CFAR Microgrant Awards
Junior faculty and pre-faculty CFAR investigators can apply for microgrants to obtain support to generate targeted data needed for resubmission of a scored grant or other critical needs that will result in a stronger HIV research grant or related goals. Microgrant requests should be limited to key essential resources for which no other support is available. These grants will be subject to rigorous evaluation and review by the Developmental and Administrative Cores, but will be awarded on an expedited and rolling basis.
Availability/Review criteria
- CFAR Microgrants of up to $2,500 will be available on a rolling basis throughout the year. These one-time awards are intended to facilitate HIV/AIDS research by providing modest but essential resources unavailable from other sources.
- A 1-page concept submission should provide clear justification for the request and will be reviewed within approximately one week following submission by an internal CFAR committee.
- The Microgrant Program is designed to support new NIH grant applications to increase the HIV/ AIDS-funded research base at the Penn Center for AIDS Research.
Microgrant Awards may be used for
- Generating limited, key preliminary data for planned HIV/AIDS-related NIH grant applications (target RFA/FOA(s) required).
- Funding to generate preliminary data to address a weakness in HIV/AIDS-related NIH K or R grants that were reviewed but not funded (summary statement required).
- Performance of specific experiments requested by manuscript reviewers. Must be HIV/AIDS-related (manuscript review required).
- Completing required training to enhance a subsequent NIH application (detailed explanation required).
- Other funding needs likely to lead to successful research funding, upon discussion with the Developmental Core.
Scope
- Funds may be used for any HIV/AIDS research-related purpose.
Eligibility
- Penn, CHOP, or Wistar faculty members eligible to apply for NIH funding as a PI. Must be Early Stage Investigators at the Instructor and Assistant Professornlevel (or equivalent), without previous R-level funding.
Application
- Interested applicants are encouraged to discuss the concept with the Developmental Core Directors Elizabeth Lowenthal or Una O’Doherty prior to application
- Complete the application submission form
- Email the completed application, along with all required documentation (summary statement, manuscript review, target RFA) to
- Liz Lowenthal: lowenthale@chop.edu
- Una O’Doherty: unao@pennmedicine.upenn.edu
- Cherylann McGee: mcgeec3@chop.edu
Recipients of CFAR Microgrant Awards
| Fiscal Year | Investigators | Title of Project | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | Steven Meanley, PhD, MPH | Building capacity to address equity in sexual health and wellness among transgender and gender nonbinary communities in Philadelphia | |
| 2024 | Bogadi Loabile, PhD | Post-abortion care in Botswana: The impact of HIV status on outcome | |
| 2023 | William Short, MD | Knowledge, perception and practice of breastfeeding among women living with HIV in Philadelphia | |
| 2021 | Nicole Ferrante, MD | Prevalence and Risk Factors for Hepatitis Delta Infection Among a Cohort of HIV/Hepatitis B Coinfected Patients in the United States |