DEADLINE EXTENDED: ICBR Announces Special Pilot Grant Opportunity

The mission of ICBR is to champion and enable scientific discovery and innovation throughout the University of Florida research community by providing access to world-class biotechnology expertise and instrumentation. To introduce the UF research community to the use of Oxford Nanopore Technology PromethION nanopore DNA sequencing, the ICBR is requesting pilot project proposals utilizing this technology for funding consideration. (Here is a link describing the PromethION platform https://nanoporetech.com/applications). The intended outcome of this opportunity is to provide investigators with high quality long read sequencing data using the PromethION platform that can be used to support future grant submissions and/or contribute to the publication of a peer-reviewed publication in a high-impact journal. Collaborative, interdisciplinary projects are encouraged. The pilot award will include all reagents and ICBR staff support to complete the specific experimental aims of the project. Applicants will be responsible for analysis of the raw data. Of particular interest are those projects that will address an unmet need in the investigator’s research area (For example, determining whole genome sequence of a model organism; detecting novel mutations in a human disease population) and provide preliminary data for larger-scale, externally funded proposals.

Key evaluation and review criteria for these proposals include:

1. Clarity of aims and experimental design
2. How well the project addresses an unmet need
3. The potential for the data from this project to seed a proposal for external funding, (NSF, NIH, NCI, NASA etc.)
4. The potential for scientific impact
5. The experiment timeline – (experiment and analyses should not exceed 18 months).
6. Use of existing standard methods in Nanopore DNA/RNA sequencing

The proposal is limited to 3 pages, excluding Reference section.

Investigators interested in the opportunity must submit their 3 page proposal by email to Ms. Tensi Krpan (tenser9@ufl.edu) by December 1, 2022. Please include ICBR PromethION Pilot Project Proposal in the subject line of the email. Questions can be addressed to Dr. Steven Madore, ICBR Associate Director for Science at smadore@ufl.edu.

Proposal Format:

PAGE 1

• • Project Title
  • Investigator(s)
  • Project summary (limit to 400 words); briefly include statements of:
    • Objective
    • Unmet need and potential for future funding
    • Potential impact

PAGES 2-3

• • Project description
    • Specific scientific aims
    • Experimental design
  • Impact:
    • Contribution to field of study
    • Contribution to your current research program
    • Next steps and contribution to full agency proposal