FUNDING MEMO
Title: Pediatric Ophthalmology Career-Starter Research Grants
Funding Agency: Knights Templar Eye Foundation, Inc
External Deadline(s):
01/15/2023 10:00 PM PST (Full Proposal)
Cognizant Office: Office of Foundation Relations
Description:
The Knights Templar Eye Foundation's (KTEF) Pediatric Ophthalmology Career-Starter Research Grants support research that can help launch the careers of clinical or basic researchers committed to the understanding, prevention and cure of vision-threatening diseases in infants and children. The Foundation supports clinical or basic research on conditions that can advance treatment or prevention. Proposals for support of basic research on the eye and development of the visual system are welcome, but these must directly relate to pediatric eye diseases.
Total Award: $90,000
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The maximum award is $90,000 for one year.
- Funds may be used for partial or full salaries of investigators and technicians, equipment, purchase of animals, animal care, software and consumable supplies, and appropriate travel.
- Competitive renewal grants are available.
- If awarded, the presentation of the check to the Applicant and Preceptor should be “in person” by a representative of the Knights Templar Eye Foundation.
Indirect Costs: Not Allowed
- Caltech’s minimum overhead rate is based on the award’s annual gross funding. Please refer to the FY23 Annual Rate Memo for applicable minimum overhead requirements. Applicants must work within their division to account for the required overhead via an approved MORA form.
Duration: 1 year
- Applications will be accepted for only one year of funding, with the project scheduled for completion during the year of funding.
- Competitive renewals are available.
Discipline(s): Biology and Biological Engineering; Chemistry and Chemical Engineering; Engineering and Applied Science
Eligibility: Research Faculty, Tenure-Track Faculty
- Awards will be restricted to investigators living and working legally in the United States or one of its territories. All research described must be conducted at institutions of higher learning located in the U.S. or one of its territories.
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The applicant should be situated at the beginning of his/her academic career (defined as no more than 7 years from completion of formal training, including postdoctoral fellowships). The applicant must not
hold an academic rank of Associate Professor or higher.
- Caltech researchers other than tenure-track faculty will need to obtain approval from the Division Chair and Vice Provost for Research prior to submitting an application.
- The applicant must have received an M.D., Ph.D., or equivalent degree.
- The applicant must not be a current or past Principal Investigator (PI), Co-Principal Investigator or Co-investigator of a National Institutes of Health Research Project Grant (R01, R15, R21, R24, R34, or R00), an NIH Career Development Award (K08, K12, K23, or K99), or a Small Business Grant (R41 or R42) or have served as the PI of a Collaborative Clinical Research Agreement (UG1 or U10). Furthermore, the applicant must not have received notice of approval of any of the aforesaid grants that may be awarded and provide funds to the applicant as PI, Co-PI or Co-investigator during the prospective period of Knights Templar Eye Foundation, Inc. support. Recipients of previous NIH support under Institutional Training Grant mechanisms (T32) or Individual Fellowship Awards (F30, F31, F32) remain eligible for KTEF funding.
- The project should have no scientific or budgetary overlap with any existing grants of the applicant. There must be a clear statement of how this project is distinct from prior or currently funded research of either the mentor or applicant. The applicant should not have had prior funding from KTEF (with the exception of applicants seeking competitive renewal).
- No more than one grant will be awarded to an individual laboratory or preceptor each year.
- A KTEF research grant is NOT simply a mechanism to fund a clinical pediatric ophthalmology fellowship or additional research personnel in a mentor’s lab. The successful application will include clearly documented evidence that the author of the application will be able to use the data generated from KTEF support to secure independent funding for his or her career launch as an independent clinical or basic science investigator.
Research Areas of Interest:
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Examples of target diseases/conditions include amblyopia, congenital cataract, congenital glaucoma, retinopathy of prematurity, ocular malformations, congenital nystagmus, and other hereditary eye diseases such as retinal dystrophies or retinoblastoma.
- Proposals for support of basic research on the eye and development of the visual system are welcome, but these must directly relate to pediatric eye diseases.
- The relevance of the specific research to the eye diseases of infants and children should be clearly and specifically described in the lay and scientific summaries and in a separate statement at the end of the application.
- Annual/Final reporting TBD.
- The recipient institution will be expected to issue a local ‘press release’ with a photo of the award presentation within 30 days of the presentation and send a copy to Mr. Robert Bigley of the KTEF. Failure of institutions to comply with this request will reflect negatively on applications from that institution in future years.
- The institution will make a good faith effort to publish a photo of the presentation and lay summary in a publication of the department or university.
Recent Caltech Recipients:
- None
Guidelines & Other Information:
Past Recipients (2022): https://static1.squarespace.com/static/58c7f0641b10e32dd8e9c08b/t/624d36226ed0603ae4035c41/1649227299423/CS+5+2022+Career+Starter+Grants+Website_V6.pdf
Scientific Advisory Committee: https://www.ktef.org/officers/trustees
Please notify the Foundation Relations team if you anticipate making a submission or if you have any questions regarding this opportunity. We are here to help ensure that Caltech’s proposals are competitive. We can assist with proposal development and advise you on the routing of your paperwork. Interested researchers should work with their division grant manager to prepare the budget, the MORA form, and the Division Approval Form (DAF). Submissions and awards for this grant program will be processed through the Office of Sponsored Research.
Opportunity ID: 1318