Institute for Infectious and Zoonotic Diseases (IIZD) Pilot Grant

Penn Vet will be formally announcing the School’s NEW Institute for Infectious and Zoonotic Diseases (IIZD) later this month. In anticipation of this exciting new venture, we are very pleased to announce a pilot grant programfunded through the IIZD. Penn Vet faculty of any rank and track are invited to submit 2-page proposals on basic, applied, or clinical research projects in infectious diseases. Proposals are due by December 1st and we encourage you to apply. Please see below for detailed instructions.

The newly formed PennVet Institute for Infectious and Zoonotic Diseases (IIZD) is pleased to announce a Request for Applications (RFA) for projects of up to $50,000 each. Clinical, applied, and basic science laboratories throughout the University are invited to submit proposals for research projects that focus on infectious diseases, including those caused by viruses, bacteria, parasites, fungi, prions or co-infections. Proposals must include a PI that is a faculty member at PennVet. Proposals are due by December 1st and are limited to 2 pages in length.

Projects involving collaborations across schools, or that bridge basic and applied or clinical research programs are encouraged. A diverse range of methodological approaches will be considered responsive to this RFA, including but not limited to: 1) single cell and spatial transcriptomics; 2) microbiome/metagenome approaches; 3) computational methods such as disease modeling, GIS/database methods, or novel data visualization tools. Projects using mouse models of infections are eligible, as are investigators working on non-model organisms or wildlife.

This RFA will also support one additional project focused on SARS-CoV-2, which will be jointly funded by IIZD and the Penn Center for Research on Coronaviruses and Other Emerging Pathogens.

RFA FAQs

What is the anticipated size and number of awards available through this RFA?

  • We anticipate funding a total of 3-5 projects at up to $50,000 per project.

  • We plan to fund one additional project (also up to $50K) focused on SARS-CoV-2, which will be supported

    jointly by IIZD and the Penn Center for Research on Coronaviruses and Other Emerging Pathogens.

    When will awards be made and what is the duration of the award?

• Anticipated start date is early February, 2022. Projects must be completed within 1 year of receiving funds. Who can apply?

• The PI or Co-PI must be a PennVet Assistant, Associate or Full professors, in any track.

How should I format my proposal?

  • Applications are limited to 2 pages, which must include: project title, background and hypothesis, methods, and discussion of how data generated would be used in future extramural applications for funding.

  • Additionally required, but not considered as part of the 2-page limit, are the following: references (limit to 1 page), a list of scientific/technical personnel and their role in the project, a line-item budget detailing reagents, equipment and personnel expenses, and an NIH-style biosketch for each PI/Co-PI.

    When and where do I submit my proposal?

• Applications must be submitted via email to Daniel Beiting (beiting@vet.upenn.edu) by Dec 1, 2021

Can I submit a proposal for this RFA if I already submitted a similar or identical one to the UPenn Fall University Research Foundation (URF)?

• Yes! We welcome submissions that are also under consideration by URF. If you do receive funding from URF, however, your proposal will not be funded through this RFA.

How will proposals be evaluated?

• Applications will be reviewed by a Scientific Advisory Group (SAG), composed of faculty residing both within and outside of the School of Veterinary Medicine. Proposals will be evaluated based on: 1) technical feasibility; 2) scientific merit, and 3) innovation.