Call for Proposals
The Spinal Cord Injuries Research Program was established by the legislature in 2001 to support research in Missouri that will advance scientific knowledge in the area of spinal cord injuries and congenital or acquired disease processes. A major purpose of the grants, which had been limited to $50,000 per year, is to encourage young investigators and those new to the field to do exploratory research and test new ideas, with the expectation that the most promising will justify more substantial support from agencies such as the National Institutes of Health. A new limit of $250,000 per year has just been enacted by the legislature and approved by the governor, and will be effective for proposals submitted after August 28, 2010.
The research supported in past years has ranged from studies of the basic biology of spinal cord injuries to work on improving the treatment and mobility of persons suffering such injuries, and some important contributions to the field have been made. Some types of pilot studies that are potentially important but could not be conducted because of the earlier $50,000 limit (such as clinical research involving spinal cord injury patients) may now be feasible with the new maximum of $250,000.
This year we expect that several research grants will be awarded by the Board of Curators of the University of Missouri to investigators who are employees or staff members of public or private educational, health care, voluntary health associations or research institutions located in Missouri. Based on the recommendation of the Spinal Cord Injury Research Program Advisory Board, a maximum of up to $250,000 per year will be available for exceptional projects.
The Advisory Board’s objectives for the grants are (1) to bring new investigators, and investigators who are experienced in other areas, into research on spinal cord injuries and diseases, and (2) to enable investigators, particularly junior investigators, to test new ideas on a small scale and then use the pilot data to develop subsequent competitive applications for long term funding from other sources. “Junior investigators” may include persons conducting dissertation projects, as well as postdoctoral research appointments for recent graduates. In addition to studies of traumatic injuries to the spinal cord that lead to paralysis, research focusing on acquired abnormalities such as Friedreich’s ataxia and paralysis due to multiple sclerosis, polio, etc., as well as birth defects affecting the spinal cord are eligible for support. Individual awards are not to exceed $250,000 per year and shall expire at the end of one or two years. Costs for overhead are not allowed, and the research projects are to be conducted in Missouri. A final report must be submitted to the Advisory Board at the end of the project. Recipients may apply the following year for one additional year of funding. Continuation of funding will depend on the results of the project during the first year and the availability of funds.
The Spinal Cord Injury Program Advisory Board will accept proposals at any time. The awards will be announced following an expedited review, which normally takes about two to three months. Further information, including the Guidelines for Grant Applications and the Grant Application Form, may be found at the University of Missouri Spinal Cord Injuries Research Program website, http://www.umsystem.edu/ums/ed/spinalcord/. Questions concerning the program or the application process may be directed to the program office by telephone at (573) 882-1714, by fax at (573) 882-3722, or by e-mail to kanatzars@umsystem.edu.
Reviewed 2011-01-13.
