FUNDING MEMO

Title: Postdoc To Faculty Transition Awards

Funding Agency: Cystic Fibrosis Foundation

External Deadline(s):

12/08/2022 02:00 PM PST (Full Proposal)

Cognizant Office: Office of Sponsored Research/Office of Foundation Relations

Description:

Cystic Fibrosis Foundation's (CFF) Postdoc-to-Faculty Transition Award is designed to support postdoctoral research fellows during their CF fellowship and aid in their transition to an independent research faculty position. Candidates for this award can be identified any time during the first four years of their postdoctoral fellowship.

Frequency: Typically annual

Total Award: Varies

• Phase I: Research training, up to 3 years.
  • Support for Salary and fringe benefits is commensurate with years of postdoctoral experience; please refer to chart in the guidelines.
  • Research allowance of $15,000 per year.
• Phase II, Independent Research Investigator, up to 2 years.
  • Maximum level of support of $110,000 per year.
    • $80,000 for salary support of PI or research staff per year.
    • $30,000 per year for research support.
    • Rate of pay may not exceed current NIH salary cap of $203,700.
• Travel expenses may not exceed $1,500 per person per year.
  • Please note: expenses for travel outside the North American Continent, including travel to Hawaii, Puerto Rico, and other U.S. territories are not allowable expenses without prior written approval from the CFF Grants and Contracts Office.
• Tuition costs may be requested for personnel supported through this study but may not exceed $10,000 per person per year.

Indirect Costs: Not Allowed

• Phase I is considered a “true fellowship” and will not be subject to Caltech’s minimum overhead requirement. However, a completed MORA form is still required.
• Phase II, if performed at Caltech will be subject to the minimum overhead requirements in place at the time.

Duration: Up to 5 years

• Phase I: Up to 3 years.
• Phase II: Up to 2 years.
• Earliest project start date is May 1, 2023.

Discipline(s): Biology and Biological Engineering; Chemistry and Chemical Engineering

Eligibility: Postdoc

• Candidates must be U.S. citizens, permanent residents, or non-residents working in a U.S.-based laboratory
• Postdoctoral applicants (Ph.D., M.D., D.V.M. or equivalent) engaged in or planning CF-related basic science research projects are eligible.
  • Preference will be given to recent graduates and those just beginning their research careers and those with
• Postdoc-to-Faculty Transition Awards are awarded based on individual merit, program relevance, and institutional environment. Therefore, Phase I awards are not transferable to other individuals or institutions, unless previously approved by the CFF Program Director.
• Each candidate must identify a primary Mentor with substantial experience in training, and who will provide primary guidance for the grantee's research and professional career development. The Mentor is encouraged to form an advisory committee to develop and monitor the Phase I program and should include course work, seminars, research experience, and other educational experience deemed necessary for the development of an independent research career in Phase II.
• Individuals entering Phase II are encouraged to apply for additional external research support to fund their program. Program overlap of external funds is allowed.
• At least 75% of the candidate’s time must be devoted to CF-related research during Phase II.
• Phase II need not be performed at the same institution as Phase I.

Research Areas of Interest:

• Funding priority will be placed on those projects that will lead to a better understanding of disease mechanisms and, pathophysiology, or the development of prevention and treatment strategies.
• Emerging areas of interest with high priority to the CF Foundation:
  • Direct and indirect influences of CFTR modulation on the airway milieu, including resident pathogens, inflammation and inflammatory cell function, mucin structure (tethered and secreted), airway surface liquid (ASL), and mucociliary clearance (MCC).
  • Mechanisms of defective MCC and ASL that are relevant for therapeutic applications.
  • Biological mechanisms involved in lung allograft dysfunction/rejection and transplant immunology • Improved understanding of acquisition, detection, pathogenesis, host-pathogen interactions, and treatment approaches for difficult to treat CF infections (i.e. NTM, MDR Pseudomonas, MRSA, Aspergillus, Burkholderia, Stenotrophomonas).
  • Approaches to understand and treat CF-related GI complications, including liver disease and the impact of nutritional deficiencies.
  • Effects of endocrine system dysfunction in CF, especially projects focused on biological underpinnings of Cystic Fibrosis Related Diabetes (CFRD) and CF bone disease.
• Infection/microbiology-focused applications should utilize clinically relevant strains and specimens or should address host responses to the organism as part of the application.

Research Exclusions:

• Projects focused on individual pathogens not listed above or that solely explore basic biology of pathogens that will not have direct applicability to the development of new treatment strategies or improve outcomes for people CF will be deprioritized for funding.
• Those applications that do not have a clear translational component or path to therapeutic development generally receive lower relevance scores.

Post-Award Obligations:

• Annual scientific and financial reporting is required.
• Awardees are required to inform CFF annually for a period of five years subsequent to completion of the award about academic status, publications, and research grants or contracts received.

Recent Caltech Recipients:

• Peter Jorth (Newman Lab, 2017)

Guidelines & Other Information:

Overview: https://www.cff.org/researchers/postdoc-faculty-transition-awards

Policies and Guidelines: https://www.cff.org/media/11161/download?inline

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: 1338