2010 Clinical Investigator Awards Award Criteria
Purpose
• To promote patient-oriented research conducted by surgical oncologists in clinical and translational science.
Eligibility
• Applicants must be surgical oncologists within 10 years of
completion of training and be full SSO members.
• Applicants must commit to at least 25% effort for this award.
Terms of the Award
• The award will be funded for two years at $100,000 ($50,000 per year) beginning April 1, 2010.
• The award is given to the sponsoring institution and may be used for partial support of applicant’s salary, research fellows or staff support, tuition, travel (no more than $2,000 per year) and/or supplies. No additional funds are available for paying indirect costs.
• A brief year-one progress report will be required by February 1, 2011. The SSO reserves the right to withhold the second year of support in the event of unsatisfactory progress.
• A final report (not to exceed four pages) will be required before February 15, 2012. This should include a summary of the project and abstracts and publications acknowledged as supported by this award.
• A brief five-minute presentation will be required at the 2012 Annual Meeting.
Application Procedure
The SSO requests a proposal in which the applicant plays a central role in the conduct of a specific clinical research project. This might include a leadership role in a cancer trial, in cancer outcomes research, or a translational research project related to a prospective clinical trial. The clinical research focus must be hypothesis-driven and must have a direct patient-oriented focus. Any clinical trial may be investigator-initiated, industry-driven or organized by a cooperative group.
While the applicant need not be the principal investigator of the trial, nor the lead institutional investigator, how participation in the trial will serve to enhance their research experience must be clearly articulated. It is anticipated that applicants will be early to mid-career and are seeking extramural support to further their goals of establishing an independent career in clinical cancer research. The potential and track record of the applicant, the training plan and environment, and the scientific merit of the clinical trial will comprise the review criteria.
The application MUST include the following items in order:
A. Cover page. The cover page must include the following information: the title of the proposal, name of applicant, applicant’s position, institution and contact information, and the name and contact information for the individual authorized to act for the applicant if the award is made.
B. Curriculum Vitae: A three-page biosketch (including other support) in the standard NIH format.
C. Supporting Letters. A letter from the applicant’s institution is required and should include a review of the proposal and summary of the applicant’s qualifications. It should also describe the facilities and support available to complete the project. The letter should be from the institution’s cancer center director, chair of surgery or dean of research. Other supporting letters (no more than three) may be included.
D. Research Proposal: This should include the following items: (limited to eight pages, single-spaced, 12-pt font, one-inch margin).
1. Abstract: The abstract should describe the clinical trial, the hypothesis being tested, specific aims of the research, the role of the applicant and how this will serve as a valuable training experience. A clinical application/impact statement also should be included.
2. Personal statement: The applicant should briefly describe their past accomplishments and how this award mechanism will serve their career goals.
3. Research plan: This section should focus on the hypothesis being tested, the exact role of the applicant, any didactic course work, and a description of interaction with mentors and colleagues who may also submit supporting letters.
This should include a brief description of the clinical cancer trials infrastructure at the applicant’s institution, with a specific reference on how it may be used to advantage in this training mechanism.
5. Pathway to independence: The applicant should describe in detail how this award mechanism will enable the achievement of independence as a clinical investigator.
6. Literature cited: (not included in eight-page proposal limit)
E. Budget: In no more than one page, briefly describe proposed budget utilization and justification. This should include any required indirect costs that would reduce the actual amount of direct research dollars available to the applicant. The reviewers will take this into account and may not recommend awards when the indirect cost rate is substantial.
F. Appendix. Clinical protocol, informed consent form, IRB approval notice. Not to exceed five pages in length.
The application deadline is December 18, 2009
The complete application must be assembled as a single pdf file and sent electronically to heatherheller@surgonc.org by midnight December 18, 2009. A hard copy of the application also must be submitted to the SSO, 85 W. Algonquin Road, Suite 550, Arlington Heights, IL 60005, with a postmark of December 18.
Applications received after this date, or those that do not conform to the instructions will not be considered. Award recipients will be announced at the 2010 SSO Annual Cancer Symposium, March 3-7, and applicants will be informed of the outcome via e-mail shortly after the conclusion of the meeting.
PLEASE NOTE: Funding of grants will be determined by scientific peer review process and consistent with any restrictions required by the grantor.
09/21/09