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Funding Application Information


Funding – Type B Due Date Sept. 15th, 2023 5:00 pm MT - CLOSED


The NIDDK Hematology Centers Program is providing a novel support mechanism for researchers to pursue new directions in non-malignant hematology. Applicants do not need to be U.S. citizens or Green card holders but must be from any registered, domestic (U.S.), eligible organization. However, those from institutions not currently part of the NIDDK Hematology Centers Program will be prioritized. Applications from investigators coming from other fields, bringing new perspectives or tools to address questions in nonmalignant hematology are also encouraged to apply.


P&F Type A:  $5,000 - $12,000 worth of core credits to provide equal access to services and expertise offered by any core. Rolling deadlines, abbreviated application forms, and streamlined review by Core Directors all contribute to a rapid and equitable distribution of core credits. Type A support is ideally suited for trainees who want to master a new expertise or acquire a new skill to enhance their competitiveness.  Applications for Type A projects will be accepted on a rolling basis and reviewed on an as needed basis.


Instructions Specific to P&F Type A:  New applications should be uploaded as a single PDF file (11-point Arial font size and 0.5” margins) that must include:


Page 1. Title, PI; Abstract (made public if awarded).

Page 2.  Description, Significance, Figures and Literature Cited,

Page 3.  Core use, Budget, and Justification, (for trainees, signed by lab PI), 1 page

NIH-style Biosketch for applicant only.

Type A projects do not require Institutional sign off by the applicant’s grant and contract office, unless required by the applicant institution’s policies.

Applicants must obtain signed approval for costs and feasibility from the directors of the cores they wish to access.

Project periods are limited to 12 months, and a progress report must be submitted within 120 days of the budget end date.


P&F Type B: $75,000 total award (grant) including F&A.  Use of CCEH Core resources is not required but encouraged. 


The primary goal of Type B P&F grants is to support innovative pilot research projects in non-malignant hematology, including the generation of preliminary data for larger research grants. Pilots should involve new scientific directions or the development or application of a novel technology. It is not expected that any preliminary data be provided, but the scientific premise should be supported by literature. Applicants may apply for travel monies (up to $2,500) to train for 3-5 days at a CCEH core that will be utilized in the Type B proposal. These funds are a line item in the $75,000 maximum budget and may only be used to support flight, room and board costs for the investigator. Permission for travel must be approved by the Director of the CCEH core and the U24 Enrichment Chair (diane.mcveyward@path.utah.edu). Applications are due Sept. 15th, 2023 5:00pm Mountain Time, no exceptions.  Please submit your applications early with the required signatures to ensure your application will be reviewed.


Type B grants will be reviewed by a panel of approximately 10 reviewers, each reading all applications.  Reviewers will provide scores for key review criteria (significance, innovation, approach, feasibility, as well as for new direction/technology and fostering a new collaboration) then rank all applications. Reviewers will briefly describe what drove their ranking. Applications will undergo a second level of review involving the NIDDK and the HCCC. Unsuccessful applicants will be encouraged to discuss the critiques with the scientific contact below.  


This program is intended to support pilots that are not appropriate for other grant mechanisms. While applicants of any career stage are eligible, applicants will be required to describe why the project is not appropriate for other grant mechanisms (NIDDK fellowship, career development award, or research project (R) grants). Moreover, trainees, fellows and graduate students will be required to describe how the pilot will support a subsequent grant application and lead to future independence (e.g., how the research direction will differentiate them from their mentor). 


Proposed research should address the NIDDK/Hematology mission to be considered for review. The following link describes the NIDDK hematology mission. NIDDK Hematology Program Directors are available to discuss the mission as well as relevant funding opportunities: 


https://www.niddk.nih.gov/research-funding/research-programs#hematologic-disease


Applications that scientifically overlap with a NIH application that is currently under review will not be reviewed. Questions about these policies should be directed to the scientific contact below.


Instructions Specific to Type B:  New applications should be uploaded as a single PDF file (11-point Arial font size and 0.5” margins). Resubmissions are not permitted; revised applications must be submitted as New. Only complete applications received by the due date will be reviewed.


Use the PHS 398 form including face, abstract (to be made public upon award), detailed budget, biographical and other support pages, and research plan.


Research plan is limited to 4 pages and should include:


Snapshot (1 page)

Under separate headers answer the following questions:

Elevator Pitch: How is the proposed pilot research a new direction in non-malignant hematology? Reference any current or pending Other Support from the PI, collaborators, or mentors, and describe how the pilot is not incremental.

Appropriateness of mechanism: How is the proposed research a fit for the Type B P&F grant, AND not a fit for another NIDDK grant mechanism? Investigators eligible for NIDDK fellowships or career development awards are strongly encouraged to apply for those mechanisms. Investigators with substantial preliminary data are strongly encouraged to apply for a research project grant (e.g., R01).

Pathway to independence (for applicants without independent faculty positions): How will the proposed pilot research help differentiate the trainee/fellow from their mentor(s)?   

Specific Aims, Background and Significance (address all review criteria detailed above, 1 page)

Research Design and Methods (2 pages)


Pages not counted, but to be included are:


Literature Cited

Vertebrate Animals and/or Protection of Human Subjects Approval (if applicable)

Sharing Plan

Budget - Note: Budgets are limited to $75,000 total costs (inclusive of all F&A costs, PHS 398 FP4 and FP5) and will be administered as a subaward. The intent of these awards is to be a steppingstone for junior investigators to generate the data that will allow them to apply for other training or research awards.  Please see the guidelines for F&A (8% for research training awards, https://grants.nih.gov/grants/policy/nihgps/html5/section_7/7.4_reimbursement_of_facilities_and_administrative_costs.htm). Applicants are encouraged to work with their Office of Sponsored Projects to allow training award rates to be used in this award.


If in-kind services from a CCEH core are proposed, the total costs for the award should be reduced by the negotiated costs of the in-kind core services.


For any application proposing to use CCEH Cores, applicants must obtain signed approval for costs and feasibility from the directors of the cores they wish to access and include on Budget justification page (CCEH Cores can be found here).


Applications from junior trainees/researchers must include a signed letter of support from their sponsor/PI.


Project periods are limited to 12 months, and a progress report must be submitted within 120 days of the budget end date.


Please upload a single PDF of your application using the “Submit Application Here”, at the end of the Funding Opportunities section (below).


For questions about application submission and receipt, please contact John Phillips: john.phillips@hsc.utah.edu.


For scientific questions, please contact Shilpa Hattangadi: hattangadism@nih.gov.


ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS


If an award is made, the submitted Abstract will be made public on the cceh.io website, along with the Project Title, PI Name(s), Institution, and award type.


Each publication, press release, or other document about research supported by an NIH award must include an acknowledgment of NIH award support and a disclaimer such as “Research reported in this publication was supported by the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases of the National Institutes of Health under Award Number U24DK126127. The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the National Institutes of Health.” Awardees are also encouraged to refer to the “NIDDK Cooperative Centers of Excellence in Hematology Pilot &Feasibility Award” on their Biosketch and Other Support documents.


Awardees are expected to submit a final progress report within 120 days of the budget end date. The U24-funded HCCC may include this report, in part or in full, with its Annual Research Performance Progress Report (RPPR) to the NIH.


The HCCC may contact the PI of awards to review long-term outcomes. Awardees will be invited to present results at the annual NIDDK Hematology Centers Program Steering Committee meeting.


If not used in publications or grant submissions, data should be represented in Synapse or another relevant data repository as negative results.


DIRECTIONS TO START THE APPLICATION PROCESS for Type A or Type B  P&F  Proposals


1.  Check guidelines for eligibility
                a. Priority will be given to Junior Investigators and Postdocs.
                b. Established Investigators starting a new line of Research in nonmalignant hematology - cannot be focused on currently funded project.

2.  Determine the type of grant you wish to apply for.
                a. Type A  - Core Usage Funds Only (C-UFO) up to $12,000 (no F&A, funds made available only at Core proposed).
                b. Type B - New Pilot Proposal (HCCC-P&F) up to $75,000 including recommended F&A (Use PHS 398 forms as detailed).

3.  Contact the core director(s) of the core you will be using to initiate guidance on feasibility and costs associated with core use.

4.  Write and submit proposals as a single PDF using the detailed guidelines on length and inclusions on the FUNDING link cceh.io/funding ("red" Submit box) prior to final due date and time.
                No applications will be accepted after 5pm MST on the due date.



Submit Application Here

The CCEH program supports pilot and feasibility program grants funding small projects aimed at generating preliminary data for inclusion in larger grant applications. The grants will be awarded competitively and are designed to support collaborative research projects that utilize core resources at one of the five CCEH centers.


Please refer to the guidelines for writing and formatting applications (above) before submitting. Applications can be uploaded using the form to the right. You will receive rapid acknowledgement of receipt of your application via email. If you do not receive acknowledgement, please confirm the correct email address is provided and resubmit prior to the deadline. If you still do not receive acknowledgement, please reach out to Lori Blake, lblake@fredhutch.org for assistance prior to the deadline. No applications will be accepted after the due date 5pm Mountain Time.



Publications Associated with P&F Funding

Current or Past Recipients

  • Amy Medlock, PI University of Georgia Member Utah U54 CCEH

    The CCEH Type B grant entitled “Erythroblastic Island Heme Synthesis under Normal and Inflammatory Conditions” in the Medlock laboratory is focused on understand the transcriptomics and proteomics at the single cell level of developing erythroid cells in erythroblastic islands under normal and disease states. The model we are using was developed in the Torok-Storb laboratory and allows the development of erythroblastic island from CD34+ cells. This systems allow us to probe the complex interaction of the central macrophage with the developing erythroid cells. Our first goal is to establish a time line for heme synthesis during erythropoiesis in this system that more closely resembles the bone marrow niche. Personnel from the Medlock laboratory traveled to the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center to learn how to isolate CD34+ cells from adult bone marrow, grow, transform, and differentiate these cells. We also carried out flow analysis and single cell Western on the cells from these erythroblastic islands. Currently, we are continuing these experiments and starting single cell RNA-seq experiments. The second aim is to characterize the impact that the inflammatory response has on heme synthesis and differentiation of the erythroblasts within the erythroblastic island. These experiments will begin in the spring.

  • Xia Xiao

    Xia completed her PhD degree in Nutritional Sciences at the Pennsylvania State University, University Park. Under the mentorship of Dr. Matam Vijay-Kumar, she studied the roles of the innate immune proteins lipocalin 2 and myeloperoxidase in iron toxicity-induced liver damage, and the interplay among innate immune proteins, bacterial siderophores, and iron on innate immune function and gut health. For her postdoctoral training, Xia joined Dr. Jodie Babitt Lab at Massachusetts General Hospital/Harvard Medical School studying BMP-SMAD signaling, hepcidin regulation and iron homeostasis. This U24 CCEH Type B P&F award from NIDDK will provide her resources and experience to study the role of the hemochromatosis gene HFE in hepcidin regulation and iron homeostasis.

  • Type B P&F Recipient Yagna Jarajapu

    Yagna is a vascular pharmacologist by training; received doctorate in vascular Physiology and Pharmacology from the Glasgow Caledonian University, Glasgow, Scotland. He had post-doctoral training in the field of ischemic vascular regeneration by adult stem/progenitor cells and the pharmacology of renin angiotensin system under the mentorship of Prof. Grant and Prof. Raizada at the University of Florida. As an independent investigator at the North Dakota State University he pursued research in ACE2 and Mas receptor pharmacology in the CD34+ stem/progenitor cells from diabetic adults. Collectively, his studies showed that activation of ACE2 or Mas receptor by pharmacological or molecular strategies is sufficient to enhance endothelialization or revascularization potential of the dysfunctional diabetic CD34+ cells in preclinical studies involving ischemic vascular injury. During the course of this research, his team identified that mitochondrial telomerase reverse transcriptase (mtTERT) is critical for restoring the reparative functions of diabetic CD34+ cells. Furthermore, the expression of dominant negative mutants of TERT, deletion splice variants, was higher in diabetic cells, which indeed impair the protective functions of mtTERT. The U24 CCEH type B P&F award will provide resources to study the pathological role of TERT-splice variants on the mitochondrial stress and bioenergetics, and hematopoietic functions in CD34+ cells.

  • Type B P&F Recipient Audrey Belot

    Audrey completed her BS degree in Physiology and Cell Biology at the University of Bretagne Occidental, Brest, France. She then joined the lab of Dr Delphine Meynard at the Paul Sabatier University, Toulouse, France to pursue her MS and PhD degrees. Her PhD work focused on understanding the role of iron in liver pathophysiology, specifically in NAFLD and NASH. In parallel, she also tested a new therapeutic strategy, LJ000328 an ALK2/3 kinase inhibitor, to treat Iron Deficiency Iron Refractory Anemia. In August 2021, Audrey started her post-doctoral research with Dr Iqbal Hamza at the University of Maryland, Center for Blood Oxygen Transport and Hemostasis where she studies heme transport and trafficking during erythropoiesis. The funding from the Type B P&F from the NIDDK CCEH will provide her with resources and experiences to support her long-term career goals of becoming an independent researcher.



Current P&F Projects

Title PI, Key Personnel, Mentor, etc. Investigator Institutions Center/Core(s) to Be Used At Center/Core Institutions Award Type Award Year
Multiplex imaging of the regenerating bone marrow microenvironment Christina Termini, Ph.D. Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center CODEX Imaging Core Indiana Indiana University Medical School Type A 2023
Understanding the exosomal communication of bone marrow stromal cells with hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells Reza Shahbazi, Ph.D. Indiana University Simon Comprehensive Cancer Center Cell preparation and Analysis Fred Hutchinson Type A 2023
HMGA1 in Cardiovascular Disease Associated with TET2 Mutant Clonal Hematopoiesis Zanshé Thompson, PhD Johns Hopkins School of Medicine Cell preparation and Analysis Yale University Type A 2023
The function of ANKRD26 and its role in megakaryopoiesis Liang Zheng, PhD Yale University Cell Preparation and Analysis Yale University Type B 2023
Lipid perturbations in the red blood cell due to hypoxia, sickle cell disease and malaria infection Radoslaw Omelianczyk, PhD University of Utah Metabolomics University of Utah Type B 2023
Developing an AAV-based gene editing tool to model aberrant RNA splicing in hematopoiesis Sayantani Sinha, PhD Fred Hutchinson/University of Washington Vector Production Fred Hutchinson Type A 2023
C-FiSHH — a CRISPR-based Functional in vivo Screen of Human Hematopoiesis Emily Collins, PhD Fred Hutchinson Vector Production Fred Hutchinson Type B 2023
Surprising activity of a small molecule compound on myeloid progenitors Shangqin Guo, PhD Yale University Metabolomics University of Utah Type A 2023
Driving myeloid progenitor expansion with small molecules Stephen Maxwell Scalf, PhD Yale University Flow Cytometry, Cell Preparation and Analysis Yale University Type B 2022
Targeting fatty acid oxidation to expand hematopoietic stem cells Peter S Klein, MD, PhD University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine Cell Procurement and Resource Development Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center Type B 2022
Adapting multiplexed high-resolution imaging to investigate the hematopoietic niche of bone marrow Sonali J. Karnik, PhD Indiana University School of Medicine Flow and Tissue Cytometry (FTCC) Indiana University School of Medicine Type A 2022
Iron-Regulatory Protein 2 Phosphorylation Regulation of Erythropoiesis Elizabeth A Leibold, PhD University of Utah School of Medicine Iron and Heme Core Utah CIHD University of Utah Type A 2022
Investigation of RBM15 and the m6A epitranscriptome in megakryopoiesis Madeline Mayday, BS Yale School of Medicine N/A Yale University Type B 2022
TERT Splice Variants and Myelopoiesis in Diabetic CD34+ cells Yagna Prasada Rao Jarajapu, PhD North Dakota State University Experimental Mouse Model Indiana University Type B 2022
Novel mechanisms of action of HFE in hepcidin an diron homeostasis regulation Xia Xiao, PhD Harvard Medical School Bioinformatics Cincinnati Children's Type B 2022
Fine-Tuning of Hemoglobinization Through Heme Import by Erythrocytic HRG1 Audrey Belot, PhD University of Maryland Iron and Heme University of Utah Type B 2022


For projects funded in 2022 and 2023, please click here.


For projects funded in 2021, please click here.


To review projects funded during 2017-2020, please click here.



Meet the Investigators


Get to know the investigators behind our current P&F projects. Click on an investigator's name to visit their website.



Liang Zheng, PhD

Radoslaw Omelianczyk, PhD

Sayantani Sinha, PhD

Emily Collins, PhD

Madeline Mayday, BS

Yagna Prasada Rao Jarajapu, PhD

Xia Xiao, PhD

Audrey Belot, PhD

Sonali J. Karnik, PhD

Elizabeth A Leibold, PhD

Stephen Maxwell Scalf, PhD

Peter S Klein, MD, PhD

Shangqin Guo, PhD

Zanshé Thompson, PhD

Reza Shahbazi

Christina Termini