Request for Application: Pilot Grants for Obesity Research with Targeted Outcomes

Proposal Due Date: April 1, 2020
Proposal to be submitted electronically as a single PDF to Shanti.Sharma@tufts.edu.

The Tufts Institute for Global Obesity Research (TIGOR) is pleased to invite a second round of pilot project applications for the 2019-2020 academic year. As part of the University’s Strategic Plan for Research, TIGOR fosters collaborations to address the complex societal issue of obesity, with a focus on both domestic and global obesity. This call for proposals results from a collaboration between TIGOR and Tufts Medical Center.  Up to 2 proposals will be funded.  Substantial progress towards a proposal for extramural funding or development of a manuscript will be expected as the final product from this funding opportunity.

Eligibility

Faculty with a primary appointment/affiliation with Tufts Medical Center or Tufts University are eligible to apply.Applications must include at least one investigator (principal investigator or co-investigator) whose primary affiliation is Tufts Medical Center and at least one investigator (principal investigator or co-investigator) whose primary affiliation is Tufts University.

Funding will support teams of established investigators who will be competitive to develop extramural proposals for government (NIH, USDA, NSF, CDC) grants for cutting-edge research, or substantial foundation grants.

Project Period and BudgetProject Duration: Projects are expected to begin by 5/1/2020. Projects must be completed, and all expenditures incurred within 10 months of the start date unless formal approval of program period extension is received and approved by the TIGOR steering committee.

Budget: Total funding is $30,000. Priority will be given to proposals that are “shovel ready”.  Requests can be made for $15,000 or $30,000.

Award Conditions

These pilot grants are to support work that is likely to achieve strong publishable results within a short period of time and will be used to support an application for an identified extramural funding mechanism. The intended timeline for submission to an external sponsor that will be advanced by this pilot grant must be included.

Funds can be used in a variety of ways including for providing support to students, postdocs, research assistants, or PI/Co-I; data collection expenses, e.g. lab supplies, animals, core facility charges, equipment; data analysis; and grant writing.

Review Criteria

  • Significance: Does the project address an important problem or a critical barrier to progress in the area of obesity?
  • Investigators: Are the PIs, collaborators, and other researchers well suited to the project? Have they demonstrated an ongoing record of accomplishments that have advanced their field(s)?
  • Innovation: Does the application challenge and seek to shift current research or clinical practice paradigms by utilizing novel theoretical concepts, approaches or methodologies, instrumentation, or interventions
  • Approach:
    • Are the overall strategy, methodology, and analyses well-reasoned and appropriate to accomplish the specific aims of the project?
    • Is the proposed project shovel ready (the degree to which the project is developed and approaching submission for extramural funding and/or publication)?
    • Is it likely that the results and data generated from this project will lead to progress towards a competitive proposal for extramural funding and substantial progress towards a manuscript?
    • Is there a specific external sponsor(s) identified?
    • Is the project innovative and original in order to advance knowledge in the area of obesity?
  • Environment: Will the scientific environment in which the work will be done contribute to the probability of success?
  • Budget: Are the budget allocations appropriate?
  • Timeline: Is the project feasibility within 10 months?

The NIH grant application scoring system will be applied.  This system uses a 9-point scale for both overall impact scores and scores for individual review criteria. For both types of score, ratings are in whole numbers only (no decimal ratings). Scores of 1 or 9 are used less frequently than the other scores.  5 is considered an average score. For criterion scores, the scale is used by the assigned reviewers to evaluate (at least) five individual criteria (e.g., Significance, Investigator(s), Innovation, Approach, Environment).  Reviewers will consider the strengths and weaknesses within each criterion.

Reporting Requirements

Grants recipients must provide a 1-page mid-grant progress report by September 1st 2020, and a final report by February 28th 2021 to the TIGOR Steering Committee at Shanti.Sharma@tufts.edu. The final report should be no longer than two single-spaced pages and should:

  • Describe the work that was accomplished.
  • Identify specific proposal(s) and publication(s) submitted (or planned) to external sponsor(s) as a result of the grant.
  • Describe any plans for ongoing collaboration beyond the funded project.

In addition, grant recipients might be contacted in between reporting periods and asked to provide a brief update on progress.

Pilot Grant Application Content

  1. Cover Page (one page): Provide: Names, titles, and primary affiliations of the principal investigators and co-investigators; contact information of principal investigators; title of project; and proposed start and end dates.
  2. Project Description (Up to two single-spaced pages) with 0.5-inch margins, 11-point font, and sections on:
    1. Significance: Explain how this study advances knowledge, addresses an important problem or a critical barrier to progress in the area of obesity.
    2. Investigators: Ongoing record of accomplishments and track record of receiving grants.
    3. Innovation: Innovation and originality of the proposed study.
    4. Approach:
      1. Clarity of goals: Describe the proposed project including overall strategy, methodology, and analyses and expected outcomes.
      2. Shovel readiness: The degree to which the project is developed and approaching submission for extramural funding and/or publication.
      3. The potential and likelihood that the results and data generated from this project will lead to progress towards a competitive proposal for extramural funding and substantial progress towards a manuscript.
      4. Specific proposal(s) planned to external sponsor(s) that will be advanced by this pilot grant, and the intended timeline for submission should be included.
      5. Funds must be used to advance a study this is innovative and original in order to advance knowledge in the area of obesity.
    5. Environment: Describe the scientific environment in which the work will be done
    6. Timeline: Provide a feasible timeline.
  3. Budget and Budget Justification (no more than one page).
  4. Resumes Include an abbreviated CV, bio-sketch, or resume (no more than five pages) for each principal investigator. NIH bio-sketches are accepted.
  5. References/ Bibliography (no more than one page): A short list of relevant publications.

Key Dates
Application submission period begins: March 4th
Application submission period ends: April 1st 2020
Award decision: on or before April 30th 2020
Earliest start date: May 1st 2020

Submission
Proposals should be submitted electronically as a single PDF to Shanti.Sharma@tufts.edu.

Review Process
Proposals will be reviewed by a panel composed of faculty at Tufts Medical Center and Tufts University, and notification of funding will be made on or before May 1, 2020.
For questions and submission of a proposal, please send email to Shanti.Sharma@tufts.edu.