Vanderbilt-wide Limited Submission Opportunity: St. Baldrick’s Foundation Research Grants

This is a joint competition for VU and VUMC investigators. All investigators should follow these instructions.

Vanderbilt may submit Research Grant and Supportive Care Research Grant proposals for the St. Baldrick’s Foundation spring grant cycle. The St. Baldrick’s Foundation is a nonprofit organization raising funds for childhood cancer research. All projects must have direct applicability and relevance to pediatric cancer.

Topics of interest include, but are not limited to:

• Adolescents and young adults
• Survivorship, outcomes and quality of life
• Supportive care
• Epidemiology and pediatric cancer predispositions
• Precision medicine
• Alternative and complementary therapies

There is particularly high interest in the following:

• Brain tumors—all types, including rare forms
• Burkitt lymphoma
• Complementary and alternative therapies
• Hepatoblastoma
• Langerhans cell histiocytosis
• Rhabdoid tumors

Grant types

Download full guidelines for each grant type here.

Research grants: The average grant will be one year and $100,000 for a specific hypothesis-driven research project. Projects may be laboratory, clinical or epidemiological in nature.

Supportive care research grants: These grants focus on areas related to the supportive care of children and adolescents with cancer. Examples include but are not limited to: studies related to symptom clusters, patient-reported outcomes or quality of life, health communication, health promotion, and psychosocial support across the trajectory from diagnosis to survivorship or end-of-life care. The average grant will be oneyear and $50,000 for a specific hypothesis-driven research project.

Eligibility requirements

• Applicants should review full eligibility and budget requirements in the appropriate grant guidelines document.
• Research Grant applicants should hold at least an M.D./D.O. or Ph.D. degree by the date the award becomes effective.
• Supportive Care Research Grant applicants should hold at least a Ph.D., D.N.P., M.D./D.O. degree, and Ph.D. nurses are encouraged to apply, by the date the award becomes effective.
• Baldrick’s funds may not be used for human embryonic stem cell research.
• No institutional overhead or indirect funding is allowed.

Internal selection process

Anyone interested in being considered as one of Vanderbilt’s nominees must submit the following (in a single PDF) to LSO@vanderbilt.edu by 5 p.m. on Dec. 12, 2019.

1. Lay abstract (200 words)
2. Scientific abstract (200 words)
3. Letter of intent (1 page)
   1. Name of the institution(s) involved in the proposal
   2. Title of the proposed research project
   3. Area of focus of the research project (childhood cancer type or other research focus)
   4. Relevance of the proposed research project to the mission of St. Baldrick’s, to cure childhood cancers
   5. Brief rationale for the proposed research project
   6. Brief timeline of the progression of research
4. Summary budget, max. $100,000 for Research Grant; $50,000 for Supportive Care Grant (1/2 page)
5. Letter of support from department chair/center director;

1. 1. Letter must acknowledge that this grant does not allow indirect costs.** This statement can be used/modified: “The department recognizes that this grant does not allow indirect costs and will commit to covering any associated indirect costs per applicable institutional policy.”

6. NIH Biosketch or brief CV (5-page max.)

Please reference the grant type in the subject line of the email. You may apply to internal competitions for one or more grant types. Please submit a separate application for each grant type. Following internal selection, Vanderbilt’s nominee(s) will submit a letter of intent to St. Baldrick’s by Jan. 31, 2020.

**Process for cost-sharing typically coordinated at the departmental level and approved by department chair and/or dean. Please consult LSO@vanderbilt.edu for further guidance.