Memorandum

To: All Faculty
From: Jack A. Roth, M.D.
Professor and Chairman
Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery
Date: September 5, 2001
Subject: Research Development Awards

The W.M. Keck Center for Cancer Gene Therapy is funding Research Development Awards. Awards of up to $50,000 for laboratory research projects and up to $150,000 for patient research studies including clinical trials will be funded for one year. Funding cannot be applied to overhead, indirect costs, faculty salary, or other institutional levies. The proposals may be basic science or clinical science projects. Gene Therapy is a broad discipline including vector research, gene discovery, targeted gene expression, functional genomics, and gene-based therapeutics. However, all proposals must be relevant to gene transfer or gene function. Translational research projects are encouraged.

Development awards are intended as seed money for projects that currently do not have funding. The proposals will undergo intensive peer review by members of the W.M. Keck Center Internal and External Scientific Advisory Boards. Novel hypotheses, innovation and translational impact will be given high priority. Award recipients will be required to present progress reports at the W.M. Keck Center program meetings and submit written progress reports six months and one year following funding.

Eligibility: Instructor or above. The project may not previously have received funding.

Application Procedure: Applications should be submitted in the PHS 398 (R01) format (Abstract, Specific Aims, Background, Preliminary Results, Research Plan). Applications should be no longer than five single-spaced, typewritten pages. Preliminary data and research plan should be emphasized. The font must be Times 11 or larger with at least 1" margins. No appendix material will be accepted. Include one Budget Page (NIH format) with an additional one-page brief justification, Biographical Sketches of key personnel (NIH format), and All Other Support (active and pending including PI, period of award, annual direct costs, title, and specific aims). Other forms needed for UT M.D. Anderson include: Statement of approval by Department Chairperson or Office of Research and certification that the project complies with institutional regulations on research involving human subjects, animals, recombinant DNA and hazardous materials. Applications not meeting all of the above instructions will be returned without review. Funding is for one year only and cannot be applied to institutional overhead, indirect costs or other organizational levies.

Send your application to Debbie Waits Box 445.

The original and six (6) copies must be received in the office by close of business day on December 3, 2001. No faxed copies will be accepted.

If you have any questions, please call Debbie Waits at 713-745-4541 or reach her by Lotus Notes.