The UAB Center for Exercise Medicine (UCEM) is pleased to announce an RFA to fund pilot research that focuses on Muscle Research related to basic biology, disease, and/or exercise. Research related to any of the muscle types (skeletal, cardiac, smooth muscle) is relevant to this RFA. Funds should be used to generate key preliminary data to develop publications and contribute to an application for extramural funding. Funding that continues ongoing projects will not be considered. Projects responsive to an upcoming/issued RFA or Program Announcements from NIH will be deemed highly responsive to the RFA.

If funded, the proposed start date of the pilot grant will be September 1, 2022. A total of $60K will be allocated to support up to two projects; budgets should not exceed $30,000. Funds will be awarded based on merit of the applications. Awards are not renewable. Awardees will be required to present at the annual UCEM symposium as well as provide a final report on accomplishments, at the completion of the award period.

Eligibility and Expectations

1. Open to all full-time UAB faculty members at the Instructor rank or above. Junior faculty are encouraged to apply.
2. Projects can be basic, clinical, or translational. This RFA is specifically soliciting innovative and high-impact science.
3. Multi-investigator, team-based proposals – with emphasis on new collaborations – are encouraged.
4. Applications that are extensions of currently funded research will not be considered. A statement describing how this application differs from currently funded projects should be included.
5. IRB and/or IACUC protocol submission prior to the funding start date is required (if applicable).
6. While not required, applicants are encouraged to seek matching funds from other sources.
7. Selected pilot projects are expected to lead to the submission of an extramural NIH or equivalent grant application within 12 months of pilot project expiration.

Application Information

The full application must include, in the following order:

1. Project title and summary describing the potential scientific implications of the project and list of all participants, their expertise and contributions to the project (up to one page).
2. NIH bio-sketches for each proposed faculty participant.
3. Budget and justification, including description of management of the project.
   1. If applicable, the source and extent of any matching funds and other available resources (with support letters).
4. Scientific overview of project: hypotheses, aims, significance, innovation, and approach with preliminary data (up to three pages).
5. Timeline for milestones and deliverables, with a description of the targeted NIH (or other) grant mechanism (up to 1/2 page)

Application Instructions

Pre-proposals must be submitted electronically in a single PDF to Purnima Janarthanan at kjpurni@uab.edu by 5:00 p.m. CT on September 1, 2022 with email title and file name as “Last Name – UCEM Muscle Pilot.” Applications will use NIH PHS 398 forms for the cover page, key personnel, budget, budget justification, and the five-page NIH bio-sketch for all key personnel. Applications must use Arial 11-point font with 0.5-inch margins. Faculty salary, travel, or publication costs are not to be included. There are no indirect costs. Applications that are not formatted as described will not be reviewed.

Key Dates

• May 18, 2022: RFA Announcement
• September 1, 2022: Submissions Due
• September - October 2022: Application Review
• November 1, 2022: Funding start date

Contact

Purnima Janarthanan (kjpurni@uab.edu)