Center for Bioinformatics and Computational Biology

Center Seed Grants

The University of Iowa Center for Bioinformatics and Computational Biology (CBCB) is announcing it's pilot 2004-2005 seed research grant program. This program is open to junior faculty in the applied computational, mathematical and information sciences seeking to develop a research program in Bioinformatics and Computational Biology. Proposed projects need not be tied to existing efforts within the CBCB, but synergy with current research is desirable. An undetermined number of awards are expected to be made in the range of $25,000 - $50,000 for periods of one to two years. Funds may be requested for student support, faculty salary, or equipment. Faculty salary support is primarily intended to facilitate reduced teaching loads and informal "internal sabbaticals", but may also be utilized for summer support. Space and facilities are available in the CBCB for faculty interaction with other Center members.

Proposals will be independently judged based on scientific merit, impact, and potential for external funding beyond the initial seed phase. Applications will be continuously accepted and acted upon throughout the Fall semester, but must be received no later than December 17, 2004. A clear plan should be provided for conducting pilot studies to generate preliminary results (tools, methods or data) that may strengthen an application for external support. A plan for seeking external support should be included. Proposers are strongly encouraged to submit a brief letter of intent with an abstract prior to full proposal preparation and submission. Applications under consideration for other UI programs (e.g., Iowa Informatics Initiative) are not eligible for this program.

Application Guidelines

All interested applicants are encourage to submit a brief executive summary, including the names of all investigators, a 500-word (maximum) abstract, and a single page budget outline prior to full proposal submission.

Proposals will be reviewed by the Center for Bioinformatics and Computational Biology's Research Review Committee. Full proposals are to conform to the following format:

Cover page
- Title, a listing of investigator(s), affiliation, and an executive summary (max. of 150 words).
Proposal (5 Pages - maximum)
- Introduction and short literature review.
- Clearly stated research hypothesis and/or specifications (if applicable).
- Description of the project and research methods, including how the hypothesis will be tested.
- Quality assurance/quality control plan.
- Brief timeline of research activities.
- Discussion of the study's potential for further grant support, and specific plans for seeking external funding.
NIH or NSF formated biographical sketches.
Budget and justification.

Proposals will be assigned priority based on the following criteria:

Originality and innovation of the proposed research.
Ability of the proposed researcher(s) to conduct the proposed research.
Relevancy and clear link to bioinformatics.
Potential for interdisciplinary collaboration with basic sciences or applied medical research.
Potential for external grant support.
Appropriateness of budget.

Selected proposals will receive the following:

Up to $50,000 seed funding
Access to CBCB resources to assist in project development

In accepting the award, the P.I. will agree to supply the CBCB with a progress report of the research program every 6 months, until 6 months after the conclusion of the funded period. Included in this report will be a description of progress relative to the stated aims. The CBCB will agree to work with the investigators to encourage development of an externally funded proposal.