Limited Submission Opportunity: 2022 Ono Pharma Breakthrough Science Initiative Awards

Applications due Jan. 6

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

Overview

Vanderbilt (VU and VUMC, collaboratively) may nominate two candidates to submit an LOI to the Ono Pharma Foundation’s Breakthrough Science Initiative Awards Program.

Ono Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. is a leading global health care company committed to delivering new, innovative pharmaceutical products to patients and championing the fight against disease and pain. The Ono Pharma Foundation was established to support academic research in relevant scientific fields, which have the potential to make significant impact on therapeutic approaches to disease and pain management.

The Ono Initiative is the embodiment of the foundation’s commitment to focus on and accelerate researcher-driven open innovation by supporting high-risk and high-reward science research projects that have potential to lead to science discoveries and solutions and, possibly, based on further research, to breakthrough treatments for patients. The program seeks proposals for research that ultimately could transform human health.

Although additional areas of research may be added in future years, in 2022 the Ono Pharma Foundation only will consider proposals for scientific research projects addressing the following field of science:

Chemical biology research

• The target research in chemical biology is not specified. Chemical biology is defined as research that deals with the interface between chemistry and biology. The criteria for this field are deliberately broad so as not to disqualify potentially innovative and groundbreaking projects.

Award details

Project duration may last up to three years with annual funding of up to $300,000/year. The foundation will provide up to a maximum of an additional 15 percent ($45,000) per year to be used for institutional indirect costs. The total amount of the three-year grant is up to $1,035,000.

For more information about the program, please refer to the program website and FAQs.

Eligibility requirements

• The PI must have an M.D. and/or a Ph.D. degree.
• The PI must be a new applicant to the Ono Initiative.
• The PI must be a young and/or mid-career scientist (15 years or less from starting independent academic position).
• The PI may not already be engaged in other sponsored research with Ono Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. and/or a grant program with Ono Pharma Foundation. (Contact LSO@vanderbilt.edu with questions.)
• The PI may not apply for funding to amplify current work. However, PIs may research a new idea based on a prior finding of the PI.

Internal application process

Anyone interested in being considered as Vanderbilt’s potential nominee must submit the following as a single file (in PDF format) to LSO@vanderbilt.edu by 5 p.m. on Jan. 6, 2022.

1. Brief research plan including summary budget (1-2 pages);
2. Letter of support from department chair/center director;
3. NIH Biosketch or brief CV (5-page max.)

Submissions should reference the program name in the subject line of the email. All applicants should verify their eligibility in advance.

If nominated by Vanderbilt, the PI must submit an LOI to the sponsor by Feb. 17, 2022. If the LOI is reviewed favorably by Ono Pharma, then they will request a full application at a later date.

Any questions about this opportunity or the LSO process may be directed to LSO@vanderbilt.edu.