Paceline Awards Leading to External Funding Aligned with NCI Designation 2022

The Georgia Cancer Center is excited to announce the 2023 RFA for Paceline Awards leading to external funding aligned with NCI designation. Paceline fundraising efforts will support research activities at the Georgia Cancer Center in our mission to reduce the burden of cancer in Georgia and across the globe through superior care, innovation, and education.

To this effect, we are calling for proposals in research categories that further our mission and support our goal to achieve NCI designation. Eligible research categories are: basic science; translational research; multi-PI projects; research in underrepresented populations; health disparities research; cancer research education; and early-career investigators and trainees conducting ongoing research with a mentor. This funding is intended to generate preliminary data (including that for high-risk, high-reward research) and seed competitive, peer-reviewed, external grant applications, leading to the sustained extramural support needed for NCI designation.

Amount: Up to 6 proposals will be awarded, regardless of category, for up to $50,000 each. In addition, three early career investigator and trainee awards will be granted for $35,000 each.

Preferential consideration will be given to projects submitted by participants of Paceline fund raising efforts through personal donations, riding, volunteering, and/or fundraising.

Descriptions of fundable categories:

• Basic Science: Projects that investigate the etiology of cancer genesis, progression and metastasis or mechanisms of resistance. These studies will generate preliminary data on new areas of research that will lead to the submission of cancer-focused grant proposals to any NIH branch or other agencies that may support NCI designation.
• Translational Research: These studies help transition a bench discovery into the clinic. Priority will be given to studies that originate from research performed at the Georgia Cancer Center. Collaborations between a laboratory investigator and a clinical investigator are encouraged.
• Multi-PI Projects: will propose innovative projects that require teams of investigators with complimentary expertise. The goal of this mechanism is to support multi-PI projects that can help develop projects that will lead to large multi-PI or program project-like grants. Based on a favorable progress report, these projects may be eligible for a second year extension.
• Research in Underrepresented Populations: These studies aim to understand or to address cancer in underrepresented populations, specifically in minorities as defined by Office of Management and Budget (OMB). The minority racial and ethnic groups defined by OMB are American Indian or Alaska Native, Asian, Black or African American, and Native Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander. The ethnicity used is Latino or Hispanic.
• Health Disparities Research: These studies aim to understand healthcare disparities and approaches to overcome them.
• Cancer Research Education: These projects will propose cancer-related research education activities that will seed competitively funded external grants in support of NCI designation.
• Early-Career Investigator and Trainee Mentored Research: These studies are conducted by graduate students, postdoctoral fellows, or faculty at the level of Instructor, Assistant Research Scientist, or Assistant Professor. These can be basic, translational, or clinical research. A faculty mentor must be identified for this research, and the awardee and mentor will work closely together in the design and conduct of the study. The work could be either ongoing research by the PI where the applicant is participating or new research identified by the mentor where the applicant plays a major role. These grants may cover the following allowable costs, up to a maximum of $35,000: up to 50% of salary to conduct mentored research, professional development activities, and/or travel to one national meeting to present research.

Proposal requirements:

Project summary (500 words or less), consisting of a brief background to the problem; hypothesis; clear objectives and specific aims that address the problem; what has already been done regarding this problem; approach (research and design); and the significance of the proposed work.

Cover Page (one page) including:

• Title of grant
• Name and position of PI (and Co-PIs, if applicable)
• Name and position of mentor, if applicable
• Significant participation in Paceline (2022 and 2023) by PI, Co-PIs, mentor, as applicable: explain role (rider [could include virtual or unchained]), volunteer, donor). If applicant did not participate in 2022, proof of registration for 2023 is required.
• Plans for the submission of the resulting data as an external grant application, to include grant type and timeline

Letter of Support from Mentor (for Early-Career Investigator and Trainee Mentored Research proposals): The letter should state the mentor’s support for the proposal and the mentorship plan related to the project being proposed.

Project description (Three pages or less, margins measuring at least 0.5 inch, 11-point Arial font). The description should include:

• Brief background to the problem
• Hypothesis
• Specific aims
• Significance (with premise supporting hypothesis, and importance for cancer)
• Innovation
• Approach
• Statistics and rigor
• A timeline depicting the anticipated progress of the studies within this award

References (No page Limit)

Budget and justification of expenditures (No page limit)

Other Attachments

• NIH Biosketch
• Other support
• For multi-PI-Projects: A 200-word description of complementary expertise, and how this project will lead to a future large multi-PI project.
• For Early-Career Investigator and Trainee Mentored Research Proposals: Include a 200-word description of the candidate and the trainee/early-career investigator’s future goals.

Eligibility/Criteria:

• PI (and mentor when applicable) must be members of the Georgia Cancer Center.
• The research must be cancer-related.
• Current funding level is irrelevant for the purposes of this award.
• Preliminary data are preferred but not required; when no preliminary data are available, a strong background and description of feasibility are necessary.
• Funding must not be used for large equipment; PI salary support or travel (except for the Early-Career Investigator and Trainee Mentored Research Award, as described above); and will be for one year without the possibility of extension (except for the Multi-PI Project Award, as described above).
• Awardees will be required to submit a progress report at the end of the funding cycle (i.e., 1 year after release of funds). The progress report will be 3 pages long and should include a summary of the results obtained from the research proposed, as well as abstracts, manuscripts, presentations and grant proposals (in preparation or submitted to other funding agencies) resulting from the Paceline grant.

Please contact Dr. Lisa Middleton with questions or concerns.

Deadline: Submit Proposals to Dr. Lisa Middleton, by 11:59 p.m., May 15, 2023.