Funding Opportunities
The Corporate and Foundations Relations Office is able to work with faculty applying for corporate and foundation opportunities below. Please contact them by email or by phone at 919.962.2867. For all applications, please be sure to work with your Department of Pediatrics division grants administrator. Headlines are linked for more information.
COVID-19 Funding Opportunities
Information about funding opportunities related to the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) will be added to the UNC Office of Research website as they become available. These include opportunities from the National Institutes of Health, the National Science Foundation and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The American Association for Cancer Research, in partnership with Bayer, is accepting applications to support postdoctoral or clinical research fellows and combines research experiences in both an academic and industry setting, following a research timeline that will be of greatest benefit to the proposed work. Proposals focused on clinical research are highly encouraged. Applicants must plan to spend one year on site at a Bayer facility. Eligible applicants must hold an MD, PhD, MD/PhD, or equivalent in a related field and not currently be a candidate for a further doctoral degree. Applicants must be AACR members. Nonmembers interested in this grant opportunity must submit a satisfactory application for AACR membership by the application deadline. The application deadline is June 30, 2020.
The American Association for Cancer Research, in partnership with the MPM Oncology Charitable Foundation, is accepting Letters of Intent to support “high-risk, high-reward” research from early- to mid-career investigators. This novel grant mechanism is intended to promote and support creative, paradigm-shifting cancer research that might not be funded through conventional channels. It is expected that these grants will catalyze significant scientific discoveries that will advance our understanding of cancer and have a potentially transformative impact on future clinical practice. Eligible applicants must be AACR active members. Awards are made to the institution, not the individual. The letter of intent deadline is June 17, 2020; invited full applications due October 5, 2020.
Angelman Syndrome Foundation Research Grants
The Angelman Syndrome Foundation (ASF) is accepting proposals to fund pilot projects to test new ideas about pathogenesis and therapeutics of Angelman syndrome, translational research and clinical research studies. Deadlines – October 15 and April 15.
Children’s Research Institute Research Grant Initiative
As part of the mission of the Children’s Research Institute (CRI) to coordinate and support pediatric research, we are thrilled to announce 3 research funding opportunities: 1) Carolina For the Kids (CFTK) Research Grant Awards; 2) UNC Children’s Development Early Career Investigator Grants; and 3) IQVIA Pediatric Clinical Scholars Award. The deadline for the CFTK Research Grant Awards, UNC Children’s Development Early Career Investigator Grant and IQVIA Pediatric Clinical Scholars Award has passed for this cycle. The next cycle’s funding announcement will be released in late summer/early fall.
Citizens United for Research in Epilepsy (CURE): CURE Catalyst Award
Citizens United for Research in Epilepsy (CURE) is accepting letters of intent to stimulate and accelerate discovery and development of new, transformative therapies for epilepsy, moving promising, well-supported preclinical and/or clinical research closer to clinical application. The award is intended to support nimble development of data necessary to attract larger commercialization funding opportunities and is not intended to replace those opportunities. Projects based on novel biological pathways and/or highly differentiated therapeutic approaches which are likely to have a high probability of success transitioning to clinical development are strongly encouraged. The award is not intended to fund basic research on the mechanisms underlying epilepsy. Projects supported by this award mechanism should advance research to clinical trial readiness through development of biomarkers, optimization of new entities based on entities with established proof-of concept including pharmacokinetics/pharmacodynamics, safety profiles and/or improved formulations, as well as studies that advance preclinical findings to pilot clinical trials. The letter of intent deadline is July 6, 2020; invited full proposals are due September 17, 2020.
The purpose of this Funding Opportunity Announcement is to form a research network to conduct multisite clinical studies in pediatric critical care medicine. The network will comprised of a data coordinating center and at least seven clinical sites, and is designed to investigate the efficacy of treatment and management strategies to care for critically ill and injured children, and to better understand the pathophysiological bases of critical illness and injury in childhood. Applications are due July 30, 2020.
This Funding Opportunity Announcement invites grant applications that address priority gaps in understanding the role of nutrition in the care and development of preterm infants. Applications are due November 30, 2020.
Howard Hughes Medical Institute 2021 Medically Trained Scientists Program
The Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s new Medically Trained Scientists Program seeks early career scientists with knowledge of human biology to move discovery science forward. MTS fellows are creative and highly committed individuals whose research will impact significant biological problems. Fellows are committed to careers in academic research and will receive long-term support as they transition through mentored postdoctoral training to independent faculty. The application due date is August 11, 2020 at 3:00 pm EDT.
A Kids’ Brain Tumor Cure AKBTC Sponsored Grant
A Kids’ Brain Tumor Cure (AKBTC), also known as the Pediatric Low Grade Astrocytoma Foundation, Inc., is accepting Letters of Intent (LOIs) to support researchers and provides funds that will act as a catalyst to help the researchers turn their attention to the area of pediatric low grade glioma brain tumor research. $100,000 – $500,000, depending on project scope and duration. The grant cycle is an ongoing process throughout the year.
National Institutes of Health: NHLBI PRIDE Summer Program
The Programs to Increase Diversity Among Individuals Engaged in Health-Related Research (PRIDE) is an all-expense-paid Summer Institute, research education and mentoring initiative sponsored by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI). PRIDE is now accepting applications for its Summer 2020 Training for Underrepresented Junior Faculty. Research topics vary by program but are centered on heart, lung, blood, and sleep disorders research; health disparities research relevant to heart, lung, blood, and sleep disorders; and relevant research methodologies and approaches specific to these areas. Nine NHLBI-funded sites offering summer institute programs include:
- Impact of Ancestry and Gender on Omics of Lung Diseases (AGOLD)
- Advanced Respiratory Research for Equity (AIRE)
- Behavioral and Sleep Medicine (BSM)
- Cardiovascular Disease Comorbidities, Genetics and Epidemiology (CVD-CGE)
- Cardiovascular Health-Related Research (CVD)
- Future Faculty of Cardiovascular Sciences (FOCUS)
- Functional and Translational Genomics of Blood Disorders (FTG)
- Obesity Health Disparities (OHD)
- Research in Implementation Science for Equity (RISE)
There is a rolling deadline for admissions. Pre-applications will be accepted until spots are full.
National Institutes of Health: NIH Director’s New Innovator Award Program
The NIH Director’s New Innovator Award Program supports early stage investigators of exceptional creativity who propose highly innovative research projects with the potential to produce a major impact on broad, important areas relevant to the mission of NIH. Applications in all topics relevant to the broad mission of NIH are welcome and may involve basic, translational or clinical research. Applications are due August 21, 2020.
National Institutes of Health: NIH Director’s Pioneer Award Program
NIH Director’s Pioneer Award Program supports individual scientists of exceptional creativity who propose highly innovative research projects with the potential to produce a major impact on broad, important areas relevant to the mission of NIH. applications in all topics relevant to the broad mission of NIH are welcome, and may involve basic, translational, or clinical research. To be considered pioneering, the proposed research must reflect substantially different scientific directions from those already being pursued in the investigator’s research program or elsewhere. The NIH Director’s Pioneer Award is a component of the High-Risk, High-Reward Research (HRHR) Program of the NIH Common Fund. Applications are due September 11, 2020.
National Institutes of Health: NIH Director’s Transformative Research Awards
The NIH Director’s Transformative Research Award Program supports individual scientists or groups of scientists proposing groundbreaking, exceptionally innovative, original, and/or unconventional research with the potential to create new scientific paradigms, establish entirely new and improved clinical approaches, or develop transformative technologies. Applications are welcome in all topics relevant to the broad mission of NIH, including, but not limited to, topics in the behavioral, social, biomedical, applied, and formal sciences and topics that may involve basic, translational, or clinical research. No preliminary data are required. Projects must clearly demonstrate, based on the strength of the logic, a compelling potential to produce a major impact in a broad area of relevance to the NIH. Applications are due September 30, 2020.
The National Cancer Institute invites applications describing research focused on improving care and health-related quality of life for childhood, and adolescent and young adult (AYA) cancer survivors. NCI intends to commit $50 million total across FY21 and FY22 to fund up to 14 awards. The maximum project period is 5 years. Application deadlines are July 31, 2020, and July 30, 2021.
The North Carolina Translational and Clinical Sciences Institute (NCTraCS) provides a variety of pilot funding opportunities to facilitate the transfer of research findings to clinical practice in order to improve the health of the people of North Carolina. Multiple grant mechanisms are available.
The Orthopaedic Research and Education Foundation (OREF), in collaboration with the American Association of Nurse Anesthetists (AANA) Foundation, is accepting applications to support investigator-initiated research proposals focused on the broad area of perioperative musculoskeletal pain management focused on, but not limited to the following areas: 1) Perioperative pain management opioid-sparing research through varying pain control techniques using non-narcotic, multimodal options; or 2) Determining the safest and most efficacious regional anesthesia techniques to provide benefit to patients undergoing orthopaedic operations, including, but not limited to, the assessment of patient reported outcomes as well as functional assessment. Areas of research focus may include translational or clinical research to preferably include at least pilot human studies. The application deadline is July 30, 2020.
This PCORI funding announcement invites applications for high-quality comparative effectiveness research projects that will examine a critical patient-centered research question that is also relevant to decision makers and other stakeholders. For this PFA, investigators should propose an individual-level or cluster randomized controlled trial of significant scale and scope, requiring funding in excess of $10 million in direct costs. The proposed trials should address important decisional dilemmas that require important new evidence about the comparative effectiveness of available interventions. Proposed studies should compare interventions that already have established evidence of efficacy or are in widespread use. Clinical interventions (such as medications, diagnostic tests, or procedures) and delivery system interventions are appropriate for study. Letter of intent is due September 29, 2020 at 5:00 pm; full applications are due January 21, 2021 at 5:00 pm.
The PROMISE study is currently recruiting underrepresented postdocs for peer mentoring and professional development activities as part of the study and will extend to junior faculty in the Spring. You may qualify to participate if you identify as Black or African American, Hispanic or Latinx, American Indian or Alaskan Native, Native Indian or other Pacific Islander, and/or Multiracial and are involved in biomedical research. You must be a U.S. citizen or permanent resident to participate. Please see attached flyer for more information.
Stand Up to Cancer: SU2C Health Equity Breakthrough Team Research Grant Program
Stand Up To Cancer (SU2C) invites applications for the SU2C Health Equity Breakthrough Team Research Grant Program. The Breakthrough Team represents an unprecedented opportunity to bring together the best scientific minds from diverse fields of research to concentrate on new approaches to address health equity in the context of cancer research. The goal of SU2C “health equity” is for patients of all racial and ethnic backgrounds to equally benefit from the potential of cancer treatments; and for cancer research to address remediable differences, i.e., genetics, biology, risk, incidence, and mortality, and barriers to participation, in order to attain comparable outcomes for all racial and ethnic populations. Please submit your Letter of Intent by Tuesday, September 1, 2020, at 12pm Noon EDT. Finalists will be invited on or before Thursday, October 1, 2020, to submit a full application due Friday, January 8, 2021.
Thrasher Research Fund – Early Career Awards
The Thrasher Research Fund is accepting Concept Papers to support young investigators in pediatric research. The program’s aim is to encourage the development of medical research in child health by awarding small grants to new researchers. The grant cycle is an ongoing process throughout the year.