Invited Full Applications should include the following, in this order:
1. Cover Sheet – Including the full title of the project; name, contact information, institution, and department of the Principal Investigator (PI); and the name, institution, and department of any co-investigators or faculty sponsors.
2. Project Abstract (300 words or less) – A brief summary of the project.
3. Specific Aims (1 page) – Concise goals of the proposed research and a summary of expected outcomes, including specific objectives.
4. Research Strategy (6 pages MAXIMUM, not including references)
i. Significance – Describe the importance of the problem or critical barrier that the project addresses, and explain how the project will improve scientific knowledge, technical capability, or clinical practice if the proposed aims are achieved.
ii. Innovation – Describe how the proposed research seeks to shift research practice paradigms and how any methodologies or theoretical concepts that are being developed or used in the project may have an advantage over existing practices.
iii. Approach – Describe the overall strategy, methodology, and analyses to be used to accomplish specific aims, including how data will be collected. Discuss potential problems, alternative strategies, and benchmarks of success.
5. Grant Potential (1 page) – Clear description of how a successful pilot project and/or expansion of the project will lead to an R01 (or equivalent) submission.
6. Project Timeline (1 page) – A proposed timeline of study performance should be included, identifying specific tasks and milestones in project progress for the estimated 12-month period of performance.
7. Budget – A budget table of personnel, equipment, supplies, travel, and other estimated costs to perform the proposed project. Additional direct costs to the award resulting from indirect (F&A) costs associated with any subcontract to other universities must be included within the $50,000. Postdoctoral applicants may budget up to $10,000 for direct costs.
8. Budget Justification – A detailed explanation and justification of the funding request.
Non-allowable expenses:
i. Salaries for Associate and Full Professors
ii. Salaries for investigators and staff at institutions outside of USC
iii. Tuition for graduate students
9. NIH-Format Biosketches – For the PI, co-investigators and faculty sponsors (5-page limit per investigator). Guidelines are described on the NIH website.
10. Other required information:
1. If human subjects research (see Appendix) –
i. NIH-Format Protection of Human Subjects section
ii. NIH-Format Planned Inclusion Enrollment Report
iii. Human Subjects training documentation for the PI, co-investigators and faculty sponsors (CITI Human Subjects Training)
iv. If clinical trial, a data safety monitoring plan is also required
2. If proposal includes foreign component (see Appendix II for description of foreign component):
i. Brief description of research activities at foreign site(s):
ii. Complete institution address
iii. Email, and phone numbers of contact PI at foreign site(s):
iv. Amount of funds going to each foreign site:
v. Are human or animal subjects involved at the foreign site(s)?
vi. Institutional Federal Wide Assurance Number, IRB, or IEC approval for work
performed at foreign site(s):
vii. Will the collaboration with investigators at the foreign site(s) result in
co-authorship?
11. Facility Core Usage and Correspondence – The SCEHSC provides technical support to our Center investigators and pilot project awardees. A wide range of capabilities, including biostatistical support, analytical sample preparation/processing, and biological sample measurements are available. For more information on the Center’s Facility Cores,
please read our core descriptions. Early discussion with Core Directors is strongly encouraged. SCEHSC Facility Core Directors should be contacted to provide an electronic letter of support as part of the full project application submission.
If Facility Cores are NOT proposed to support pilot project performance, written justification must be provided in the project application. Core Directors may be contacted as follows:
• Integrative Health Sciences Facility Core (Director: Carrie Breton, PhD, breton@usc.edu)
• Biostatistics Facility Core (Director: Jim Gauderman, PhD, jimg@usc.edu)
• Exposure Factors Facility Core (Directors: John Wilson, PhD, jpwilson@usc.edu) and Rima Habre (habre@usc.edu).
