Spring 2023 CFF 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). 
• Multiple CFF Research Grants held by a single investigator will not be permitted for this program when the total combined funding exceeds $168,000 per year. In such cases, the most recent application submitted will be considered administratively ineligible. However, investigators may hold one Research Grant through this mechanism as well as a Path to a Cure Research Grant simultaneously.
• Interventional studies involving human subjects cannot be supported through this program and should instead apply as a Clinical Research Award or Clinical Pilot and Feasibility Award.

Summary

Research Grants are intended to support efforts that will improve our understanding of disease pathogenesis, such as defects in airway defense, microbial adaption to the CF lung, mucociliary clearance and airway hydration, and extrapulmonary manifestations of the disease. Proposals must be hypothesis driven and contain sufficient preliminary data to justify support from the CF Foundation. Proposals that aim to develop tools or reagents that will facilitate research may 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.

CF Foundation Priority Areas:

The landscape of CF has changed significantly over the past 30 years since the identification of the CFTR gene. In 2012, KalydecoTM (VX-770), the first drug to target the basic CFTR defect, was approved for a small subset of people with CF and clearly demonstrated that CFTR modulating drugs can improve clinical parameters such as sweat chloride, lung function, and body weight. Since that time, additional CFTR modulating drugs have been approved that continue to change the course of disease for the nearly 90% of people who will benefit from them. CFF realizes the changing needs of the community and places a high priority on supporting research that will improve our understanding of disease pathogenesis, especially in the setting of CFTR modulators, such as defects in airway defense, microbial adaption to the CF lung, mucociliary clearance and airway hydration, and extrapulmonary manifestations of the disease. CFF will prioritize funding for projects that will lead to a better understanding of disease mechanisms and pathophysiology that contribute to the development of new 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). 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 with CF will be deprioritized for funding.
• 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

Additional information can be found in the Spring 2023 CFF 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 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.