VU-wide Limited Submission Opportunity: 2020 V Foundation Pediatric Cancer Research Awards

Applications due Jan. 19

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

Vanderbilt (VU and VUMC, collaboratively) has been invited to participate in the V Foundation 2020 Pediatric Cancer Research Grant Program. Vanderbilt may choose one nominee for the Pediatric Cancer Research Grant Program. The single nominee may apply in either the V Scholar or the Translational program type for support.

Please review each award type below and submit internal proposals for either program by Jan. 19. Note that this pediatric call is distinct from the V Foundation “all cancers” call for V Scholars and Translational awards (non-pediatric specific), which will have a separate invited call for applications.

Pediatric Cancer Translational Research Award

The V Foundation seeks to support translational research projects within the scope of pediatric cancer research. The Translational Research Award is a $600,000 grant awarded in three annual installments of $200,000. Indirect costs up to a maximum of 10 percent within the total award are permitted.

Definition of a translational research project: Translational projects should move a novel strategy from the laboratory into a human clinical trial or use specimens from a clinical trial to develop biomarkers or mechanisms. The research should apply in some direct way to human beings within the time frame of less than three years. If biomarker research is undertaken, a validation set or independent clinical trial is essential. A plan for biomarker validation, if applicable, must be included in any proposal. The endpoint of the project should be the planning or initiation of a new pediatric clinical trial.

Applicant eligibility:  By Feb. 27, 2020, applicants who will lead this research team must have all of the following:

• Be scientists who hold a tenure-track faculty position (any level) at their cancer research institution. Non-promotable, adjunct, affiliated, temporary, part-time or acting faculty positions are not eligible for Principal Investigator nomination to lead the Translational Research Team.
• Applicants must be either U.S. citizens or have a legal permit to work in the United States (either temporary or permanent).

Pediatric Cancer V Scholar Award

The Pediatric Cancer V Scholar Award supports young tenure-track faculty early in their cancer research career by funding projects that are either laboratory-based fundamental research or translational research. The total amount of the grant is $200,000 awarded in two annual installments of $100,000, each. No indirect costs are permitted.

Applicant eligibility: Applicants must meet all the following by Feb. 27, 2020:

• Hold a tenure-track faculty position as an assistant professor at their cancer research institution. Non-promotable, adjunct, affiliated, temporary, part-time or acting faculty positions are not eligible for this grant competition.
• Have been appointed to their first full-time assistant professor position within the last five years, and not yet been promoted to associate professor.
• Clinical scientists are eligible if their department can demonstrate that it will fully support the research applicant (e.g., dedicated lab space, start-up funds, dedicated research time).
• Applicant cannot already have been awarded an R01 or R01-equivalent grant. Applicants who have been awarded R01-equivalent grants (project leader on an NIH multi-investigator grant, ACS) as principal investigators or as co-leader at the time of application submission are not eligible for consideration as a V Scholar. In addition, applicants cannot be a co-leader on a SPORE project or (co)PI of the following NIH grant mechanisms: U01, DP1, DP2, R37 or R23.
• Applicant must have at least two years postdoctoral (M.D. or Ph.D.) fellowship training. For M.D.s, a minimum of one year is acceptable if only one year is required for the specialty.
• Applicant must be a U.S. citizen or permanent legal resident.

Internal selection process

Anyone interested in being considered as Vanderbilt’s nominee for either of the pediatric awards above must submit the following (in PDF format) to LSO@vanderbilt.edu  by 11:59 p.m. on Sunday, Jan. 19, 2020. Late applications will not be considered.

1. Brief (two page maximum) research plan including summary budget;
2. Statement of support from department chair/center director;
   1. Scholar award does not allow indirect costs. Scholar letters 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/school policy.” Consult LSO@vanderbilt.edu for further guidance.
   2. Translational award allows 10 percent indirect costs; indirect cost statement is not required.
3. NIH Biosketch or five-page CV

Submissions should reference the award type (Translational Research Award or V Scholar) in the subject line of the email. Vanderbilt’s selected applicant will submit a short nomination form by Jan. 30, 2020 and a full application by Feb. 27, 2020.

Please contact LSO@vanderbilt.edu if you have any questions about the program, foundation or internal review process.