Call for ADRC Pilot Project Proposals!

September 18, 2017

The UW ADRC seeks proposals for pilot projects that use its resources to advance the understanding, diagnosis, and/or treatment of Alzheimer’s disease.

 
The UW ADRC will fund at least two awards for junior researchers of up $30,000 each, and one award of up to $75,000, which is also open to established researchers new to the ADRC.
 
Funds will be awarded for a one year project period, 5/1/2018 through 4/30/2019.  The proposed project must be feasible in this time frame.

*Scroll down to see the previously funded ADRC pilot projects.
 
Background
 
The UW ADRC is an NIH-funded research Center that belongs to a national network of Alzheimer’s Disease Centers and maintains clinical research resources for the benefit of local and national scientific investigators.  
http://depts.washington.edu/mbwc/adrc/page/history-mission
 
The current themes of the UW ADRC are to understand the biological heterogeneity of Alzheimer’s disease, develop biomarkers of early disease, and advance precision medicine for Alzheimer’s disease. However, this request for proposals is not limited to these themes, and consideration will be given to any project in the field of AD, especially those that utilize UW ADRC resources. These include well-characterized human subjects with and without AD and related disorders; including biorepositories of tissue samples including DNA, cerebrospinal fluid, skin biopsies, and an extensive brain bank; outreach mechanisms; psychometric and diagnostic data; and the Data Core database and its statistical expertise. Applicants are encouraged to familiarize themselves with these resources and to consult with relevant ADRC Core Leads in development of the proposal.
http://depts.washington.edu/mbwc/adrc/page/research-resources
 
Eligibility
Applicants need not be affiliated with the UW, but preference will be given to applicants who will be able to develop or enhance UW ADRC collaborations. Non-UW applicants are encouraged to collaborate with at least one investigator from the UW ADRC.
 
Projects up to $30,000 in direct costs: Junior investigators (Postdoctoral fellows with appropriate senior collaborators or junior faculty up to Assistant Professor). Applicants must not have received a Pilot Award previously.
 
Projects up to $75,000 in direct costs: Mid-level and senior investigators (Associate Professor and above) are encouraged to apply for up to $75,000, provided that:
-they have never held UW ADRC funds previously
-they do not have substantial prior experience in AD research.

A Letter of Intent is encouraged but not required. A LOI will allow ADRC to give feedback to the applicant, potentially identify relevant resources, and will facilitate securing appropriate reviewers.
 
Key Dates
 
10/16/17
Letter of Intent (LOI) Deadline. Encouraged, but not required. Feedback given and applicants invited for full application

12/01/17, 11:59 pm
Full Application Deadline

01/15/18
Selection of Awardees

05/01/18
Earliest Project Start Date

04/30/19
Latest Project End Date
 
Application Procedure
 
Letter of Intent Deadline: 10/16/2017 11:59 pm PT
The Letter of Intent (LOI) should be no more than one page and include a descriptive title, brief abstract with specific aims, and study team members. Applicants are encouraged to consult with ADRC Core Leads relevant to their project (http://depts.washington.edu/mbwc/adrc/). A Letter of Intent is encouraged but not required. A LOI will allow ADRC to give feedback to the applicant, potentially identify relevant resources, and will facilitate securing appropriate reviewers.
 
The LOI should be emailed to annikn@uw.edu; Annika Noreen, ADRC Program Manager, by 11:59 pm PT on October 16, 2017.
 
An invitation to submit a full application or notification if you are not selected will be communicated by email by October 23, 2017.
 
Full Application Deadline: 12/01/2017, 11:59 pm PT
Applicants invited to submit a full application will receive an email by October 23, 2017, with further instructions. Full applications will be a condensed form of an NIH application template (PHS 398 form) and will include:
 
Submission/Applicant Information
Abstract
Research Plan
References
Human Subjects and/or Animal Use forms
Budget and Budget Justification
 
Review Process
ADRC proposals are competitive and peer-reviewed and proposals will be reviewed by internal and external referees.
 
Reporting requirements
• A one-page progress report submitted quarterly to annikn@uw.edu.
• A presentation at the ADRC Quarterly Scientific meeting near the end of the project.
• A final progress report at the close of the project describing the goals of the project and the outcomes that were accomplished, including publications and grant applications.

 

 

 

Previously Funded ADRC Pilot Projects

Title: Multiplex assay for the quantification of antigens in paraffin-embedded tissue. 2017-2018 Project leader: Martin Darvas, PhD

Title: Probing the role of endocytic network in sporadic AD risk using human induced pluripotent stem cells 2017-2018 Project Leader: Jessica Young, PhD

Title:  Alzheimer’s disease research pilot for American Indians and Alaska natives. 2017-2018 Project Leader: Meghan Jernigan, MPH

Title: Dopaminergic influence on amyloid beta. 2016-2017 Project leader: Erica Melief, PhD

Title: Human and Non-Human Primate Synaptic Damage.  2016-2017 Project leader: Caitlin Latimer, MD, PhD

Title: The effects of natural variation on Alzheimer's pathology in Drosophila. Project Leader: Adrienne Wang, PhD.

Title: Novel Data and Tissue Resource to Study CTE and AD Neuropathology. Project Leader: Desiree Marshall, MD

Title: Epigenetics of APOE in Alzheimer’s Disease Neurons. Project Leader: Jessica (Foraker) Tulloch, PhD

Title: Health Education, Aerobic and Resistance Training (HEART) in Prediabetic African Americans to compare the effects of exercise and health education on the thinking abilities, insulin sensitivity, and levels of Alzheimer's biomarkers in a group of African Americans with prediabetes. Project leader: Jeannine Skinner, PhD

Title: Quantification of A-beta and Tau in CSF by LC-MS/MS Project leader: Andrew Hoofnagle, MD, PhD

This project aimed to develop a new type of biomarker analysis to help translate already-known Alzheimer's biomarkers into practical, day-to-day diagnostic tests that could be reliably used in caring for people with Alzheimer's.

Title: Preclinical Study of D2 Antagonists for Neuroprotection Against Pathological Tau
Project leader: Brian Kraemer, MD, PhD

Dr. Kraemer's project studied a compound (D2 antagonists) to see whether it was able to lessen tau development and toxicity through an animal model of Alzheimer's disease.

Title: Neuroimaging Biomakers of Cognitive Resilience Among APOE-4 Carriers Project leader: Tara Madhyastha, PhD

The goal of this pilot study was to identify neuroimaging biomarkers associated with memory change in midlife that might represent a preclinical phase of Alzheimer's disease.

Title: Role of the R41H TREM2 variant in the pathogenesis of late onset AD. Project Leader Olena Korvatska, PhD

Title: Pilot study of potential Alzheimer’s disease biomarkers in human saliva. Project Leader Min Shi, PhD

Title: Strong Heart Stroke Study for Urban Indians and Alaska Natives Americans. Project Leader: Lonnie Nelson, PhD

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