Invitation

Letter of Intent Due: October 1, 2019 

Invited Proposals (R01 format) Due: December 10, 2019 

A-1 type Revised Proposal Due: February 10, 2020

pharmacy.olemiss.edu/cobre/

Summary: The Center of Biomedical Research Excellence in Natural Products Neuroscience (COBRE-NPN) will fund up to five Pilot Program Projects of $50,000 / year / project. The maximum duration of support will be 2 years. Applications must address one of the three areas of research (basic science, translational or entrepreneurial development) and the project scopemust be within the COBRE-NPN thematic research focus area - understanding the neuropharmacologic effects of natural products.

Eligibility: All University of Mississippi faculty members are eligible to participate in the Pilot Project Program (PPP). Preference will be given to junior investigators who are in the early stages of their career. Those who have not yet received a major program grant (e.g. an R01) award are also encouraged to apply for the PPP. Past graduates from the COBRE-NPN program, who do not serve as mentors, may also compete for the projects but will have to present a compelling rationale to be considered for funding. 

Project areas that fall within the scientific focus of the CORE-NPN include but are not limited to: 

• Basic science research: biological evaluation of natural products as agents possessing neuropharmacologic effects. 

• Translational science research: Translating basic science discoveries from animal models to human subjects. 

• Commercialization (Entrepreneurial development): The advancement of research discoveries from the bench to the commercial sector.

Criteria for evaluation of COBRE Pilot Project applications: 

• Initial evaluation will be done based on the cover page and specific aims submitted by all applicants and will be done by the PPP Review Committee and the EAC. The rubric for narrowing the pool is based primarily on: o Relevance to the COBRE-NPN research focus 

o Clarity of specific aims and scientific merit 

o Proposed COBRE-NPN core utilization 

o Strategic vision for leveraging PPP results into future R-type NIH funding 

o Junior Investigator status 

 

• A maximum of 10 applicants will be selected and invited to submit a full-proposal, in R01-format, and will then participate in a Shark-Tank type meeting wherein a ten-minute presentation of the proposal is given to the PPP Review Committee who in turn provide the applicant feedback and guidance. 

• Applicants will then submit a revised (A1-like) proposal to be forwarded to the EAC for final evaluation. 

• The EAC will recommend up to five finalists for NIGMS approval. 

• Proposals will be prioritized for funding based on scientific merit, thematic research focus, career-stage, collaboration-teams, and the perceived likelihood of publications and competitive grant applications generated from work.