Stanford Electronic Research Administration (SERA) system
- Only DIRECTS should be shown in the budget
