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Message from the Program Directors | |
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Program Members | |
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Institutional Vector Core | |
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What's New | |
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Becoming a Gene Therapy Patient | |
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Recent Publications | |
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Gene Therapy Links | |
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Development Awards | |
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Announcement | |
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Bylaws |
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W.M. Keck Center for Cancer Gene TherapyDevelopmental Grants Program Bylaws for Grant Review and Award ProcessProcess of Grant Award Selection Procedure for Preparing the Application Notice of Awards, Committee Decisions, Evaluations Conditions Associated with Use of Funds The W.M. Keck Center for Cancer Gene Therapy Developmental Grants Program provides a funding mechanism to support new investigators in the field of gene therapy, innovative research where preliminary data is necessary to support an extramural funding application, and clinical research where other funding is not available. Guidelines have been established for the application and are distributed to all faculty. Grants of $50,000 for laboratory research and $150,000 for clinical research may be used over one or two years. At present this program is funded only by a grant from the Keck Foundation which will expire in 2003. The total amount available and size of awards are dictated by the financial state of the Keck Center and is subject to change. Process of Grant Award Selection All grants will be initially reviewed by an External Scientific Advisory Board (ESAB). The members of the ESAB will be selected by the Steering Committee and will be representative of the many disciplines encompassed by the field of gene therapy. Grants will be assigned to reviewers based on their expertise. A minimum of two reviews will be obtained for each grant. Reviewers will be asked to rank the grants and the priority scores will be directly based on the rankings. A current membership list of the ESAB is available from the administrative office of the Keck Center and will be posted on the Keck Center web site. The grants will be distributed to member of the ESAB for review shortly after the annual application deadline of October 1. The Steering Committee will function as a secondary review group. The Steering Committee will review the priority scores from the ESAB and determine the percentage of grants to be funded based on available funds and overall scientific merit. No Steering Committee member with a potential conflict of interest with a specific grant will participate in the review of that grant. The Steering Committee will meet shortly after completion of the reviews by the ESAB. The specific date, time, and location are included on an agenda sent to each member at least five working days in advance of the meeting. Procedure for Preparing the Application In order to insure a consistent and systematic approach to the application process, application guidelines have been developed. The procedures described are to be followed regardless of the amount of financial support being requested. These guidelines are available in the Keck Center administrative office, along with assistance in understanding the policy and procedures of these Committees. An electronic version of the guidelines may be downloaded from Keck Center site on the MDACC Internet. Notice of Awards, Committee Decisions, EvaluationsDuring the Steering Committee deliberations on grant applications, members from the same department as the applicant will be absent during discussions and scoring. All reviews are confidential and anonymous outside of the committee. Communications concerning reviews are done through the committee chair. Steering Committee actions which may be reported include: approved-funded or not funded. ESAB ratings are available in the Keck Center administrative office. Applicants not funded are formally advised. Following the Steering Committee’s decision, successful applicants will be advised by the Keck Center administrative office of the amount of the award. Fiscal Services will also be notified of the award and a company/center will be established. Fiscal Services will advise the researcher of the company/center, specified restrictions on use of the funds, and source of funds. Conditions Associated with Use of Funds 1. Restriction on use of funds:
2. Reporting Requirements:
Eligibility Keck grants are not renewable. Full-time faculty members at the level of Research Associate, Instructor, Assistant Professor, Associate Professor, and Professor are eligible. Previous recipients of a Keck Center grant are eligible to apply provided the grant is for a novel project that has not been previously funded by the Keck Foundation. Eligible faculty may submit only one application per review cycle. Members of the committee are eligible to apply but may not participate in the review of their application. Applications from Research Associates must be accompanied by a letter of support and commitment from his or her immediate faculty supervisor. If human subjects or specimens from humans are involved in a clinical protocol and are not exempt from the regulations, a current (within 12 months) approval from the Surveillance Committee (IRB) will be required prior to initiation of the protocol and award of funding specifically for the protocol. Likewise, research involving experimental animals should have clearance from the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC) prior to funding. The Institutional Biosafety Committee (IBC) must approve research involving biohazardous material or recombinant DNA. All regulatory approvals must be obtained from the Office of Research Administration prior to funding. The Keck Center administrative office acts as the administrative support arm to the ESAB and the Steering Committee. In this role, it is responsible for preparing agendas, attending all meetings, recording recommended changes to the budget and tabulating voting results by the members. All of the above, as well as records of applications, notices to investigators, and reviewers' evaluations are retained on file in the office. |