Testing Molecular Hypotheses in Human Subjects
Full program details available on the Sarafan ChEM-H website
Purpose and Scope
A key limiting factor for testing molecular hypotheses or evaluating promising new tools in humans is the establishment of productive connections between molecular scientists/engineers who have access to innovative tools and practicing clinicians with access to sick or healthy cohorts of human subjects. To facilitate such collaborations, Sarafan ChEM-H is soliciting brief proposals from small teams of clinicians and scientists/engineers who seek to undertake exploratory studies involving human subjects.
Through this funding mechanism, Sarafan ChEM-H seeks to support collaborative projects that will test a molecular hypothesis in human subjects or validate the utility of a new tool in the diagnosis or management of a disease.
Proposals in any disease area will be considered, but research that leverages the Project BIG biorepository, focuses on EGFR-driven lung cancer, or relates to stem cell biology is especially welcome.
Support Provided
Support will be provided in the form of up to $50,000 in direct costs for study-related expenses. Applications should clearly justify supplies, consumables, biobanking costs, etc. Faculty and clinician time cannot be supported on this award. Support requested beyond $50,000 must be extensively justified and cannot be used to support personnel expenses.
About Project BIG
Project BIG aims to unlock the cause and cure for MS and other neurological and autoimmune diseases through a unique clinician-scientist collaboration across disciplines. Project BIG physicians and researchers in the clinic collect samples from consenting patients during acute MS exacerbations and from those same patients in remission. Stanford researchers can gain access to this highly annotated biorepository to identify differences between active and remitted disease to find potential biomarkers of disease status, windows into the mechanism of disease modulation, or targets for improved therapies and personalized treatments.
More information can be found at: https://www.projectbig.com/
Questions about Project BIG, including more information about accessing patient samples, should be addressed to Anna Tomczak (atomc96@stanford.edu; 650-796-8420).
Application Instructions
Applications should be submitted directly to Sarafan ChEM-H. You do not need to submit your applications to your Research Process Manager (RPM) in RMG or through your Office of Sponsored Research (OSR) Contract and Grant officer (CGO) for their approval at this time. Selected projects will be required to submit PDRFs via the SERA system to set up University Research Awards.
All application materials must be submitted to Sarafan ChEM-H through the SlideRoom portal.
Each application must identify at least one clinical and at least one laboratory-based co-investigator. Stanford faculty with UTL, MCL, NTLR and CE faculty appointments are eligible. CEs should provide a note from their Chair or Division Chief with their application stating that the Department/Division will cover salary support for time devoted to the project. Investigators who received funding in the previous cycle of the Sarafan ChEM-H Testing Molecular Hypotheses in Human Subjects seed grants are ineligible for the current award.
