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An
important aspect of the Center for
Environmental Genetics is the Pilot Project
Program. Every year the Center supports
research projects that are centered on the
gene-environment interaction. This seed
money supports new initiatives in basic
research, attracts investigators to research
in Environmental Health Sciences, and
enables our Center members to use the
Facilities and Services Cores that would
otherwise be unavailable to them.
NIEHS-awarded funds are supplemented by
$50,000 per year from the Dean's Office of
the College of Medicine.
The CEG has seen a return on
investment of over $18 for each dollar of
pilot project grant money awarded.
The deadline for 2009 Pilot
Project Grant applications is February 13,
2009. The
application may be downloaded here.
Award mechanisms -
There are four specific award mechanisms of
PPP proposals: 1) for trainees, but they
must have a mentor also on the grant (the
Mentee-Mentor partnership awards);
2) for investigators at any level who have
no prior experience in environmental
sciences/medicine research but are venturing
into the field, they must identify an EHS
scientist as a co-investigator (New-to-EHS
Awards); 3) for existing
environmental health scientists who wish to
develop research in a new direction, using a
new technology/concept, or establishing new
collaborations (Innovator Awards);
and 4) multiple investigators from different
disciplines submitting a highly integrated
and novel transdisciplinary application
(Affinity Group Awards). Proposals from
all four tracks will be preferred if they
show a strong translational or clinical
relevance and/or have a significant impact
on some area of environmental health
research related to gene and environment
interaction.
Size of the Awards - Pilot Projects
using the Mentee-Mentor Partnership, the
Innovator, and the New-to-EHS award
mechanisms can be funded up to $30,000 for
one year. These funds are intended to help
the investigator gain sufficient preliminary
data to justify a K-series or an R01-type
grant proposal, or their equivalents. For
investigators applying for the Affinity
Group Awards, the funding can be up to
$50,000 for one year. These awards are
intended to generate enough preliminary data
for the group to apply for program projects
and center grants or their equivalent. In
addition, the Director may use the
Directors Discretionary Funds.
Types of Proposals of Interest to the PPP
-Those proposals that receive funding
will have obvious relevance to the mission
and goals of the CEG and the NIEHS. The
following general ideas are presented to
suggest the breadth of questions of
potential interest to the CEG. This list is
only a sample and is not inclusive of all
the projects that may be considered as
relevant to the goals of the Center. For the
most part, the themes of the proposal should
be interconnected with the themes of the
Center's Focus
Groups:
Molecular epidemiology studies that
evaluate the role of a gene or combination
of genes that interact with an environmental
agent to cause human disease. Of particular
interest would be the development of markers
of internal and external exposure and the
identification of functional outcomes of
exposure.
Identification and characterization of DNA
variant sites associated with a disease
and/or their interaction with environmental
agents.
Characterization of pathophysiological
markers of environmental exposure and the
regulation of cellular signaling in response
to environmental agents.
Clinical studies on the physiologic
consequences of genetic variation detected
by SNP analysis.
Functional analyses of SNPs: from the
bedside to the bench.
Role of endocrine disruptors in disease:
epigenetic modifications induced by
endocrine disruptors, metals, and other
environmental agents; endocrine-related
oncogenesis.
Studies on the role of environmental
agents in inflammatory processes and
metabolic and cardiovascular diseases.
Investigations on environmentally induced
epigenetic changes that modify genetic
susceptibility
Genetic markers in neurodevelopmental
diseases and their interaction with heavy
metals.
For more information on the
CEG Pilot Project Grant Program, please
contact
Elizabeth Kopras in 112 Kettering
Laboratory, or 513-558-3625
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