UC Davis Clinical and Translational Science Center
Pilot and Collaborative Studies Program
- Call For Proposals The UC Davis Clinical and Translational Science Center (CTSC) invites proposals for
multidisciplinary pilot and collaborative studies to be conducted during the 2007-2008
academic year. Funding is available for novel multidisciplinary proposals with a translational
focus, or to apply existing technologies, procedures, and/or methods to a significant problem of
broad translational importance in human health.
Funding will be available for up to $50,000 in total costs for a 12-month period beginning 4/1/07.
Proposals in the $20-30,000 range are particularly encouraged in order to fund as many worthy
proposals as possible. Support may be provided for salary, supplies, and other research-related
expenses; funds may not be used to purchase equipment or for travel expenses (except as needed
to reimburse clinical study participants). Proposals from applicants with a 1:1 match with other
existing pilot project funding programs will be viewed favorably.
Purpose:
The UC Davis CTSC provides an academic home for clinical and translational research and is
focused on speeding improvements in human health by reducing barriers in health-relevant
research. The goal of the CTSC Pilot and Collaborative Studies Program is to enhance and
augment research areas crucial to translational research by providing seed funds for novel
research projects. In addition, the Program fosters new multidisciplinary collaborations that will
enhance the integration of existing technologies or to use novel approaches to a common
investigative theme. The CTSC will support studies translating basic discovery into potential
medical applications, and translating proven clinical applications into improved practice (“health
services/community research”).
Eligibility:
All full-time members of the UC Davis faculty, including faculty in the adjunct or research series,
are invited to apply. Included are:
• Junior investigators seeking to establish an independent, multidisciplinary research program, and
• Established, funded investigators developing a new area of multidisciplinary investigation.
Examples of Potential Areas of Study:
• Developing improved research methods and/or novel technologies that are necessary to
enhance multidisciplinary clinical and translational research
• Exploring the multidisciplinary translational and/or clinical potential of a novel and promising
mechanistic finding or basic discovery
• Establishing new collaborations with academic research partners and/or industry, with other
CTSA-funded institutions, or with the community organizations that require an investment of
personnel time and/or resources to assure their success
• Obtaining preliminary data for use in multidisciplinary clinical and translational grant applications
Application Procedure:
Proposals are requested using the 5-page form that can be downloaded from the CTSC
website (www.ucdmc.ucdavis.edu/ctsc/). The submission must include an NIH biographical
sketch for each participating investigator. Deadline date for the receipt of applications is February
16, 2007.
Submitted proposals must use the following format and adhere to the requirements of the
submission form:
• Specific Aims and Hypotheses
• Background and Significance
• Plan
• Rationale for Requested Funding
Investigators are also expected to address the following in their applications:
• How the proposed research is multidisciplinary and why a traditional approach is ineffective
• If the project is funded, how human health will be improved
• Plans for submission of grant applications (if a project is proposed to provide preliminary data)
Review Criteria:
Proposals will be evaluated for compatibility with the CTSC mission, merit, and feasibility for
conduct. Junior investigators new to translational research are particularly encouraged to apply.
Established investigators interested in developing a new area of multidisciplinary, translational
research are also eligible for support.
Additional Requirements:
The abstracts and names of all investigators funded through the Pilot and Collaborative Studies
Program will be posted on the national CTSA website. In addition, all investigators must
participate in the annual CTSC retreat and/or associated symposia, and acknowledge the CTSC
base operating grant in any publications resulting from the supported studies. The CTSC also
requires that results of studies supported through the program be posted on the UC Davis CTSC
website once the data have been published.
Application receipt deadline: February 16, 2007
Earliest funding start date: April 1, 2007
The CTSC will be conducting a Question and Answer Session on January 9, 2007 from 3-4 pm in
the Genome and Biomedical Sciences Facility (GBSF) auditorium (Room 1005), 451 East Health
Sciences Drive in Davis and on January 17, 2007 from 2-3 pm in the main CTSC auditorium at
2921 Stockton Boulevard, Suite 1400 in Sacramento. Investigators are encouraged to attend one
of these sessions.
Each PI may submit one proposal only. Please send a pdf version of the application and
one hardcopy of your original completed and signed application to:
Jessica Hicks
UCDMC, CTSC
2921 Stockton Blvd., Suite 1400
Sacramento, CA 95817
jessica.hicks@ucdmc.ucdavis.edu
For questions, please contact:
Lars Berglund, M.D., Ph.D. (916) 703-9185 or lars.berglund@ucdmc.ucdavis.edu
Michael Gillis, M.B.A. (916) 703-9136 or michael.gillis@ucdmc.ucdavis.edu
Jessica Hicks (916) 843-9178 or jessica.hicks@ucdmc.ucdavis.edu