The Center for Environmental Health and Susceptibility (CEHS)

Guidelines for Proposals - First Stage

Background and Purpose

The UNC-CH Center on Environmental Health and Susceptibility (CEHS) announces the availability of funding for pilot projects based on specifications shown below. The CEHS’ aims are: to promote state-of-the-art research on environmental health that will help reduce the burden of environmentally-related human disease; enhance basic research on mechanisms of toxicity of hazardous chemicals; foster inter-disciplinary collaborations and creative uses of the expertise and facilities within the Center; improve our understanding of the environmental and genetic determinants of disease; and provide a resource to the State of North Carolina on the environmental determinants of health. The Center provides services for investigators through four facility cores: Molecular Epidemiology, Biostatistics and Epidemiologic Methods, Biomarkers, and Nutrient Assessment. The Center also has a Community Outreach and Education Core; a Professional Enrichment Program; and a Pilot Projects Program. The primary objective of the Standard Pilot Projects Program is to encourage new and creative research approaches, providing short-term funding to collect preliminary data or demonstrate feasibility of an idea, in order to strengthen a grant proposal to outside funding sources. Projects that serve as a bridge for attracting new investigators to the CEHS and/or bring together researchers from basic sciences, epidemiology, and clinical sciences will receive highest priority. In particular, targeted projects include those of: (a) young investigators who are starting to develop a research program in an area of environmental health research of relevance to the CEHS; (b) established investigators who are interested in pursuing an innovative line of CEHS-related collaborative research; or (c) established investigators in other research areas, interested in applying their expertise to a CEHS-related area; and (d) those which involve the use of CEHS Facility Cores.

Scope

This announcement addresses primarily investigations about the burden of environmentally-related human disease, with emphasis on the mechanisms involved in the interaction between environmental factors and genetic and developmental determinants of disease, as well as the environmental determinants of health.

Eligibility

Members of the CEHS and other faculty members and researchers from the UNC-CH’s Schools of Public Health, Medicine, Pharmacy, Nursing, Dentistry, and Arts and Sciences (Biology & Chemistry) are eligible. Faculty outside the CEHS (non members) and Post-Doctoral Fellows may apply but must have a CEHS member as a collaborator in order to become eligible.

Funding and Allowable Items

One grant of $40,000 and five of $25,000 each (direct costs) will be funded for a period of one year. Exceptionally, investigators whose initial pilot project results show particular promise, could re-submit for additional funds of up to $25,000, for only one time. Funding will be permitted for supplies, equipment, publications costs, and personnel. Funds will not be permitted for faculty salaries, stipends, travel or overhead.

Application Procedure

The process of application includes two stages. The first stage consists of submitting electronically a ONE-PAGE INITIAL APPLICATION (using 12-point font size, and one-inch margins) describing the basic research idea: problem/question that will be addressed and how this is expected to be accomplished. The one-page proposals will be reviewed by an ad-hoc team integrated by the Pilot Projects Program Director, the CEHS Director, and the CEHS Scientific Coordinator. The one-page proposals that best meet the CEHS goals will be selected for the second stage.

The second stage is limited to applicants who submitted the one-page proposals and are selected to submit a full five-page application. The full application will follow an abbreviated NIH 398 format: specific aims, background and significance, previous studies, research plan, human subjects, vertebrate animals, collaborators, and references. The majority of the full proposal should be devoted to the research plan, whereas specific aims, background, significance, and previous studies should be limited. The text will be limited to five single-spaced pages (using 12-point font size, and one-inch margins). Application cover page, budget, budget justification, 180-word abstract, and references are not included in the five-page limit. The 2nd-stage applicants should request/obtain statistical consultation from the CEHS Biostatistics and Epidemiologic Methods Facility Core (contact Dr. Amy Herring: <aherring@bios.unc.edu> [843-6368]); a letter or email from Dr. Herring should be submitted with the full proposal. In addition, proposed research using any of the Center Facility Cores should include a letter or email from the corresponding Facility Core Director making it clear that the Core is willing to work with the investigator on the proposed project.

Applicants selected for the second stage should submit (MS Word files, via email attachments):

complete application as indicated above, including cover page, 180-word abstract, text, references, budget and budget justification;
statement that statistical consultation has been obtained through the CEHS Biostatistics and Epidemiologic Methods Facility Core;
statement that any facility core whose services are listed will collaborate with the pilot project;
statement that IRB and/or IACUC authorization has been obtained or requested.

Process and Criteria for Review of Full Proposals

Each full proposal will be reviewed and evaluated by at least two reviewers, based on: [a] relevance to the CEHS’ mission of studying environmentally related human disease; [b] scientific merit; [c] appropriateness of laboratory, epidemiologic and statistical methods; [d] significance and feasibility; [e] interdisciplinary collaborations preferably between basic scientists, epidemiologists and clinical scientists; [f] use of CEHS Facility Cores; [g] innovation; [h] likelihood to result in a successful funded application; [i] investigator; [j] ethical concerns. The CEHS’ Internal Advisory Committee will make the final decisions regarding funding. Selected projects will be funded for a period of one year.

Requirements for Recipients

Each recipient of an award will be required to submit a final report at the completion of his/her pilot project. The final report should include results; abstracts or articles published; grants submitted (specifying dates) and whether they were funded; and collaborations that developed during the pilot project work. The recipients of pilot projects may also be required to present their results at the Center-wide meetings or symposium. Pilot project recipients will be contacted regularly, at least annually, beyond the submission of the final report, to learn of the ultimate results from the pilot funding, including grants and publications.

DEADLINE FOR ONE-PAGE INITIAL APPLICATIONS:
THURSDAY March 27th, 2008 (5:00 PM)

Applications and/or further inquiries should be sent to:
Jorge Izquierdo, D.D.S., Ph.D.
CEHS Scientific Coordinator
CB# 7432
Phone: 919-843-9506
Email: Jorge_Izquierdo@unc.edu