Request for Applications

Meghan Rose Bradley Foundation Pediatric Brain Cancer Pilot Grant

The Meghan Rose Bradley Foundation in partnership with the American Association of Neurological Surgeons (AANS)/Congress of Neurological Surgeons (CNS) Section on Pediatric Neurosurgery announces the Request for Applications (RFA) for the Pediatric Brain Cancer Pilot Grant. This grant program provides up to $100,000 for two years to support innovative research investigating the cause and treatment of pediatric brain cancer. The intention is to provide seed funding to support new areas of investigation leading to future applications for larger grants from private or public sources. Therefore, it is important for the application to present both well-planned research and a clear plan on how the results from the proposed work will lead to future funding.

Deadline: Applications must be submitted by July 1st. No late submissions will be reviewed.

Eligibility

• Principal Investigators (PIs) may be a Ph.D. or M.D. and must hold a faculty position (or equivalent) at an academic institution or medical center in the United States. Postdocs may not serve as a PI.
• The application may contain basic, translational, or clinical research to investigate any form of pediatric brain cancer.
• The work must represent a new line of research that has not received significant private or public (e.g. NIH R01) funding in the past.
• If awarded, the PI must be available to attend the Meghan Rose Bradley Foundation Annual Gala in September in Bridgewater, NJ to receive the award. All travel expenses will be reimbursed (following submission of receipts) up to $1,000. Additionally, gala tickets will be provided for the PI and one guest.

Award

• Up to $50,000 each year (October 1^st to September 30^th) for a total of two years may be requested. Funding for the second year is contingent upon submission of a progress report for the first year research activities.
• Budgets cannot include conference travel, publication costs, or PI salary.
• Costs associated with the purchase or development of small capital equipment will be considered on a case-by-case basis.
• A maximum of 10% of the total budget may be used for indirect costs.
• The PI must submit a progress report by August 1^st in years 1 and 2 detailing the results of their work and any conference abstracts or publications.

Application Instructions

Applications should use Arial text with a minimum of of 11 pt font and 0.5 inch margins. Applications must contain the following sections:

• Specific Aims (1 page)

State concisely the goals of the proposed research and summarize the expected outcome(s), including the impact of the results of the proposed research. List succinctly the specific objectives of the research proposed (e.g., to test a stated hypothesis, create a novel design, solve a specific problem, challenge an existing paradigm or clinical practice, address a critical barrier to progress in the field, or develop new technology).

• Research Strategy (2 pages)

Describe the significance of the topic to be investigated, the scientific premise supporting the specific research question, and the innovation of the approach. State the methods that will be used to accomplish the aims of the proposal, including the anticipated results and possible pitfalls. Preliminary data may be used to support the feasibility of the approach. Indicate the target source of future funding support that this seed grant will lead to and how the results from the current proposal will fit into a larger research program.

• NIH Style Biosketch for all Key Personnel

• Facilities and Equipment (1 page)

Summarize the resources available that are necessary to perform the proposed work.

• Other Support (1 page)

List all active or pending projects (externally or internally funded) and describe any overlap with the current proposal. Additionally, list any completed projects related to the proposed work and describe why additional pilot funding is justified.

• Budget and Budget Justification (1 page)

Provide a budget detailing the necessary costs and a justification for these expenses.

• Literature Cited (1 page)

List all references cited in project description.

Submissions that exceed these page limitations will not be reviewed.

Review Process

• Applications should be submitted to PedsSectionResearch@gmail.com
• Applications will be reviewed by a panel of experts selected by the AANS/CNS Section on Pediatric Neurosurgery and evaluated based on the potential impact of the work, scientific merit, and potential for future successful grant funding.
• Members of the Executive Board will review the top scored applications and make the final decision for the award.
• Notices will be sent by September 1 regarding the final decision for each application.

For more information about the Meghan Rose Bradley Foundation or this RFA, visit www.meghanrosebradleyfoundation.org/research. or https://pedsneurosurgery.org/ Contact mrbfoundation@gmail.com with any questions.