Vanderbilt-wide Limited Submission Opportunity: V Foundation Pediatric Cancer Research Awards; deadline is Jan. 31

This is a joint competition for VU and VUMC investigators. All investigators should follow these instructions.

Vanderbilt (VU + VUMC, collaboratively) has been invited to participate in the V Foundation 2022 Pediatric Cancer Research Grant Program.  Vanderbilt may choose one nominee for the Pediatric Cancer Research Grant Program. The single nominee may apply in either the V Scholar or the Translational program type for support.

Please review each award type below and submit internal proposals for either program by January 31. Note that this pediatric call is distinct from the V Foundation “all cancers” call for V Scholars and Translational awards (non-pediatric specific) which will have a separate invited call for applications when announced.

Pediatric Cancer Translational Research Award

The V Foundation seeks to support translational research projects within the scope of pediatric cancer research. The Translational Research Award is a $600,000 grant awarded in three annual installments of $200,000. Indirect costs up to a maximum of 10% within the total award are permitted.

Definition of a translational research project: Translational projects should move a novel strategy from the laboratory into a human clinical trial or use specimens from a clinical trial to develop biomarkers or mechanisms.  The research should apply in some direct way to human beings within the time frame of less than 3 years.  If biomarker research is undertaken, a validation set or independent clinical trial is essential.  A plan for biomarker validation, if applicable, must be included in any proposal. The endpoint of the project should be the planning or initiation of a new pediatric clinical trial.

Applicant Eligibility:  By March 10, 2022, applicants who will lead this research team must have all the following:

• Be scientists who hold a tenure-track faculty position (any level) at their cancer research institution. Non-promotable, adjunct, affiliated, temporary, part-time or acting faculty positions are not eligible for Principal Investigator.
• Applicants must be either US citizens or have a legal permit to work in the USA (either temporary or permanent).

Pediatric Cancer V Scholar Award

The Pediatric Cancer V Scholar Award supports young tenure-track faculty early in their cancer research career by funding projects that are either laboratory-based discovery research or translational research. The total amount of the grant is $200,000 awarded in two annual installments of $100,000, each. No indirect costs are permitted.

Special Focus Area: ANY area of pediatric cancer research that is focused on laboratory research that increases our understanding of cancer biology or translational research that improves cancer detection, prevention, treatment, and survivorship.  Applications proposing research to develop better tools and or methods for earlier detection of pediatric cancers are also welcome. Areas not included in this scope are epidemiology, behavioral science, and health services research.

Applicant Eligibility: By March 10, 2022, applicants must meet all the following:

• Hold a tenure-track faculty position as an assistant professor. Non-promotable, adjunct, affiliated, temporary, part-time or acting faculty positions are not eligible for the Scholar award.
• Have been appointed to their first full-time assistant professor position within the last 5 years, and not yet been promoted to Associate Professor.
• Clinical scientists are eligible if their Department can demonstrate that it will fully support the research applicant (e.g., dedicated lab space, start-up funds, dedicated research time).
• Applicants must NOT already hold an R01 or R01-equivalent grant as a PI or co-leader. Applicants must NOT be a co-leader on projects such as SPORE or NIH grant mechanisms like U01, DP1, DP2, R37, and R23. The V Scholar award is intended to support research to leverage these larger awards; so, the nominee should not have already received such awards.
• Applicant must have at least 2 years post-doctoral (MD or PhD) fellowship training. For MDs, a minimum of one year is acceptable if only one year is required for the specialty.
• Applicant must be a US Citizen or permanent legal resident

Internal Selection Process:

Anyone interested in being considered as Vanderbilt’s nominee for either of the Pediatric Awards above must submit the following (in PDF format) to LSO@vanderbilt.edu  by 11:59 p.m. on January 31. Late applications will not be considered.

1. Brief (2 page maximum) research plan including summary budget;
2. Letter of support from department chair/center director;
   1. Scholar award does not allow indirect costs. Scholar letters must acknowledge that this grant does not allow indirect costs. This statement can be used/modified within the letter: “The Department recognizes that this grant does not allow indirect costs and will commit to covering any associated indirect costs per applicable institutional/school policy.” Consult LSO@vanderbilt.edu for further guidance.
   2. Translational award allows 10% indirect costs; indirect cost statement is not required.
3. NIH Biosketch or 5-page CV

Submissions should reference the award type (Translational Research Award or V Scholar) in the subject line of the email.

A short nomination form for Vanderbilt’s selected candidate will be submitted to the V Foundation by Feb. 15, 2022. The candidate will then receive an invitation to submit a full application, due March 10, 2022.

Please contact us at LSO@vanderbilt.edu if you have any questions about the program, foundation, or internal review process.