Mentored Trainee Translational Science Pilot Award
This award provides up to $25,000 over one year to support research trainees as they build a solid research foundation that will help them obtain the most prestigious fellowship or grant possible following the project. The pilot project should be part of a long-term plan to become an independent investigator and must address a translational challenge or barrier and meet the definition of translational science research. Translational Science is the field of investigation focused on understanding the scientific and operational principles underlying each step of the translational research process.
This funding opportunity is not currently open.
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Eligibility
All UR pre-doctoral students, fellows, postdocs and residents are eligible for awards in the Trainee categories. Faculty members are not eligible to serve as principal investigators for Trainee category awards.
All submissions must have a Faculty Sponsor. In addition to serving as the trainee’s Primary Mentor, a Faculty Sponsor, takes responsibility for the conduct of the trainee and study, is listed as PI on the IRB protocol and oversees the financial management of the project.
Funding Amount
The TS03 award provides up to $25,000 over one year.
Important Dates
Apply
Application Selection
Highly competitive applications will address a specific translational barrier using a disease or use case in a way that could convincingly be applied across multiple diseases, conditions or scientific fields
Contact
If you have questions regarding this RFA, please contact one of the following.
General inquiries
Karen Grabowski, ctsi@urmc.rochester.edu
Scientific and Peer Review
OJ Sahler, MD, oj_sahler@urmc.rochester.edu
Edward Schwarz, PhD, edward_schwarz@urmc.rochester.edu
Financial Inquiries
Mary Lyons, mary_lyons@urmc.rochester.edu
Awardees and Projects
Current Projects
Building a Better Roadmap: Creating a Foundation for Anticipatory Guidance in Parkinson's Disease
Jennifer Corcoran, MD, Instructor, Department of Neurology, Movement Disorders
Mentor: Benzi M. Kluger, MD, MS
Diabetes Screening in Dental offices: the feasibility of the DIA-DENT Program
Harold Nii-Aponsah, DDS, MPH, MS, Resident Dentist, Eastman Institute for Oral Health, Community Dentistry and Oral Disease Preventions
Mentor: Sangeeta Gajendra, DDS, MPH, MS
Past Projects
Positive deviance and health literacy: Underexplored constructs for successful translational science
Lindsay Batek, N.D., B.S.N., R.N.
Mentor: James McMahon, Ph.D.
Remote assessments in pediatric patients with congenital and childhood onset myotonic dystrophy type 1
Stella Deng, M.D.
Mentor: Johanna Hamel, M.D.
Tendon-targeted delivery of peptide-functionalized nanoparticles to improve healing
Emmanuela Adjei-Sowah, M.S.
Mentor: Danielle Benoit, Ph.D., and Alayna Loiselle, Ph.D.
Investigating white matter fiber pathways supporting motor function before and after neurosurgery
Frank E. Garcea, Ph.D.
Mentor: Webster Pilcher, M.D., Ph.D.
Controlled Delivery of Periodontal Ligament Cells for in Vivo Tissue Regeneration
David Fraser, D.D.S.
Mentor: Danielle Benoit, Ph.D.
Identifying Novel Biomarkers To Optimize Deep Brain Stimulation Therapy for Dystonia Patients
Angela Hewitt, M.D., Ph.D.
Mentor: Jonathan Mink, M.D., Ph.D.
Identifying Biomarkers Predictive of Right Heart Failure in Left Ventricular Assist Device Patients?
Alan Brooks, M.D., Ph.D.
Mentors: Eric Small, Ph.D., Jeffrey Alexis, M.D., and Ilan Goldenberg, M.D.
Transcriptional regulation of neural circuit formation in Intellectual Disabilities?
Carlos Diaz-Balzac, M.D., Ph.D.
Mentor: Douglas Portman, Ph.D.
MRI and Cognitive Changes with Radiation Exposure of the Limbic System
Sara Hardy, M.D.
Mentor: Michelle Janelsins-Benton, Ph.D.
Regulation of human erythroid self-renewal and differentiation by PRC1
Jayme Olsen
Mentor: James Palis, M.D.
Carol Fries Simpson, M.D.
Hematology/Oncology Fellow
Platelet dysregulation by antiretroviral drugs and HIV-comorbid disease
Shannon Loelius
Graduate student in the Department of Immunology, Microbiology and Virology
The influence of brain food reward system on the development of obesity
Ying Meng, Ph.D., R.N., A.C.N.P.
Assistant Professor of Nursing
Visual cortex plasticity and white matter changes associated with GH and IGFI
David Paul, M.D.
Neurology Resident
Michael-John Beltejar
Graduate student in the Department of Genetics, Development and Stem Cells
Patient-reported Outcomes for Patients Undergoing Aortic Valve Replacement
Jeffrey Bruckel, M.D., M.P.H.
Cardiovascular Disease Fellow
Cigarette Smoke Impairs the Anti-Viral Response to Influenza A Virus
Parker Duffney, Ph.D.
Graduate student in the Department of Toxicology
Importance of Axonal Injury and Inflammation in the Acute Phase of Mild TBI
Adnan Hirad
MD-PhD candidate in Medicine and Translational Biomedical Science
Anna Bird
Graduate Student in the Department of Medicine (Allergy, Immunology, and Rheumatology)
Mentors: Jennifer Anolik, Minsoo Kim, and Jane Liesveld
Amanda Croasdell
Medical Student
Comparative effectiveness of screening methods for type 2 diabetes: a pilot study
Daniela Geba
PhD Candidate
Novel pro-resolving lipid mediators reduce cigarette smoke-induced emphysema
Hsi-min (Jim) Hsiao, B.S., M.S.
Pathology and Laboratory Medicine
Intraparenchymal Stent for Obstructive Hydrocephalus (IPSOH): A Novel Technology
Jonathan Stone, B.A., M.D.
Neurosurgery
Developing an age-specific decision scheme for prehospital triage of injured older adult
Courtney Jones
PhD Candidate (Epidemiology), Public Health Sciences
Examining the link between allostatic load and depressive symptoms among the elderly
Roni Kobrosly, M.P.H.
PhD Candidate in the Department of Public Health Sciences (Epidemiology)
Notify When Available
This funding opportunity is not currently open. Complete the form below to be notified when it is available again.
The following dates apply to the current solicitation:
- Initial Letter of Intent (LOI) and Specific Aims due - October 21, 2024 at 5:00 PM
- Notification of full proposal solicitation - December 9, 2024
- Full proposals due - January 27, 2025 at 5:00 PM
- Notifications of Award - March 24, 2025
- Anticipated start date - July 1, 2025
- Award period ends - June 30, 2026
Solicitation and Review Process
Phase 1: Applicants submit a two-page Letter of Intent (LOI) stating their specific aims and summarizing their proposals. The UR CTSI review committee specific to each submission category will evaluate, score, and discuss the LOIs.
Phase 2: A subset of applicants will be invited to submit full proposals. The UR CTSI Review Committee specific to each submission category will engage in a formal study section-style discussion and scoring meeting for proposals. Funding recommendations go to the UR CTSI Executive Team for a final review and decision on funding.
The Pilot Studies Funding Attestation must be submitted with the initial Letter of Intent and full proposal.
Note: All animal and human subject protocols must be approved by NCATS, the NIH institute funding the UR CTSI, prior to the start date. No funds for research project costs may be released until all required human subjects and animal welfare approvals have been received.
Please note that UR CTSI awards and funding are dependent upon the renewal of grants from the National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences (NCATS), a component of the National Institutes of Health (NIH).