Spring 2023 CFF Path to a Cure (PTAC) Pilot and Feasibility Award

Eligibility

• United States residents and applicants from outside the United States are welcome to apply.
• Applicants must be independent investigators (an individual who is out of fellowship training and whose institution allows them to submit applications for research funding as a Principal Investigator).
• Applicants who are already funded or seeking funds through the general Pilot & Feasibility Award program may apply to the Path to a Cure: Pilot & Feasibility Award program. However, in order to uphold a scientifically diverse portfolio, programmatic reviews will occur for all applicants (Principal Investigators) who have active CFF Pilot & Feasibility funding.
• Applications for continued funding of the same project, or for long-term support of an investigator, will not be considered.
• Applications must focus on one or more of the research areas of interest outlined below.

Summary

Spring 2023 CFF Path to a Cure (PTAC) Pilot and Feasibility Awards are intended to support projects that will develop and test new hypotheses and/or new methods that could eventually contribute to the development of a cure for Cystic Fibrosis (CF) and to support promising new investigators as they establish themselves in research areas relevant to cystic fibrosis. The intent of these awards is to enable investigators to collect sufficient data to compete successfully for support from the NIH or other funding agencies. Funding of up to $50,000 per year, plus an additional twelve percent (12%) of indirect costs may be requested. Awards may be approved for up to a two (2) year period.

Pilot and Feasibility Award applications must focus on basic science research. Proposals that include methodologies requiring human subjects or sampling of materials from human subjects will be considered under this mechanism only if the sampling method constitutes minimal patient risk (e.g., venipuncture, nasal brushings) and the sample will be utilized in basic or laboratory research. Projects using previously obtained human samples or samples collected as part of routine clinical care may be allowed; however, this should be specified clearly in the application. All other projects involving human subjects, including interventional studies, may not be reviewed nor funded through this award mechanism.

Projects supported through the Path to a Cure initiative should focus on foundational concepts and strategies, novel tools and methods, and/or technologies that have the potential to inform or ultimately translate into novel therapies to restore CFTR protein function or fix/replace the defective CFTR gene. While projects focused on characterizing CFTR mutations, CFTR structures, and CFTR modulators will be considered, the CF Foundation has identified the following topics of interest that may be prioritized for funding:

High Priority Topics of Interest:

• Developing and applying novel gene insertion technologies in eukaryotic cells as a means of repairing/replacing the mutant CFTR gene
• Evaluating potential gene insertion sites within the native CFTR locus or at safe harbor sites and determining the impact of chromosomal architecture and epigenetic state on insertion
• Identification of targeting ligands to improve cell- and/or tissue-specific delivery of nucleic acid-based therapies to the lungs and extrapulmonary organs
• Developing novel chemistries and strategies to deliver large gene editing components (DNA, RNA, RNP) to relevant cells and tissues
• Determine physiological consequences of expressing CFTR in non-native cells and tissues
• Development of tools and strategies to evaluate immune and inflammatory response to genetic therapies (cargo and vehicle)
• Optimizing and validating tools and assays to pre-clinically evaluate the efficacy and safety of restoring functional CFTR through gene repair, gene replacement, small molecules, or any other novel method

More information on this opportunity can be found in the Spring 2023 CFF Path to a Cure (PTAC) Pilot and Feasibility Award Guidelines.

Overhead

Additional 12% for overhead/indirect costs.

Application deadlines

RSO detailed review deadline

RSO final internal review deadline

Program application deadline

NOTE: Consult your Faculty Associate Dean (Research) (ADR) regarding Faculty-specific deadlines and submission processes.

Principal Investigators: Complete a Research Management System (RMS) record, including a copy of your complete application, and submit this for approvals in RMS.

Approvals: The University of Calgary requires that all funding applications be approved prior to submission. Approval requires signatures via either RMS in the following order:

• Principal Investigator
• Department Head
• Faculty ADR/Dean
• Research Services (on behalf of the Vice-President Research)

Read the Meaning of Grant Signatures policy to understand what your approval means. Please see the agency guidelines for details about which signatures are required on your application, as it may differ from internal requirements.

Late submissions: Late submissions will only be accepted in cases of medical or family emergencies, or other exceptional circumstances. If you submit your RMS record to Research Services after the internal deadline has passed, you must secure additional approvals. Please read: Late Applications Process.

The CF Foundation strongly encourages all applicants pre-register their profile, institution, contacts, and title of their application at least two weeks prior to the application deadline. This will help to ensure the CFF Grants & Contracts Management and Administration (GCMA) Office is able to assist all applicant with any potential system-related queries prior to the Application Deadline.

Those who are interested in any funding programs offered by the CF Foundation can get further information, or discuss the potential relevance of their studies or research by contacting the Grants and Contracts Management and Administration (GMCA) office at grants@cff.org.