Solicitation of Projects

Advertising and Requests for Applications (RFAs) occur through a variety of campus-wide publications and internet resources such as The UAB E-Reporter, the School of Medicine and UAB CFRC websites, faculty emails, and flyers posted campus wide. We have received approximately 9-12 internal applications per RFA and funded at least 4 Pilot Projects each cycle.

Letters of Intent

Individuals with a UAB faculty appointment or closely affiliated institution who are 1) new investigators without current or past NIH research support (R01, P01) as a PI; 2) established investigators with no previous work in CF who wish to apply their expertise in this area; or 3) established CF investigators who propose testing innovative ideas that represent a clear departure from ongoing research interests are invited to apply.

Letters of intent should include:

• Overall research goal (one paragraph)
• Specific Aim(s)
• Project’s significance to CF research (one paragraph)
• Project’s approach (one to two paragraphs)
• Plans for leveraging support to acquire external funding (one paragraph)

Investigators should also include a PHS 398 Biosketch and Other Support form. Letters are used to aid in planning for the review process, arranging expertise suitable for evaluation of each project, and selecting external (non-UAB) reviewers. Projects that are clearly unrelated to Center objectives do not receive further consideration.

Formal Application Process

All applications conform to NIH guidelines and use standard PHS 398 forms (5-page limit). Applicants should stress the multidisciplinary and/or translational aspects of their projects, highlighting the missions embodied by the NIDDK and/or CF Research Center. In addition, funding for a pilot project will not be activated until certification of IRB approval and animal use approval have been received. Complete guidelines and forms are available on the UAB IRB website and the UAB Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC) website, respectively. We also require approvals from UAB Occupational Health & Safety if Recombinant DNA or Biohazards are used in the course of the study. In addition, Conflict of Interest Disclosure Statements must be submitted for key personnel. Furthermore, faculty developing Pilot applications are encouraged to utilize biostatistical consultation through the CF Research Center Clinical and Translational Core, or in special cases, bio-informatics support offered through the CF Research Center and Department of Biochemistry.

Review and Selection of Pilot Projects

The review of Pilot Projects is coordinated through the CF Center Executive Committee with consultation by the Internal Advisory Committee (IAC). We utilize a REDCAP platform to accept applications for review. Each RFA cycle utilizes its own review committee to judge the scientific merit of applications from a CF-related perspective. The review committee are recruited by the Pilot and Feasibility Program Directors so as to provide one external and two internal reviews for each application. Forty-four expert internal reviewers have participated from more than 15 departments and centers at UAB, and 23 additional external reviewers (CF thought leaders) have contributed to this review process in the last 5 years. The CF Research Center Director also reviews and scores all applications. The results of this review committee priority scoring are presented to the Pilot Program Directors, the CF Center Director , and other IAC members for further consideration. The IAC makes the final funding decisions. While recommendations at the review committee level are made by individuals most qualified to evaluate scientific merit, the IAC considers projects from a programmatic perspective that incorporates the goals and priorities of the P30 Center. Review by the IAC also helps prevent duplication and promotes cooperation among projects.

Pilot funding is available through several mechanisms including the UAB CF Research and Translation Core Center NIDDK P30, CF Foundation Research Development Program, and institutional funds.

Contact Information

Jeffrey Allison
E-mail: jcallison@uabmc.edu