September 1, 2020 Research Bulletin

We are pleased to announce the establishment of a sponsored clinical project support team called the Cellular Therapy Operations Program (CTOP).  The CTOP team is currently focused on investigator initiated clinical trials testing therapeutic agents produced at the Gates Biomanufacturing Facility.  They support the recently opened adult UCD19 CAR-T clinical trial and the soon to open pediatric trial testing the same cellular therapy.

The CTOP team will provide project management, protocol writing and pharmaco-vigilance support.  The medical director of this group is Michael R. Verneris, MD.

Dr. Verneris currently serves as the director of Bone Marrow Transplant and Cellular Therapy for the Children’s Hospital Colorado, Center for Cancer and Blood Disorders (CCBD) at the CU Anschutz Medical Campus.  He received his medical degree from the Dartmouth-Brown Program in Medicine and completed a pediatric internship and residency at Children's National Medical Center, followed by a pediatric hematology/oncology fellowship at Stanford University and a post-doctoral fellowship at the Stanford University Division of Bone Marrow Transplant.  

If you have questions regarding this initiative please email ResearchAdminComm@cuanschutz.edu

Sincerely,
Thomas Flaig, MD
Vice Chancellor of Research

Featured Funding Opportunities

The Michael J. Fox Foundation

About the Michael J. Fox Foundation

The Michael J. Fox Foundation is dedicated to finding a cure for Parkinson's disease through an aggressively funded research agenda and to ensuring the development of improved therapies for those living with Parkinson's today.

What’s new at the foundation?

6 New Funding Opportunities for Parkinson’s Research
Deadline: October 22, 2020 for Preproposals

For additional September 2020 featured funding opportunities please click here

Additional September 2020 featured funding opportunities

Collaborative Research Opportunities

AB Nexus: New Research Collaboration Grant Program

By expanding research collaborations between the University of Colorado Anschutz and Boulder campuses, the AB Nexus will generate knowledge that improves human well-being and spurs innovation and economic development.

• Seeking interdisciplinary proposals to answer relevant research questions related to basic science and/or translational technology approaches
  
• Notice of Intent due September 14, 2020
  
• Application deadline: October 16, 2020
  
• Register to be a reviewer

National Institute of Child Health and Development (NICHD)

What’s new at NICHD?

NICHD Program Project Grants for HIV Research (P01 Clinical Trial Optional)

Program Number: RFA-HD-21-023

Deadline Dates:

• Applications may be submitted on or after February 26, 2021
  
• The deadline for receipt of optional letters of intent is 30 days prior to the application due date
  
• The deadline for receipt of full applications is March 31, 2021, by 5:00 PM local time of applicant organization
  
  

Interested in collaborative research?  Do you have a collaborative research funding opportunity you would like to announce or are you searching for a collaborator on a specific proposal?

Collaborations between research groups are growing, and the collaborating groups can be across the hall, University of Colorado campuses, the country, or the globe. Scholars or groups in different fields work together on interdisciplinary projects.

The OVCR wants to offer this space on a bi-weekly basis for promotion of collaborative research funding opportunities (internal and external funding) and solicitations for prospective interdisciplinary collaborators for proposed funding applications.  

Send inquires to ResearchAdminComm@cuanschutz.edu

NIH Funding Announcements

Junior Faculty Funding & Review Opportunities

The ADEAR Training Program is now accepting applications for post-doctoral training in HIV/AIDS-related research for the 2020-21 academic year.  This integrative program provides multidisciplinary training in basic, translational and clinical science in human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV)/Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (AIDS) research.

Postdoctoral scientist will receive training under the direction of a broadly based group of faculty at the University of Colorado campuses in Aurora, Boulder and Denver, Colorado State University and Denver University.

The training program faculty are experienced mentors and actively engaged in research related to the discovery and evaluation of new antiretroviral drugs or the application of existing antiretrovirals for the treatment and prevention of HIV/AIDS.  Information about the participating institutions can be found by contacting Kelly.Rico@CUAnschutz.edu

Trainees receive salary and benefits support according to NIH guidelines, travel funds, and funds to pay for training-related coursework. Support is typically provided for two years, contingent on progress in the first year. One additional year of support can be requested at the end of year two. Award of a third year of support is contingent on approval of the Training Program Steering Committee.

All applicants must:

• Hold a terminal degree in their field (e.g., DDS, DO, DNP, DVM, MD, PharmD and/or PhD)  
  
• Be a U.S. citizen or a permanent U.S. resident “Green Card” holder
  
• Be committed to a career as an investigator in HIV-related research
  
• Be able to devote full-time effort to the training program during the period of support
  
• The applicant’s mentor has to be a full-time faculty at one of the above mentioned institutions and hold an R01 or equivalent funding during the training period

General instructions, criteria, and selection process:

• Please refer to the NIH web site for specific Institutional NRSA (T32) details and requirements. All candidates must agree to applicable payback stipulations in the T32 regulations.
  
• All candidates should have completed their terminal degree by the start of T32 support, have not received independent funding, and have a proposed mentored research project related to the discovery and evaluation of new antiretroviral drugs or the application of existing antiretrovirals for the treatment and prevention of HIV/AIDS.
  
• All recipients will be encouraged to submit at least one additional grant during the funding cycle.
  
• All candidates doing human subject research are required to have passed the NIH required human subjects training and test (CITI Basic), and have approval from the IRB and CTRC (if appropriate) before initiating the research.
  
• All candidates are expected to include appropriate (recently revised) training in responsible conduct of research per NIH Grants Policy Statement (see below).
  
• Co-mentoring between senior and junior level faculty is encouraged.
  
• Underrepresented minority, disabled, or disadvantaged candidates are especially encouraged to apply.
  
• All proposals should relate to the high priority topics for HIV/AIDS research
  

Application Instructions:

Applications, which include the following documents, must be submitted electronically through the program website linked below by Tuesday, September 22, 2020. Please contact Kelly Rico, ADEAR Program Administrator with any questions.

The awards will be announced in October 2020.

Limited Submission Opportunities

The NCI Predoctoral to Postdoctoral Fellow Transition Award (F99/K00 Clinical Trial Not Allowed): RFA-CA-20-048

The purpose of the NCI Predoctoral to Postdoctoral Fellow Transition Award (F99/K00) is to encourage and retain outstanding graduate students recognized by their institutions for their high potential and strong interest in pursuing careers as independent cancer researchers. The award will facilitate the transition of talented graduate students into successful cancer research postdoctoral appointments, and provide opportunities for career development activities relevant to their long-term career goals of becoming independent cancer researchers.

• Limited to one application per institution
  
• Materials due to Internal Review Committee: September 18, 2020
  
• Application deadline: November 18, 2020
  

Interested candidates must send a one-page summary of their Research Training Plan and their NIH biosketch in pdf format to Ryan Holland by September 18, 2020.

Just Announced

Notice of Changes to Funding Opportunities from the NIH

• Notice of Modifications of PA-18-842 "Administrative Supplements to Support Cancer Disparity Collaborative Research"

Specific COVID Related Funding

• RFA-OD-20-014: “Automatic Detection and Tracing of SARs-CoV-2”. This RFA supports proof-of-concept research on automatic, real-time detection and tracing of SARS-COV-2 by integrating aptamers or other virus-sensing elements with digital devices.
  
• RFA-OD-20-021: Emergency Awards RADx-RAD: Novel Biosensing for Screening, Diagnosis and Monitoring of COVID-19 From Skin and The Oral Cavity (Fast-Track STTR Clinical Trial Not Allowed)
  
• RFA-OD-20-019: Emergency Awards: RADx-rad Data Coordination Center (DCC) (U24 Clinical Trial Not Allowed)
  
• RFA-OD-20-020: Emergency Awards RADx-RAD: Novel Biosensing for Screening, Diagnosis and Monitoring of COVID-19 From Skin and The Oral Cavity (Direct to Phase II SBIR Clinical Trial Not Allowed)
  
• RFA-OD-20-017: Emergency Awards RADx-RAD: Screening for COVID-19 by Electronic-Nose Technology (SCENT) (U18 Clinical Trial Not Allowed)
  
• RFA-OD-20-018: Emergency Awards: Exosome-based Non-traditional Technologies Towards Multi-Parametric and Integrated Approaches for SARS-CoV-2 (U18 Clinical Trial Not Allowed)
  
• RFA-OD-20-015: Emergency Awards: RADx-rad Wastewater Detection of SARS-COV-2 (COVID-19) (U01 - Clinical Trials Not Allowed)
  
• RFA-OD-20-022: Emergency Awards: Chemosensory Testing as a COVID-19 Screening Tool (U01 Clinical Trial Optional)
  
• RFA-OD-20-016: Emergency Awards: RADx-RAD Multimodal COVID-19 surveillance methods for high risk clustered populations (R01 Clinical Trial Optional)
  
• RFA-OD-20-023: Emergency Awards: RADx-rad Predicting Viral-Associated Inflammatory Disease Severity in Children with Laboratory Diagnostics and Artificial Intelligence (PreVAIL kIds) (R61/R33 Clinical Trial Optional)
  

RADx-rad will support new, or non-traditional applications of existing approaches, to enhance their usability, accessibility, and/or accuracy. RADx-rad will be centrally aligned and coordinated to harmonize the data collection, storage, and management, providing an opportunity to further explore and identify additional approaches to understand this novel virus. Beyond the current crisis, it is anticipated that the technologies advanced through RADx-rad may also be applicable to other, yet unknown, infectious agents.

Special Announcements

Mini-symposium and pilot grant program sponsored by the Cancer Center on Cancer and Aging

The mini-symposium will be on November 2nd and 3rd (9-11 am), and focus on research at the interface of aging and cancer.  Presentations will be from all four Cancer Center Programs (MCO, THI, CPC and DT) plus a few additional talks from regional aging centers. Topics will range from a very basic understanding for how aging impacts cells (from mutations to metabolism to pathways to telomeres), immune function, cancer progression, therapeutic responses, clinical outcomes, and patient decision-making and survivorship.

This bulletin is distributed on the 1st & 3rd Tuesday of the month for the CU Anschutz Research Community.   

Past Research Bulletins can be found here.

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