Innovative Research Award for Embryonal Rhabdomyosarcoma Studies
The Alex Tung Memorial IRA supports research focused on rhabdomyosarcoma, an aggressive and highly malignant form of cancer that develops—most often in children under age 18—from skeletal muscle cells that have failed to fully differentiate. The application process and guidelines will be the same as with the general IRA except that the applicant must document how the project specifically targets rhabdomyosarcoma or other related sarcomas. Funding will be up to $25,000. This award is funded through the generosity of Sarah Young, whose son Alex Tung died of rhabdomyosarcoma when he was 31 years old. Read more about Alex and Sarah here.
All faculty with JCRC Full Member status are eligible to apply. Awards will be made on a competitive basis. Requests for sustained support of full-time research assistants or post-docs will not be successful. Funds cannot be used for major equipment or faculty summer salaries, travel, or graduate student salaries. (Graduate student/postdoctoral travel to meetings and graduate student summer stipends can be funded via other award categories.) All applications will require a progress report to become eligible for future awards.
Requests will be evaluated using the NIH review template with an emphasis on cancer relevance. The cancer relevance of the proposed research will be a high criterion of evaluation. The template will score the strengths and weaknesses of each of the following:
1) Rhabdomyosarcoma cancer relevance
2) Investigator’s experience and expertise necessary for the project
3) Innovation with emphasis on cancer relevant novelty
4) Approach expected to be general but emphasis on state-of-the-art procedures and required controls, pitfalls and alternatives
5) Environment with a focus on general environment and infrastructure as this is an abbreviated application
6) An overall cancer-related impact factor will also be provided by the external reviewers.
The final determination will depend on the impact factor and related scores with preference given to applications with 1) high cancer relevance 2) high potential for future national funding (such as NIH, NSF or DOD), and 3) depending on number of applications and funding available preference will be given to programs with limited extramural funding. The application deadline is October 1.
Please adhere to the format indicated below and avoid submission of a truncated proposal from another funding source. Complete and submit the application electronically using an official K-State email ONLY. Document requirements: 12 pt Ariel font, 1-inch margins. Applications that do not meet requirements or provide the necessary documentation will be administratively triaged. If there are questions, please contact the Johnson Cancer Research Center.
Unfortunately, the online application cannot be saved. So, please have all your information ready before you start. The application requires the following information:
- Name, department, campus address, phone number and official K-State email for all PI’s and Co-PI’s.
- Names, affiliation and contact information of 3 external experts (off K-State campus) who can review this application and don't have a conflict of interest with your program (no co-authorships, share grant applicants or significant professional collaborations within the last 5 years.)
- List previous funding from Johnson Cancer Research Center for the last 3 years.
- Positive outcomes from previous Johnson Cancer Research Center funding, i.e., peer reviewed publications, grants funded, etc.
- Detailed budget and budget justification for supplies and services. Salaries are generally not allowed and meeting travel is covered by other awards. If you include these, please provide sufficient justification.
- Matching funds (if any)
- Relevance of this project to Rhabdomyosarcoma specifically in 100 words or less
- Lay language (6-8th grade level) of the work you propose in 100 words or less.
- A 3-page project description.
- A 5-page NIH style biosketch for each PI and Co-PI
Cancer relevant experience and why this project is relevant to the JCRC's mission in the personal statement of the biosketch.
Download the information on this webpage. (PDF)
INNOVATIVE RESEARCH AWARD FOR RHABDOMYOSARCOMA STUDIES Online Application
NOTE TO APPLICANTS: You cannot save or re-enter the application, so have all your information ready before you start.