University of Maryland

Marlene & Stewart Greenebaum Comprehensive Cancer Center (UMGCCC)

FY27 Pilot Grant Program

5K Half Marathon (5KHM) Innovation Pilot Award

Purpose

The Maryland 5K Half Marathon (5KHM) Innovation Pilot Award seeks to support innovative, high-impact cancer research aligned with the mission of the University of Maryland Greenebaum Comprehensive Cancer Center (UMGCCC). Funded through proceeds from the Maryland 5K Half Marathon, this pilot funding mechanism is designed to accelerate promising research projects that address priority Areas of Interest within UMGCCC’s four Research Programs: Cancer Biology, Cancer Therapeutics, Population Science, and Tumor Immunology and Immuno-engineering.

Projects should align with the goals and objectives outlined in the UMGCCC Strategic Plan and demonstrate strong potential to generate preliminary data that will lead to future extramural funding, scientific advancement, and meaningful impact on cancer prevention, diagnosis, treatment, or survivorship. The 5KHM Innovation Pilot Award seeks to fund the most compelling science with the greatest potential for a rapid return on investment. 

Eligibility

• Principal Investigators (PIs) must be Program in Oncology (PIO) members in good standing as indicated in the membership guidelines (regular participation in programmatic seminars and events, pilot project reviewer, participation in surveys, mentor trainees, etc.).
• UMGCCC Research Program Leaders are eligible to serve as PI but are encouraged to collaborate with and promote opportunities for program members.
• All innovative, cancer-related project ideas are open for submission although we encourage applications address one or more of the Areas of Interest identified by Research Program Leadership:
  • Cancer Biology
    • Develop Strategies to Improve Diagnosis, Inform Treatment, and Evaluate Treatment Response
    • Therapy resistance and progression in lung cancer
  • Cancer Therapeutics
    • Pre-clinical therapeutic targeting of UMGCCC high-priority cancers (Breast, Colorectal, Lung, Prostate)
  • Population Science
    • Aging and Cancer
    • Alcohol and Cancer Risk
  • Tumor Immunology and Immuno-engineering
    • Immune Engineering
    • Tumor Immune Microenvironment

Award Information

• Maximum award: $50,000
• Project period: Up to 1 year
• At least 25% of the budget must support UMGCCC Shared Resources, unless an adequate scientific justification is provided.

Application Requirements

• Clear description of how pilot funds will directly address selected Area of Interest.
• Clear description of how the proposed project aligns with the goals and objectives outlined in the UMGCCC Strategic Plan.

Review and Selection Process

• Applications will be prioritized by Research Program Leaders. Final funding decisions are made by UMGCCC Leadership. 
• Inter‑programmatic collaborations are strongly encouraged.

General Application Components

Unless specifically stated, title page (including names of key personnel, project title, PIO program(s) affiliated and Shared Resources used), 5 page maximum single spaced, excluding references, budget, budget justification and biosketches.

• Title Page
  • PIO Program
  • Principal Investigator(s)
  • Other Key Personnel
• Specific Aims and Hypotheses (1 page)
• Research Strategy (5 page maximum single spaced)
  • Background and Significance – include rationale, significance, innovation, how results will support an application for external funding
  • Scientific Approach – include overall design, participant eligibility, data collection, intervention (if appropriate), data analysis plan, statistical power/sample size justification, strengths, and limitations
• Budget (NIH 398 format) – faculty salary is not allowable; staff salary is allowable at a maximum 25%
• A current Biosketch, including biosketches for Key Personnel – use NIH style
• References

General Review Criteria

• Significance – Does the research address an important cancer-related scientific question and support the mission of the UMGCCC? Will support lead to a multi-PI, U01, P01, SPORE or similar applications for external funding? Will it lead to peer-reviewed publications?
• Relevance of the research to the catchment area – Does the research address an important cancer burden impacting the UMGCCC catchment area? Does the research address a cancer site/type that has a high incidence/mortality in the catchment area? Does the research address or have direct implications for cancer health equity in the catchment area?
• Approach – Are the design and methods appropriate, and can the research be completed within the proposed time frame?
• Innovation – Are scientific questions and/or approaches novel? Is the proposed project responsive to the original critique received during peer review?
• Investigators – Are the researchers qualified, and does the team include one or more collaborations among PIO research programs?
• Environment – Is the environment supportive and are UMGCCC Shared Resources used?

General Award Conditions

Applications that span more than one PIO research program are strongly encouraged. The application must demonstrate how funds will be spent within the 12-month awarded period, unless stated specifically in the RFA.

• Unspent funds cannot be carried forward.
• Applicants are responsible for cost overruns.
• Any unallowable expenses will become the responsibility of the recipients.
• F&A costs (indirect costs) will not be provided.
• Reasonable staff salaries including salary for graduate research assistants will be funded at a maximum of 25%. Faculty salaries will not be permitted.
• Funding requests for travel (except Fellowship awards), membership, subscriptions and telecommunications are not permitted.
• Applicants are solely responsible for having appropriate institutional approvals (IRB, IACUC, EHS, etc.) before projects are undertaken.

General Reporting Requirements

The Cigarette Restitution Fund and the NCI Cancer Center Support Grant, both of which fund this initiative, include strict reporting requirements. Be sure to carefully cite & track publications, research applications, patents, inventions, collaborations, etc. that come to fruition because of this funding as you will be contacted annually by the administration for the collection of this information. A one to two-page final scientific report will be required within 90 days of the close of the pilot project.

General Mandatory Citations

All efforts resulting from this funding opportunity must include the following citations:

• This (article, conference, publication, etc.) was supported by funds through the Maryland Department of Health Cigarette Restitution Fund Program – CH-649-CRF.
• This (article, conference, publication, etc.) was supported by funds through the National Cancer Institute – Cancer Center Support Grant (CCSG) – P30CA134274.

Questions

• Questions about the RFA should be addressed to Sarah Laye, UMGCCC Assistant Director for Administration at slaye@som.umaryland.edu.