December 15, 2020 Research Bulletin

Dear Research Community Colleagues,

This will be the last bulletin of 2020. We look forward to providing you with up-to-date research news in 2021 through these bulletins, every first and third Tuesday.

My thanks to all who were able to attend the inaugural State of Research Address last week. The slides, video recording and the video related to COVID-19 research are available on the 2020 State of Research webpage.

I appreciate everyone's hard work and the continued collaborative efforts that take place.

Have a happy and safe holiday season.

Sincerely,
Thomas Flaig, MD
Vice Chancellor for Research
University of Colorado Denver | Anschutz

Featured Funding Opportunities

Early Stage Investigator Research Project Grant program

PAR-21-038 and PAR-21-039

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) has announced a new funding program specific to Early Stage Investigators (ESIs) who are moving in a different direction from their previous research. Two versions of this new R01 opportunity are being offered: 1) Clinical Trial Not Allowed and 2) Basic Experimental Studies with Humans Required.

Additional December Featured Funding Opportunities

NIH Funding Announcements

Limited Funding Opportunities

National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion within the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has released a Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) titled “Reducing Inequities in Cancer Outcomes through Community-Based Interventions on Social Determinants of Health”

(U01) RFA-DP-21-003

The purpose of this NOFO is to conduct evaluation research to build an evidence base of innovative, community-based interventions across multiple social determinants of health to reduce racial and ethnic disparities related to cancer outcomes. The purpose will be achieved through three (3) components:

• Component A: Primary Cancer Prevention – evaluation of the implementation, impact, and causal mechanisms of an intervention’s effect to reduce racial or ethnic inequities in cancer risk at the population level. Component
  
• B: Cancer Screening – evaluation of the implementation, impact, and causal mechanisms of an intervention’s effect to reduce racial or ethnic inequities in the receipt of appropriate screening services for breast, cervical, colorectal or lung cancer.
  
• Component C: Health and Wellbeing of Cancer Survivors – evaluation of the implementation, impact, and causal mechanisms of an intervention’s effect to reduce racial or ethnic inequities in the health and wellbeing of cancer survivors.
  
• Materials due to Internal Review Committee:  December 18, 2020
  
• Optional Letter of Intent:  January 11, 2001
  
• Full Application deadline:   February 10, 2021

Interested candidates must send a one-page summary of their research proposal and their biosketch in pdf format to Garrett Steed by December 18, 2020.

National Science Foundation has released an updated solicitation for their NSF Research Traineeship (NRT) Program 

NSF 21-536*

*An institution may participate in only two proposals per NRT competition as lead or collaborative non-lead.

This program seeks proposals that explore ways for graduate students in research-based master’s and doctoral degree programs to develop the skills, knowledge, and competencies needed to pursue a range of STEM careers.

For FY2021 and FY2022, proposals are encouraged in the research areas of Artificial Intelligence (AI), Quantum Information Science and Engineering (QISE) and the six research areas in NSF's 10 Big Ideas. The NSF research Big Ideas are Harnessing the Data Revolution (HDR), The Future of Work at the Human-Technology Frontier (FW-HTF), Navigating the New Arctic (NNA), Windows on the Universe: The Era of Multi-Messenger Astrophysics (WoU), The Quantum Leap: Leading the Next Quantum Revolution (QL), and Understanding the Rules of Life: Predicting Phenotype (URoL). The FY2021 Budget Request to Congress includes an additional $15 million to include a special focus on artificial intelligence and artificial intelligence engineering.

• Materials due to Internal Review Committee:  December 22, 2020
  
• Full Application deadline: February 25, 2021
  

Interested candidates must send a one-page summary of their research proposal and their biosketch in pdf format to Garrett Steed by December 22, 2020.

US Department of Energy (DOE) has released a funding opportunity titled “Scientific Discovery through Advanced Computing (SciDAC): Partnerships in Basic Energy Sciences (BES)”

DE-FOA-0002441*

*Institutions are limited to two pre-applications and applications as the lead institution.

This Announcement invites new research proposals for the SciDAC-5 Partnerships in BES that enable or accelerate scientific discovery employing DOE High-End/High-Performance Computing (HPC) facilities. Two specific topics are targeted through this solicitation:

• Quantum Phenomena of many-particle systems driven far from equilibrium. Applications are sought that drive and manipulate quantum effects such as coherence, entanglement, and novel states of matter by going beyond the use of existing quantum-based methods in their traditional regimes.
• Predictive Control of Reaction Pathways for chemical mechanisms in complex nonequilibrium and field-driven environments important in synthesis of materials and chemicals, and deconstruction of macromolecular structures such as plastics for polymer upcycling.
• Materials due to Internal Review Committee: December 22, 2020
• Pre-Application deadline: January 19, 2021
• Full Application deadline: April 6, 2020
  

Interested candidates must send a one-page summary of their research proposal and their biosketch in pdf format to Garrett Steed by December 22, 2020.

NIH Common Fund’s Faculty Institutional Recruitment for Sustainable Transformation (FIRST) program announces two new funding opportunities with the goal of fostering inclusive excellence at NIH-funded institutions and evaluating their impact.

The NIH-supported biomedical research workforce is more likely to thrive in environments that support diversity and inclusiveness. The FY2021 funding opportunities can be found here:

• FA-RM-20-022: NIH Faculty Institutional Recruitment for Sustainable Transformation (FIRST) Program: FIRST Cohort (U54 Clinical Trial Optional)   (1 per institution)
  
• RFA-RM-20-023: NIH Faculty Institutional Recruitment for Sustainable Transformation (FIRST) Program: FIRST Coordination and Evaluation Center (U24 Clinical Trial Not Allowed) (1 per institution)
  
• Materials due to Internal Review Committee: January 8, 2021
  
• Full Application deadline: March 1, 2021
  

Learn more and access updated FAQs specific to this grant.

The NIH Common Fund encourages collaboration and supports a series of exceptionally high impact, trans-NIH programs. These programs are supported by the Common Fund and managed by the NIH Office of the Director in partnership with the various NIH Institutes, Centers, and Offices.  

Interested candidates must send a one-page summary of their research proposal and their biosketch in pdf format to Garrett Steed by January 8, 2021.

Junior Faculty Funding Opportunities

CCTSI K to R Transition Program

The CCTSI K to R (KTR) Transition program is now accepting applications for review.

The K to R program is a pre-submission mock grant review process for faculty who are submitting their first R-level application. This CCTSI program provides the opportunity for anyone to submit their R-type grant proposals for internal review prior to submission to the NIH or other funding agency.

Letter of Intent Due Date: Friday, December 18, 2020
Application Due Date: Friday, January 1, 2021
In-Person Grant Review: Friday, January 15, 2021 (1-4pm)
NIH Deadline: February 5, 2021

For more information, please contact KTR Program Director: Maggie Wierman, MD or Galit Mankin for uploading/format issues.

2021 Pilot and Feasibility Program
University of Colorado Diabetes Research Center (DRC)

Call for Applications for the DRC Pilot and Feasibility Awards.

The primary objective of the University of Colorado DRC Pilot and Feasibility Program is to fund young investigators. As such, applications from junior faculty will be given priority. Applicants who hold or have previously held NIH R01, VA Merit, DOD Project Award, or analogous research awards in diabetes-related areas as a principal investigator are not eligible.

Applications will be considered from established investigators if those investigators are new to diabetes research OR if those investigators propose innovative, high-risk projects that would not be competitive through the usual granting agencies. In the latter categories, priority will be given to interdisciplinary projects. These applicants may have previously held an NIH R01, VA Merit, DOD Project Award, or analogous research awards as long as it was not in the field of diabetes or related to their proposed innovative, high-risk projects.

• Letter of Intent (LOI) DUE: December 18, 2020, by 5pm MST
  
• Full Application:  January 18, 2021, by 5pm MST
  

Individuals from groups underrepresented in health-related sciences on a national basis are particularly encouraged to apply.

Please visit the DRC website for the full RFA and to submit a Letter of Intent.

Special Announcements

NCI BSA & NCAB Joint Meeting Presentations

The NCI recently held its joint meeting of the NCI Board of Scientific Advisors and the National Cancer Advisory Board. Please find a recording and presentations on the NIH website.

The NCI SBIR Development Center recently announced two exciting new funding opportunities:

1. Small Business Transition Grant for Early Career Scientists

• Aims to support early career academic scientists interested in transitioning to entrepreneurship while also supporting the transfer of technology from academic laboratories into small businesses.
• This FOA proposes a new and unique Fast-Track only award structure comprised of a Phase I STTR that transitions to a Phase II SBIR
  

2.  NCI SBIR Concept Award

• Contract opportunity for small businesses developing highly innovative and transformative technologies that have the potential to create new scientific paradigms, establish entirely new and improved approaches to significantly improve cancer research, prevention, detection and care in pediatric and/or rare cancers
• Focus is on Innovation and “out of the box” ideas. Review criteria is heavily weighted for innovation
• Preliminary data is NOT required, not expected and will not be a review criteria.
  

A webinar on both of these new FOAs is scheduled for Wednesday December 16.

If you have any questions, please email the NCI REACH contact: Jonathan Franca-Koh.

L’Oréal USA For Women in Science Fellowship

Applications for the 2021 L’Oréal USA For Women in Science program are now open and will close on Friday, January 29, 2021

The L’Oréal USA For Women in Science fellowship program honors female scientists at a critical stage in their careers with grants of $60,000 each. Since 2003, we’ve awarded 85 postdoctoral women scientists over $4 million in grants. We’re seeking five exceptional female scientists looking to advance their research and serve as role models for the next generation of girls in STEM.

Candidates are selected from a variety of fields including the life and physical/material sciences, technology (including computer science), engineering, and mathematics. Candidates must have completed their PhD and have started in their postdoctoral position by the application deadline.

Find the application and more information about the L’Oréal USA For Women in Science program.

Please read the L’Oréal USA For Women in Science Fellowship Program FAQ's.

Should you have any questions or require additional information, please contact us at forwomeninscience@us.loreal.com.

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