Northwestern University’s Center for Advanced Molecular Imaging (CAMI) is offering pilot project funding for up to TEN projects/year during each of the next three years to researchers with nascent imaging projects that will benefit from CAMI expertise in imaging method development and refinement.
Release date: January 8, 2018
Proposal deadline: February 12th, 2018
Selected projects will be funded for a period of one year and up to $5,000 (and in very special circumstances, up to $7,500) direct costs for imaging studies performed in CAMI.
CAMI offers researchers a wide range of imaging instrumentation, knowledgeable staff, and support facilities uniquely configured to make preclinical research efficient and productive. CAMI has its own vivarium and support space for cell culture and radiochemistry. The CAMI website provides a detailed description of instruments, services, and support facilities for in vitro and in vivo studies.
Eligibility:
- Applicant must be an independent investigator who is tenured, tenure track, a clinician investigator track, or research-track faculty with committed laboratory space.
- Proposals must represent new projects that are not currently funded by external grants. Currently funded projects lacking an in vivo imaging component, may be considered. These pilot projects are expected to set the stage for more comprehensive imaging
- Expected outcomes include initiation of new research projects that will likely lead to submission of new grant applications. Thus, the applicant’s track record of independent funding will be considered in the review process.
Application Components: The body of the proposal may not exceed 3 pages, and must include: 1) Title Page with Project Title and names/titles of PIs, Co-PIs and co-investigators; 2) 1 Paragraph Abstract; 3) Statement of Need; and 4) Project Plan consisting of background, specific aims, research design and timeline. Not part of the 2-page research description, investigators should provide biosketches and a tentative budget.
Project Budgets are to be submitted on NIH PHS398 forms. Budgets are restricted to imaging services and must allocate funding for method development and data analysis. These funds cannot be used to purchase animals or animal housing. These internal awards do not include F&A.
Submission: NITRO Competitions, managed by NUCATS, will be used for online application submission. https://grants.nubic.northwestern.edu/welcome
Evaluation: All projects will be reviewed by the CAMI Advisory Board based on the following criteria: 1) scientific merit, 2) innovation, 3) feasibility, and 4) potential for larger scale studies based on the preliminary data provided by the pilot project.
Award Notification: Awardees will be notified by email. The estimated start date for funding is March 1, 2018. Project chart strings will be managed within CAMI. Unexpended funds at the close of the project year will be reallocated by CAMI.
Responsibilities of Awardees: Awardees are required to respond to requests to provide a written progress report for inclusion in the Center’s annual report to Office for Research and give a 15 min. oral presentation describing results and outline for applying for external funding (date TBD).