Dr. Mark Denison will serve as a co-principal investigator and steering committee member for the NIH-funded bioterrorism defense consortium. Dana Johnson
Applications are now being accepted for the VUMC Discovery Grant Program. The program consists of two different funding mechanisms. The funds are intended to stimulate the development of new ideas, and are not intended as a source of bridge funding. Grants include:
•Interdisciplinary of Equipment Grants — Up to $50,000 per year will be awarded for up to two years for projects involving investigators from two or more different departments. A project may involve an investigator at Vanderbilt outside of the Medical Center. However, the principal investigator must be on the faculty of the Medical Center. These grants are meant to stimulate interactions between investigators who may be able to accomplish more as a team than as individuals. Proposals for new equipment to be used by multiple research programs will be considered in this category.
•Pilot Feasibility Studies — Up to $25,000 per year will be awarded for up to two years for single investigator projects. These grants are intended to enable investigators to perform key preliminary studies prior to submitting new grant applications. A proposal must be for a new project or idea that is distinct from any currently funded project. For established investigators, the proposal should represent a radically new area of research for that laboratory.
•Between Cycle Awards — The “between cycle“ Discovery Grant Program is being continued on a limited basis. These awards are directed towards highly innovative ideas, or acquisition of new, high impact findings. Applications for these grants will be rigorously reviewed and funded at similar levels to those received in response to this announcement. Approximately 25 percent of the Discovery Program budget will be held for between cycle awards.
Funds are available to all Medical and Nursing School faculty. The application deadline is Oct. 13, with a start date of Jan. 1, 2004.
Application forms and information may be obtained from Jeannine Courtney, CCC-3322 Medical Center North, or by calling 343-0415. Information and forms are also located on the Office of Research web page at http://medschool. mc.vanderbilt.edu/oor/pd/.