Pilot Project Program of
Duke’s Center for
Comparative Biology of Vulnerable Populations
Duke’s Center for Comparative Biology of Vulnerable Populations (CCBVP) was funded in May 2004 by the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences to support research aimed at understanding how biological, physiological, and social aspects of vulnerability alter the effect of the environment on human health. The theme of the Center is broadly-based and interdisciplinary by design, and addresses the complex etiology and pathogenesis of diseases caused by environmental factors. The Center includes three research cores (Neurobiology and Neurodevelopmental Disease, Pulmonary Biology and Disease, and Environmental Health Policy) and four facility cores (DNA Microarray, Proteomics, Inhalational Toxicology, and Advanced Computational Technologies). For more information, please see the CCBVP website: www.env.duke.edu/ccbvp.
The CCBVP now invites a third round of pilot project applications to support research on human health and vulnerability to environmental influences; in particular, the effect of various aspects of vulnerability (age, geographic factors, co-morbid diseases, nutritional status, race, economic status, or genetics) on the relationship between environmental factors and health. Successful applications will focus on neurodevelopmental disorders, environmental lung disease, and/or environmental health policy. Proposals that are collaborative across the interest areas of the CCBVP are especially encouraged. New investigators in environmental health research are encouraged to apply and will be given special consideration.
All
Funding in the amount of $150,000 is available to fund one-year projects in either the $5,000-15,000 range or the $15,000-50,000 range. In addition to the funds provided by the Pilot Project Program, the CCBVP resources available to support new projects include: consultation, access to equipment, and discounted services from the four facility cores. Services from the four facility cores will be discounted to 25% of the real costs. These services include:
Primary contact: Joseph Nevins, 684-2746, j.nevins@duke.edu
Primary contact: Dhaval Patel, ddpatel@med.unc.edu
Primary contact: Michael Foster, 668-0382, foste028@mc.duke.edu
Primary contact: Mike West, 684-8842, mw@stat.duke.edu
o Consulting, advice, guidance and in some cases analysis for research projects
o Consulting, advice, guidance and in some cases analysis for DNA microarray and proteomic studies
o Bioinformatics support for genetic studies
Only one year of support will be awarded. The budget for a pilot project may include: supplies; salary support for technicians, research assistants, and graduate students; research related travel (but not travel to scientific meetings); and other justifiable research expenses. Investigators should contact facility cores for information on costs of facility core services for specific research projects. Faculty salary and indirect cost are not allowable expenses. Subcontracts cannot be issued to institutions outside Duke.
Prospective applicants must submit an email of intent that includes the following information:
The email of intent is designed to facilitate a rapid review
process and must be received by
Abstract (250 words maximum)
Research plan (5 page maximum – single spaced, 12 point font, 1” margins all the way around) including responses to the following four questions:
Appendix materials (1 page maximum – single spaced, 12 point font, 1” margins all the way around) including:
· Collaborative nature of the project
· Relevance to mission of the CCBVP
Budget and justification (1 page maximum)
Curriculum vitae OR NIH biosketch for each investigator including current grant support and limited to four pages for each investigator
Letter of acknowledgement that the proposed research
is interacting with at least one of the scientific components of the
Center. This letter must come from the
Center Director, Deputy Director, Associate Director, or one of the Research
Core Directors. This letter is written
after an applicant discusses their proposed research with one of the above.
Abstract (250 words maximum)
Research plan (10 page maximum – single spaced, 12 point font, 1” margins all the way around) including responses to the following four questions:
Appendix materials (1 page maximum – single spaced, 12 point font, 1” margins all the way around) including:
· Collaborative nature of the project
· Relevance to mission of the EHSRC
Budget and justification (1 page maximum)
Curriculum vitae OR NIH biosketch for each investigator including current grant support and limited to four pages for each investigator
Letter of acknowledgement that the proposed research is interacting with at least one of the scientific components of the Center. This letter must come from the Center Director, Deputy Director, Associate Director, or one of the Research Core Directors. This letter is written after an applicant discusses their proposed research with one of the above.
Please compend all required elements into a single pdf document and submit via email to jill.diaz@duke.edu with the subject line of “EHSRC Pilot Project Program Submission”.
Email of intent receipt date:
Application receipt date:
Grant review: March 2006
Project start date:
We welcome the opportunity to answer questions from potential applicants. Additional information on each of the research and facility cores can be obtained by contacting Marie Lynn Miranda. Please direct inquiries related to this funding announcement to:
Richard Di Giulio, PhD
Director, Duke CCBVP
Telephone: 613-8024
Email: richd@duke.edu
Marie Lynn Miranda, PhD
Deputy Director, Duke CCBVP
Director, Duke CCBVP Pilot Project Program
Telephone:
613-8023
Email: mmiranda@duke.edu
Jo Rae Wright, PhD
Director, Duke CCBVP Pulmonary Biology and Disease Research Core
Department of Cell Biology
Telephone: 684-8040
Email: j.wright@cellbio.duke.edu
Marcy Speer, PhD
Director, Duke CCBVP Neurobiology and Neurodevelopmental Disease Research Core
Center for Human Genetics
Telephone: 684-2702
Email: marcy@chg.mc.duke.edu
Christopher Schroeder, JD
Director, Duke CCBVP Environmental Health Policy Research Core
Duke School of Law
Telephone: 684-7096
Email: schroeder@law.duke.edu