Pilot Grants

The UND Center for Biomedical Research Excellence (COBRE) Pilot grant program:

The UND CoBRE for Epigenomics of Development and Disease is announcing a new pilot grant program for 2019/2020. The funding opportunity is a short-term pilot grant program that is designed to allow researchers to generate preliminary data using epigenomics platforms in order to increase their ability to compete for extramural awards. This is a competitive pilot grant program to support novel, innovative research that fits with the overall goal of the COBRE- to promote research focused on understanding the functional role of epigenetic changes in biological systems.

Application due date: November 1, 2019

Maximum award: We anticipate funding 3-4 proposals with a maximum budget of $30,000 for one year.
Eligibility: All basic science/clinical/translational/population health or other faculty members throughout the University of North Dakota are encouraged to apply. Prior to submission, all applicants are encouraged to discuss their research aims and methodology with epigenetics group members in order to maximize synergy within the group. Collaborators are allowed, but funds can be provided only to collaborators from North Dakota institutions.

Application Format: Applications should be prepared in general accord with the NIH PHS 398 application guidelines, (revised 01/2018, available from http://grants.nih.gov/grants/funding/phs398/phs398.html).

Forms required:

NIH Face Page (Form Page 1)
NIH Pages Two and Three: Summary, Relevance, Project/Performance Sites, Senior/Key Personnel, Other Significant Contributors, and Human Embryonic Stem cells
NIH Detailed Budget (Form Page 4). Allowable costs include salary support for graduate students or staff and supplies. Funds cannot be used for PI's salary, travel, and equipment purchases greater than $5,000.
Budget/Personnel justification
Biographical Sketch(es) of Pl and Key Personnel
Research Plan/Proposal (three-page limit including specific aims, significance, innovation, and research
Strategy).
Bibliography using NIH citation style
NIH Human subjects research form, if applicable
Vertebrate animal justification and protection form, if applicable
Letters of support

In addition, please observe the following:

All figures and their lettering must be large enough to be clearly legible.
Missing or inaccurate information may disqualify your application from consideration.
IRB, IBC, and IACUC approvals must be secured prior to anticipated start date.

Evaluation: Grants will be awarded based upon the standard NIH criteria (Significance, Approach, Innovation, Investigator, Environment), the ability to expand novel research capabilities in the COBRE, and the potential for the data generated to support competitive proposals for extramural funding. The grants will be funded through a competitive review process.
Proposals should be submitted by e-mail to Jennifer Henry (Jennifer.henry@med.und.edu) by 5 p.m. November 1, 2019. Awards are scheduled to begin December 1, 2019 and end on June 30, 2020

2017-2018

Holly Brown-Borg: Mechanism underlying hepatic disease resistance and longevity
Junguk Hur and Jim Porter: Epigenetic Modification of Microglial Phenotype in Parkinson's Disease
Barry Milavetz: Characterization of Chromatin Maturation following DNA replication using the iPOND technique
Turk Rhen: Genome-wide profiling of DNA methylation in gonads during sex determination
William Sheridan: Transmission of the embryo lethal UND-9 embryo-specific mutation and determination of its gene sequence

2016-2017

Manu: The cooperative regulation of the Cebpa gene by multiple cis-regulatory modules during myelopoiesis
Tristan Darland: Mechanisms underlying the transgenerational effect of embryonic cocaine exposure in zebrafish
Kumi Nagamoto-Combs: Profiling gene expression and DNA methylation in the brain after food-allergy induced peripheral inflammation

2015-2016

Junguk Hur: RNA-SEQ-based Identification of Gene Regulatory Networks in Diabetic Neuropathy
John Watt: Epigenetics of regeneration

2014-2015

Catherine Brissette: "MicroRNAs induced by Borrelia burgdorferi” NIH/NIAID 1R21AI125775-01
Diane Darland: Neural-vascular interactions in cortical development
Bibhuti Mishra: Novel regulatory mechanisms of macrophage deactivation and polarization by promoter-proximal pausing of RNA polymerase II

Award Date: 9/10/2013

Grant structure — Original grant structure.