Health Research Core
The goal of the Health Research Core is to stimulate the
growth of expertise and engagement in clinical and translational research in North
Dakota.
Fall 2025 Funding Opportunities
Overview
The Translational Science Engaging North Dakota (TRANSCEND) Health Research Core is requesting applications for Pilot Projects Grant Awards and Development Project Grant Awards.
- The Pilot Projects Grant is intended to provide support to allow researchers to pursue novel hypotheses. We anticipate supporting 4-5 new Pilot Project awards at an amount of $75,000 total costs (direct + indirect) for one year with an anticipated start date of July 1, 2026. Applications should focus on clinical and translational research. Preclinical studies will be considered only if there is a clear path to progress to clinical research.
- The Developmental Projects Grant is intended for projects with existing significant preliminary data in support of a novel hypothesis. Specifically, Developmental Projects are targeted toward current and prior Pilot Grant awardees and toward individuals who may already have significant pilot data. We anticipate supporting 1-2 new Developmental Projects awards at an amount of $100,000 total costs (direct + indirect) per year, for two years, with an anticipated start date of July 1, 2026. Applications should focus on T2-T4 translational research, although T1 studies will be considered if there is a clear plan to progress to T2-T4.
FALL 2025 DEVELOPMENTAL PROJECT AWARD
Developmental Project RFA (PDF)
Timeline
- Letter of Intent due August 8, 2025
- Selected full initial applications due October 10, 2025
- Final submission to NIH on March 6, 2026
- Anticipated award start date on July 1, 2026
Previous Funding Opportunities
Previous awards
Main Objectives
- Maintain our online interest, resource, and expertise matching system for the relevant
biomedical institutions
in North Dakota - Support pilot proposals from independent investigators and collaborative clinician/non-clinician teams
- Support developmental proposals from expert independent investigators
- Implement a mentored grant writing program for proposal awardees
Core Faculty
Steven Powell, MD - Core Lead
Dr. Steven Powell is a physician-scientist and practicing medical oncologist at Sanford Health. He is an active investigator in numerous clinical trials and operates a research laboratory studying novel immune therapies and pharmacodynamic biomarkers. Dr. Powell serves as Head of Enterprise Oncology Research at Sanford where he oversees all clinical cancer research activities. Part of his time is spent at the Sanford Fargo, ND site where he serves as a research mentor for fellows in hematology-oncology and early-stage investigators (ESIs). Dr. Powell has received numerous clinical research awards, including NCI Community Oncology Research Program (NCORP) Silver and Gold Certificates of Appreciation. Nationally, he serves on NCI and the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) cancer research committees on head and neck cancer, immuno-oncology, and precision oncology. He also serves as a sub-investigator for Sanford’s UG1 NCORP and as an IAC member for the P30 Center for Cancer Biology Research grants. He is a frequent reviewer for NCI Head and Neck SPORE grants. His experience in the conduct of clinical trials makes him an excellent choice to lead the Health Research Core. Dr. Powell will be responsible for operational oversight of the HR Core. He will work closely with Drs. Brown-Borg (UND) and Venkatachalem (NDSU). The skills of the Lead and Co-Leads are complementary and final decisions for the Core will be determined as a team.
Holly Brown-Borg, PhD - Core Co-Lead
Dr. Holly Brown-Borg is a Chester Fritz Distinguished Professor in the Department of Biomedical Sciences and Assistant Dean for Gender Equity at UNDSMHS. She has extensive leadership experience organizing conferences, chairing NIH study sections, and serving as President of the American Aging Association (AGE) and Biological Sciences Chair of the Gerontological Society of America (GSA). She presently serves on the NIH NIA Board of Scientific Counselors and the Board of AGE. Dr. Brown-Borg has extensive experience in mentoring ESIs serving on >40 graduate student committees, training medical and undergraduate students (>30), mentoring faculty, and serving on national panels supporting education/training including NIH K & T32 awards.
Savannah Macias-Daugherty - Core Coordinator
Savannah Macias-Daugherty is the HR Core Coordinator. She has managed Core operations in the previous CTR and has 3 years of experience with protocol development. She is experienced with pre- and post-award processes, establishing standards and deadlines for submissions, reviewing proposals for completeness, and ensuring compliance with NIH and institutional standards. She will serve as the awardee/applicant point-of-contact to the Core and coordinate all HR Core interactions with other TRANSCEND Cores. She will be responsible for coordinating and running the proposal review process.
