Joint SNPRC-San Antonio Pepper Center Pilot Grant

Request for Applications: Joint SNPRC-San Antonio Pepper Center Pilot Grant

The Southwest National Primate Research Center (SNPRC) and the San Antonio Claude D. Pepper Older Americans Independence Center (Pepper Center) at the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio are requesting applications for joint funding of a pilot grant aimed at projects using nonhuman primates in translational studies of aging.

The SNPRC is one of 7 NIH-funded national primate research centers aimed at the support and development of nonhuman primate research models relevant to human health. Primate species available for aging model development at SNPRC include marmosets and baboons. Preference will be given to projects that propose the use of marmosets though applications using baboons will be considered with appropriate justification. The Pepper Center is an NIA-funded program that focuses on the translation of therapies targeting aging mechanisms from basic science models into pre-clinical studies using marmosets and early stage human clinical trials.

Total direct costs of the pilot research project may not exceed $150,000 over two (2) years.

Terms of the Pilot Grant:

For the SNPRC portion of the grant (up to $100,000):

• All research activities related to the use of nonhuman primates must be conducted at the SNPRC.
• The maximum duration of a pilot research project is two (2) years.
  • No-cost extension requests are considered but must be submitted in writing, with a scientific justification - i.e., no-cost extensions are not automatic and may be denied.
• SNPRC funds awarded in support of pilot research must be used for SNPRC goods and services.
  • Animals and animal care costs (including per diem)
  • Animal research procedures conducted by SNPRC personnel
  • SNPRC Core laboratory services - see SNPRC website for more information on our cores
    • Immunology Core - Luis Giavedoni - lgiavedoni@txbiomed.org
    • Genomics Core - Shelley Cole - scole@txbiomed.org
    • Research Imaging Core - Geoffrey Clarke - clarkeg@uthscsa.edu
• SNPRC funds awarded in support of pilot research may not be used to cover costs of supporting laboratory personnel, supplies, or work carried out at off-site locations.
• All SNPRC expenses in the budget must appear in the budget prepared by the SNPRC Research Coordinator associated with the application.

For the Pepper Center portion of the grant (up to $50,000), funds can be used for:

• up to $7,500 in salary and fringe total for the PI(s) and/or faculty-level collaborators. Salary (plus associated fringe benefits) may also be requested for non-faculty support staff, including postdoctoral fellows.
• equipment essential for the project (maximum $10,000, including computer hardware)
• PI or Co-PI travel to relevant scientific meetings (maximum $1,500)
• consumable laboratory supplies; animal purchase and per diem; core facility fees; consultation fees (maximum $5,000)
• computer time; software; publication / presentation expenses; and other expenditures that can be justified as being essential for the completion of the project
• Account management will be handled within the Pepper Center.

Applications will be reviewed by a committee formed by the SNPRC and Pepper Center and will include outside members with expertise in the areas involved in the applications.

Submission of an application is dependent upon a submission of a Letter of Intent that is then discussed with the applicant to ensure feasibility of the project based upon available resources. Once feasibility is approved, the applicant may submit an application.

Important Dates/Timeline: 2018 Joint SNPRC x Pepper Center Pilot Grant Competition

Letters of Intent of no more than 2 pages are to be submitted via email to:

• Suzette D. Tardif, PhD - stardif@txbiomed.org
• Robert Clark, MD -CLARKRA@uthscsa.edu

With CC: to

• Deborah Newman - dnewman@txbiomed.org
• Noemi Hinojosa - nhinojosa@txbiomed.org
• Renee Hill - hillr4@uthscsa.edu

Questions? Please contact Dr. Tardif at stardif@txbiomed.org.