UC TRAC is pleased to solicit applications for Accelerator Awards in TB Science. Accelerator Awards will be granted up to three times per year to early-stage and new-to-TB investigators and dispersed as salary support for BSL-3 trained personnel who will perform the necessary experiments of the awardee.
The Accelerator Award in TB Science will be awarded through a competitive peer-review process with priority going to early-stage and new-to-TB investigators proposing innovative research approaches with high potential to benefit the TB research field. The award serves as a voucher to support short-term (4-12 week) pilot projects that would provide proof-of-principle data that would permit successful pilots to proceed for other funding, including TRAC-funded “New Directions” Pilot Awards. We expect to fund at least three awards per year.
The award will enable staff research associates, fully trained to work within the BSL-3/ABSL-3 to test innovative hypotheses, reagents and models in collaboration with the PI at the facilities at UCSF or UC Berkeley.
Please note: The awards are not intended as a mechanism to fund projects that merely continue an existing program of research.
All applicants should address how their idea could benefit the TB research field. Scoring criteria will include relevance of the question to a critical bottleneck in basic TB research, application of a new technology, reagent, tool or research modality, scope of the work and assessment of feasibility within the award program.
Eligibility
- Eligible applicants include postdocs, early-stage or new-to-TB* investigators at UCSF and UC Berkeley.
- Investigators are eligible to receive one award per fiscal year, although preference will be given to investigators who have not received an award for at least 2 years.
- Early-stage investigators that already work on TB will need to justify how this pilot substantially differs from their current main research direction.
* New-to-TB investigator is defined as an early-stage or established investigator who has never received multi-year (>2 years) funding for a TB-related project.
UCSF does not use race, gender, sex, or other protected categories or proxies for protected categories in the selection process.
How to apply
Applications must include:
- A 2-page (maximum) narrative that describes:
- Brief background, including the significance and innovation of the research questions, and their relevance to TRAC’s mission.
- Specific aims/goals for use of the award. Awards will support a maximum of 12-week research time in the BSL-3/ABSL-3.
- How will results inform the decision to move forward with more extensive proposals for funding/collaborations?
- Any specific and/or specialized reagents/tools/skills required for the pilot.
- Preliminary data if applicable
- A NIH Biosketch
- Letter of support for non-faculty PIs (e.g. postdocs) from their primary research mentor.
- Potential Established TB Investigator with which to collaborate (optional)
Rolling application deadline. Awards announced in Spring, Summer and Fall.
Please review the Frequently Asked Questions below for more information.
For questions or additional information, please contact [email protected].
Potential applicants are welcomed to request an informal consultation with our faculty prior to submitting their application.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the purpose of the Accelerator Award Program?
To generate preliminary data that can lead to new grant opportunities in the TB field. It aims to bridge the barriers limiting non-TB investigators, in order to test new ideas and hypotheses to attack the global problem of TB.
Who is this offering intended for?
We welcome investigators (New-to-TB)*! To accelerate fundamental discoveries related to TB, we recognize the importance of engaging scientists across disciplines and bringing fresh scientific perspectives, technologies, and other innovations to the field. To facilitate this, these awards serve as an entry point for investigators to apply their unique expertise and research focus against TB.
Am I eligible for the Accelerator Award?
Investigators must be either New-to-TB* or early-stage investigators as defined by the NIH. Faculty that meet these eligibility criteria are encouraged to apply, and may informally discuss their idea or proposal with one of the two co-directors of the UC TRAC Basic Science Core in advance.
What’s included in the Accelerator Award, and how would it benefit me?
This award provides the time and expertise of existing SRAs to carry out experiments in the BSL-3 using live Mycobacterium tuberculosis. The BSL-3 trained technician will be provided by the Basic Science Core of UC TRAC. The award would offer up to twelve weeks of (SRA) salary support at 100% effort, or up to twenty-four weeks at 50% effort. As these funds are only dedicated to SRA support, any supplies (eg. animals) or specialized equipment needed should be provided by the investigator.
How will this initiative accelerate TB research?
The pilot data generated by the Accelerator Award could lead to future research and funding opportunities. For example, successful pilot experiments might lead to an application for a UC TRAC RAP award ($40,000) and/or NIH funding.