Spring 2023 CFF Path to a Cure (PTAC) Research Grant

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 RRT Research Grants program may apply to the Path to a Cure: Research Grant program. However, in order to uphold a scientifically diverse portfolio, programmatic reviews will occur for all applicants (Principal Investigators) who have active CFF Research Grant funding.
• Interventional studies involving human subjects cannot be supported through this program.
• Applications must focus on one or more of the research areas of interest outlined below.

Summary

Spring 2023 CFF Path to a Cure (PTAC) Research Grants are intended to facilitate or enable the development of new information that may contribute to the development of new therapies for CF, especially projects focused on advancing CFTR repair and replacement strategies. Proposals must be hypothesis driven and contain sufficient preliminary data to justify support from the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation. However, proposals that aim to develop tools or reagents that are not typically hypothesis driven but may facilitate research that could lead to a cure will be considered through this mechanism. Information derived from such studies will hopefully lead to submission to other funding agencies. Funding of up to $150,000 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.

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) Research Grant 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.