Center for AIDS Research

The UW/FHCRC Center for AIDS Research (CFAR) announces the availability of funds to support Emerging Opportunity Grants related to human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS).

An electronic version of this RFA is available here [94K, PDF].

Purpose

To provide funding as soon as possible after applying, for time-sensitive HIV/AIDS-related research projects that take advantage of recent developments in a field, new technologies, or that will provide an important new resource or technology to the UW HIV/AIDS research community. The intent of these grants is to provide short-term, start-up funds, to test hypotheses, and to generate sufficient data for subsequent applications for other funds. Awardees should plan to apply for other funding, if results warrant. Proposed projects must be distinct from ongoing work. The award period for this grant is a maximum of one year.  

Eligibility

Must be active investigators (faculty or trainees) at UW or a UW-affiliated institution, e.g. Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle Biomedical Research Institute, Children's Hospital and Regional Medical Center, or affiliated institution (must have collaborative relationship with UW faculty or UW affiliate faculty).

Anyone from postdoctoral fellow through senior faculty is eligible to apply, but HIV investigators who do not meet the criteria for an NIH-defined “New Investigator”  must be proposing a project outside of their current area of study. Investigators without prior HIV experience at any level are eligible to apply.

If you have any questions about eligibility, please email laurenst at uw.edu. 

Types of Projects

HIV/AIDS-related research is defined broadly and includes basic science, clinical, behavioral epidemiological, and health services research. If you have any questions about whether or not your project would be eligible, please email laurenst at uw.edu. 

Funding Available

Up to $25,000 direct costs per award, for a maximum of one year. We anticipate 2 awards being made during this cycle.

Pre-Submission Requirements

Potential applicants need approval in order to apply, and should send a very brief (a few sentences) summary of their project and a justification of why it is time sensitive and potentially high impact to laurenst at uw.edu BEFORE preparing an application.

UW applicants do not need departmental, school, or Office of Sponsored Programs signatures. Applicants from other institutions should prepare and submit a NIH 398 face page, with concurrence from their institution's business official; and consult with the CFAR Program Coordinator, Lauren Sterling, at laurenst at uw.edu or 206-744-8876, prior to preparing an application. 

All applicants are encouraged to discuss their proposal with one of CFAR’s biostatisticians prior to/during the preparation of their application. Please consult the Biometrics Core using their Request for Consultation form.

We encourage applicants to use CFAR Cores or link to CFAR Scientific Programs (see http://cfar.washington.edu for more information). 

Pre-Award Requirements

Human Subjects and Animal Care Approvals: Animal Care and Institutional Review Board approvals, if applicable, must be obtained prior to receipt of an award, but are not required to submit an application.  Proposals involving either international sites or clinical research above minimal risk will require additional clearance from NIH prior to receipt of an award, which requires IRB approval from all participating sites and human subjects training certification for all key personnel.

Post-Award Requirements

1. Prior to funding, a copy of all Institutional Biohazard, Animal Care and IRB approvals must be forwarded to the Developmental Core Program Coordinator. If the project involves human subjects and the institutional IRB has deemed the study "greater than minimal risk", the awardee must submit a Clinical Research Checklist to the Core Program Coordinator before funding is released. If the project is being conducted overseas, prior approval from NIH is required prior to commencement of the study.
2. Awardees will be required to submit progress reports to the CFAR and make an oral presentation at the annual UW AIDS & STD Research Symposium.
3. CFAR support must be acknowledged in all publications derived from CFAR funding.
4. In the event that pending other support is funded which overlaps with or reduces your effort on this CFAR project, you must notify the CFAR Administrative Director. Your funding status will be reviewed and if it is determined that you are unable to meet the specific aims of your CFAR proposal, the CFAR award will be revoked.
5. After project is completed, be available to provide information about publications, collaborations, and future grants related to your CFAR project.

Application Instructions

After completing all pre-submission requirements, submit the following in one MS Word or PDF file by August 15, 2012 to https://depts.washington.edu/cfar/find-funding/emerging-opportunity-grants/submission-form: 

1. Face Page: (PHS 398 Form page 1 - Download: MS Word or PDF) Institutional sign-off for Non-UW applicants required.
2. Abstract (1 page max). List the aims and briefly describe the study.
3. NIH 398 detailed budget (PHS 398 Form page 4 - Download: MS Word or PDF) and budget justification.
4. NIH-style biographical sketch for PI (PHS 398 Format - Download: MS Word or PDF), including Research Support section.
5. Research Plan (2 pages, not including references).  Emphasize the rationale, why the work is time-sensitive and important in the context of HIV/AIDS, and include a description of the experimental plan).
6. Letters of support from collaborators essential to the success of proposed project.