Call for Applications: $100,000 Mesothelioma Research Grants
The Mesothelioma Applied Research Foundation announces the availability of its 2012 round of mesothelioma research grant funding.
Continuing its efforts to stimulate translational research for the treatment of malignant mesothelioma, the Meso Foundation is again soliciting applications for funding of innovative projects that address issues for the treatment of the disease. Eligible projects may relate to benchwork, translational or clinical research and may be conducted through any not-for-profit academic, medical or research institution, in the U.S. or abroad.
The Meso Foundation's ability to award grants results from the generosity of private donors, who give to the Foundation in order to make a direct impact on the tragedy of the disease. Therefore, the Foundation seeks exceptional projects for which the Foundation's funding is demonstrated to be essential and not duplicative.
The Meso Foundation's Science Advisory Board will review and score the research proposals, and make a recommendation to the Foundation's Board of Directors as to the relative ranking of the projects, and the extent to which they merit funding. The Foundation has historically been able to support an awards-to-applications percentage of approximately 10% reflecting the Foundation’s deep commitment to funding highly deserving research. This round, the Foundation will again endeavor to fund as many high quality projects as its resources allow.
The award for any project will be for two years up to $50,000 per year. The Foundation will review and monitor the study's progress and results, requiring semi-annual disposition of funds reports, a ten month progress report, a presentation at the Foundation annual Symposium in your second year of research and a full progress report at the close of the second year. Funding will be continued semi-annually only upon satisfactory progress obtained in the reports.
Funded researchers will also be entitled to facilitated access to the National Mesothelioma Virtual Bank (NMVB), www.mesotissue.org. They will receive expedited review of requests to use the NMVB, and they will have direct, no-cost access to materials already in the bank, as well as enhanced collections from the main sites of materials not already in the bank which they need for their research.
Please be advised that the Meso Foundation does not pay institutional indirect costs.
Encouraged projects include, but are not limited to, benchwork/translational/clinical investigations of:
1. Strategies for early detection of new or progressive disease;
2. Definition of targetable differences between normal and transformed mesothelium and development of novel strategies for treatment taking advantage of these targets;
3. Therapeutic intervention, including but not limited to:
a. Immune Response Targeted Therapy
b. Novel chemotherapeutic compounds
c. Novel radiation or surgical techniques
4. Determination of clinical/molecular determinants for prognosis
Applications will be scored on the following criteria:
· Scientific Merit- Are the overall strategy, methodology, and analyses well-reasoned and appropriate to accomplish the specific aims of the project? Are potential problems, alternative strategies, and benchmarks for success presented? If the project is in the early stages of development, will the strategy establish feasibility and will particularly risky aspects be managed?
· Originality/Innovation-Is this a new idea, concept or approach?
· Study Design- Does the proposal include a clear statement of purpose? Does the methodology of the proposed research follow accepted scientific protocol? Have adequate procedures and safeguards been included in the proposal to assure the validity of the data?
· Scientific Impact- Degree to which the project addresses an issue of significant importance to the challenge of mesothelioma and the likelihood of a broad medical and societal impact.
· Practicality and feasibility- Will it be possible to complete the research in the two year time frame, and can the research yield tangible results?
CLINICAL PROTOCOLS AND PROPOSALS INVOLVING ANIMALS MUST BE APPROVED BY THE APPROPRIATE IRB OF THE UNIVERSITY, HOSPITAL OR INSTITUTE BEFORE THE MESO FOUNDATION FUNDS ARE AWARDED. A COPY OF EITHER THE APROVAL LETTER(S) OR OF THE REQUEST FOR APPROVAL MUST ACCOMPANY THE APPLICATION.
Your application will be submitted through https://proposalcentral.altum.com. You will find the Mesothelioma Applied Research Foundation listed with the instructions and the application that needs to be filled out and submitted. This is streamlining the process so that no actual paper will need to be sent.
Applications are limited to 10 pages (not including biographies) and are due no later than July 6, 2012. Notifications will begin in early January 2013, awards will be activated by January 1, 2013.
