Primate Center Ignition Award
The Washington National Primate Research Center (WaNPRC) is pleased to sponsor the Ignition Award pilot study program, focusing on the use of nonhuman primate (NHP) models of human disease. The purpose of this award is to explore innovative areas of NHP research and generate preliminary data to serve as a basis for submission of new research grant applications (e.g., R01-type grant to NIH or other funding agency) and/or subsequent clinical studies. We anticipate funding two awards. Proposals should focus on translational applications or development or enhancement of the use of NHPs as animal models.
Application period open
Offered once per year.
Letter of Intent due date: November 15, 2024
Application due date: December 20, 2024
No applications time stamped after 5 p.m. Pacific time on December 20 will be considered.
All pilot research projects must be planned, conducted, and carried out under the supervision of at least one Core Scientist at WaNPRC. A list of scientific units, including Core Scientists and their expertise, can be found on the WaNPRC website here. Core Scientists must agree to take on this role. If assistance is needed identifying a Core Scientist, please contact pcgrants@uw.edu as early as possible.
Key Dates
- November 15, 2024: Letter of Intent due to the WaNPRC
- December 20, 2024: Full application due to the WaNPRC.
Email to pcgrants@uw.edu. No applications time stamped after 5 p.m. PST on December 20 will be considered. - February 13, 2025: Notice to awardees and other applicants
- May 1, 2025: Budget initiation
- April 30, 2026: End of budget period
NOTE: There will no option for no-cost extensions or carry-forward.
The WaNPRC intends to award up to two separate awards of up to $75,000 each. The award will be administered by the Primate Center and must be used for Primate Center study costs, including animal costs, per diem, procedures, supplies and salaries. Although this award is not intended to support outgoing subcontracts, exceptions could be considered on a case-by-case basis with collaborating institutions.
Purpose
Purpose
This program is designed to support innovative studies utilizing resources within the WaNPRC. This award program will facilitate use of NHP models and services of the WaNPRC and the ITHS to provide information applicable to subsequent grant proposals and/or clinical studies. This program will provide an opportunity to advance research programs developing and expanding the use of NHPs in research of human diseases, also, by operating jointly with the ITHS, advance the translational process of development and use of therapeutics, diagnostics, or devices.
Examples of translational projects include, but are not limited to:
- The development of clinical tests/diagnostics/therapeutics that have the potential to
- accelerate translational research
- improve clinical treatments (i.e., new therapeutics or new indications for approved drugs)
- Studies that advance neuroscience applications or surgical techniques
- Development and/or validation of a new disease model using nonhuman primates
- Reproductive and/or developmental studies that may have direct clinical applications
Application Process Details
Application Process Details
The LOI should be submitted using the online form here. The application form can be requested by emailing pcgrants@uw.edu or downloaded from the WaNPRC website.
Key Dates
- November 15, 2024: Letter of Intent due to the WaNPRC
- December 20, 2024: Full application due to the WaNPRC.
(email to pcgrants@uw.edu)
No applications time stamped after 5 p.m. Pacific on 12/20/2024 will be considered. - February 13, 2025: Notice to awardees and other applicants
- May 1, 2025: Budget initiation
- April 30, 2026: End of budget period
NOTE: There will no option for no-cost extensions or carry-forward. This is an absolute end date.
Budget: Applicants are required to contact the WaNPRC (pcgrants@uw.edu) to discuss the scientific components of their projects, WaNPRC resources that are available, and pricing of the services to be provided. Applicants are required to develop a complete and accurate budget for their applications in collaboration with the WaNPRC.
Applications with budget requests insufficient to complete the Specific Aims or budgets that were not developed with assistance from the WaNPRC will not be advanced to scientific review. Applications from PIs that do not meet the criteria for eligibility will not be forwarded for review.
Budgets for the NHP studies will be administered by WaNPRC. All financial activity will be supervised by the WaNPRC Research Administration Division.
- It is the PI’s responsibility to clearly demonstrate how the proposed research has the potential to positively impact the quality or the conduct of clinical and translational research or how the planned experiment impacts or expands the use of nonhuman primates as an animal model in the context of the proposal.
- The PI should clearly describe how the proposed evaluation methodology provides an innovative approach to conducting the proposed research.
- Up to $75,000 per selected applicant will be directly applied to the costs at WaNPRC.
- No additional funds are necessary for indirect costs.
- No UW eGC1 is required.
Application Process:
Step 1 – Submit a Letter of Intent to WaNPRC by November 15, 2024. Please include proposal title, abstract (250-word max), key personnel, WaNPRC Core or Affiliate Scientists involved, WaNPRC Core Scientist who serve as mentor, and at least 3 potential reviewers (one UW reviewer and 2 external to UW). Letters of Intent will be used to identify potential reviewers and competitiveness of projects. Only Letters of Intent with projects deemed to be competitive for funding will be invited to submit full proposals.
Applicants should refrain from identifying close collaborators as potential reviewers. It is strongly recommended that applicants identify at least two (2) reviewers who are external to UW/WaNPRC.
Step 2 – Submit the application to WaNPRC by December 20, 2024.
Email to pcgrants@uw.edu. No applications time stamped after 12/20/2024, 5:00 PM Pacific will be considered
Step 3 – Review of Applications
The Review Committee will score the applications and applicants will be notified of their status by February 13, 2025. All applicants will receive reviewers’ comments. Scoring is not provided. Detailed review criteria are listed below.
NOTE: The PIs receiving awards are responsible for securing approval from the UW Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee before a new project can begin.
Step 4 – 2024 Award recipients
Budget period is anticipated to begin May 1, 2025 and must be obligated by April 30, 2026. No-cost extensions or carry-forward are not allowed.
Unsuccessful applicants may resubmit their applications up to a total of two (2) times. The Review Committee may deny the opportunity to resubmit an application if the reviewers determine that the application does not meet the intent of the program. Resubmitted applications should include a 1-page Introduction to address previous reviewers’ comments and outline changes since the last submission. Letters of Intent will be required for resubmission as well as new applications.
Eligibility
Eligibility
Research faculty and early-stage investigators (ESI), including post-doctoral fellows and junior faculty who are eligible to apply for independent external funding or career transition award (e.g. R01, K01 or similar) from NIH or similar funding agencies. An ESI is a Program Director/Principal Investigator who has completed their terminal research degree or end of post-graduate clinical training, whichever is later, within the past 10 years and who has not previously competed successfully as a PD/PI for a substantial NIH independent research award. Applicants affiliated within an academic or nonprofit institute can apply except for those who have received a WaNPRC Ignition Award within the previous three (3) years.
The Center particularly encourages applications from new and early-stage investigators, including post-doctoral fellows and junior faculty. The Center also encourages applications from faculty or senior scientists from external institutes and/or collaborations with external investigators. Applications from established investigators pursuing a new area or direction in their research or those who have not worked with NHPs before are also encouraged. This is an opportunity to pursue innovative research projects or collect preliminary data that can provide proof of concept and lead to future funding. Please see https://grants.nih.gov/policy/early-investigators/index.htm for more information.
Review Criteria & Committee Details
Review Criteria & Committee Details
The combined review committee for the Ignition Award applications may consist of members of the WaNPRC Research Advisory Committee, the ITHS Drug and Device Advisory Committee (DDAC), and/or others as identified by the WaNPRC Associate Director for Research or designee as appropriate. Members of the committee are selected to provide interdisciplinary insight into the proposed research. The committee is composed of Core and Affiliate Scientists along with reviewers external to the WaNPRC.
Reviews are performed according to the following criteria:
- Scientific merit
- Status of applicant as an Early-Stage Investigator or as established investigator entering a new field or proposing new work in NHPs
- Innovation
- Potential impact on human health and/or the use of nonhuman primate models
- Probability of future grant funding and/or clinical studies
Proposals that use existing NHP samples or that utilize animals already assigned to projects are also encouraged.
Reporting Requirements
Reporting Requirements
The WaNPRC requires an interim and annual report from all award recipients. The dates and specifications for these reports will be stated in the WaNPRC Notice of Award.
Quarterly in-person meetings with a WaNPRC representative may be requested to track the progress of funded activities.
Publicity
Publicity
The WaNPRC reserves the right to publicly disclose information about its granting activities. WaNPRC communications to the public may include lists of funded applications, the names of principal investigators and applicant institutions and departments, titles of proposed activities and reports about progress and outcomes.
Please note that records produced at the University of Washington are subject to the Washington State Public Records Act, Chapter 42.56 RCW.
Contact Information
Contact Information
Any questions on the application award process can be directed to pcgrants@uw.edu.
Appendix
Definitions of Clinical and Translational Research
Clinical Research
NIH defines human clinical research as research with human subjects that is: (1) Patient-oriented research. Research conducted with human subjects (or on material of human origin such as tissues, specimens and cognitive phenomena) for which an investigator (or colleague) directly interacts with human subjects. Excluded from this definition are in vitro studies that utilize human tissues that cannot be linked to a living individual. Patient-oriented research includes: (a) mechanisms of human disease, (b) therapeutic interventions, (c) clinical trials, or (d) development of new technologies. (2) Epidemiologic and behavioral studies. (3) Outcomes research and health services research. Note: Studies falling under Exemption 4 for human subjects research are not considered clinical research by this definition.
Translational Research
Translation: The process of turning observations in the laboratory, clinic and community into interventions that improve the health of individuals and the public.
Translational Science: The field of investigation focused on understanding the scientific and operational principles underlying each step of the translational process.
Source: Definitions provided by the National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences
Translational research includes:
- the process of making discoveries in the research laboratory or in preclinical studies that will have an impact on human health and may lead to the development of studies in humans,
- the process of applying discoveries generated during research in the laboratory, and in preclinical studies, to the development of trials and studies in humans and
- research aimed at enhancing the adoption of best practices in the community. Cost-effectiveness of prevention and treatment strategies is also an important part of translational science.
Source: Based on Institutional Clinical and Translational Science Award (U54) RFA-RM-07-007 CTSA RFA
Using this definition in our review and funding programs, the translational potential of research is rated as:
- High: Research that will be an important step towards the eventual goal of impacting human health, and the pathway to this impact is clear
- Moderate: Research that will be a moderately important step towards the eventual goal of impacting human health, and/or the pathway to this impact is only partially defined
- Low: Research that will have little effect on the eventual goal of impacting human health or research for which the pathway to potential impact is unclear
Previous Awardees
Awardees - ITHS/Primate Center Ignition Award
| Name | Project | Department | Institution | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hybiske, Kevin | Identification of the immune correlates leading to clearance of a genetically attenuated Chlamydia trachomatis strain in the cervix of pig-tailed macaques | Allergy and Infectious Diseases | University of Washington | April, 2022 |
| Settles, Erik | Identification of Valley Fever epitopes and TCR clones in naturally exposed pig-tailed macaques for future vaccination and diagnostic studies | Northern Arizona University | April, 2022 | |
| Erasmus, Jesse | Overcoming bottlenecks in mRNA-mediated antibody expression in nonhuman primates | Microbiology | University of Washington | April, 2021 |
| Orsborn, Amy | Developing and validating a new behavioral assay to quantify feedforward and feedback | Electrical & Computer Engineering | University of Washington | April, 2021 |
| Gambrill, Abigail & Jon Rueckemann (MPI) | Cellular mechanisms of primate hippocampal theta oscillations | Physiology & Biophysics (both PIs) | University of Washington | April, 2020 |
| Wood, Gwendolyn | Optimizing a model of M. genitalium reproductive tract infection in female pig-tailed macaques | Allergy and Infectious Diseases | University of Washington | April, 2020 |
| Dembrow, Nikolai | Developing a primate culture platform for the treatment of degenerative disorders. | Physiology & Biophysics | University of Washington | April, 2019 |
| Ting, Jonathan | A comprehensive viral genetic toolbox optimized for primate brain cell types and translational neuroscience. | Allen Institute for Brain Sciences | April, 2019 | |
| O'Connor, Megan | Evaluation of SIV Co-Infection on ZIKV Pathogenesis in Pigtail Macaques. | Microbiology | University of Washington | April, 2018 |
| McGuire, Andrew | Proof of Concept for an Epstein Barr Virus Vaccine. | Vaccine and Infectious Disease Division | Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center | April, 2018 |
| Gale, Michael | Using the Pigtail Macaque Model to Evaluate Novel Vaccines for Prevention of Zika Infection | Immunology | University of Washington | April, 2017 |
| Patton, Dorothy | Mn model development: GC infection and URT imaging by PET | Obstetrics & Gynecology | University of Washington | April, 2017 |
| Curnow, Eliza | A nonhuman primate model of Fragile X syndrome | Washington National Primate Research Center | University of Washington | April, 2017 |
| Chin, Michael | Pharmacokinetics, organ toxicity and immunogenicity of recombinant tafazzin in non human primates | Cardiology | University of Washington | April, 2016 |
| Horwitz, Greg | Cell-type specific promoter sequences for targeting NHP neurons | Physiology and Biophysics | University of Washington | April, 2016 |
| Kean, Leslie | Creating a Novel Model for the Treatment of Graft-versus-Host-Disease in Rhesus Macaques | Pediatrics | University of Washington | April, 2016 |
| Isoherranen, Nina | Maternal phthalate kinetics in a nonhuman primate model | Pharmaceutics | University of Washington | April, 2015 |
| Perlmutter, Steve | NHP Model for cervical myelopathy and therapeutic use of electrical stimulation | Physiology and Biophysics | University of Washington | April, 2015 |
| Smith, Jason | A Rhesus model to uncover the role of α-defensins in rotaviral infection | Microbiology | University of Washington | April, 2015 |
| Clark, Edward | Testing CD180-based Hepatitis B virus vaccine in macaques | Microbiology/Immunology | University of Washington | March, 2014 |
| Neitz, Maureen | In vivo directed evolution of AAV vectors that transduce photoreceptors and the retinal pigment epithelium when injected into the vitreous | Ophthalmology | University of Washington | March, 2014 |
| Adams-Waldorf, Kristina | Surfactant Protein A to prevent pre-term birth | Obstetrics and Gynecology | University of Washington | March, 2014 |
| Kiem, Hans-Peter | Development of an in vivo model of Hepatitis C virus infection, replication and pathogenesis | Clinical Research | Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center | April, 2013 |
| Riddell, Stanley | Evaluating the safety of T-cells engineered to express chimeric antigen receptors for ROR1 and a tumor-specific epitope of EGFR | Clinical Research | Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center | April, 2013 |
| Moshiri, Mariam | Fetal lung maturity assessment with MRI using fetal lung to liver signal intensity ratio and MR spectroscopy | Radiology | Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center | April, 2013 |
| Horwitz, Greg | Targeted Genetic Manipulation of NHP Neurons in Vivo. | Physiology and Biophysics | University of Washington | February, 2012 |
| Robinson, Farrel | Dissolution of perineuronal nets to aid adaptation to a vestibular prosthesis. | Biological Structure | University of Washington | February, 2012 |
| Curnow, Eliza | M. fascicularis model for cancer-oocyte target SAS1B. | Reproductive Biology and Stem Cell Core, Reproductive and Developmental Sciences Division, Washington National Primate Research Center | N/A | February, 2012 |
| Murray, Charles | Transplantation of M. nemestrina induced pluripotent stem cell (MniPSC) u2013 derived cardiomyocytes into nonhuman primates after myocardial infarction | Pathology and Bioengineering | University of Washington | April, 2011 |
| Lieber, Andre | Safety studies with a high affinity companion therapeutic for monoclonal antibodies to treat cancer | Medicine | University of Washington | April, 2011 |
| Phillips, James | Vestibular prosthesis for bilateral and uncompensated unilateral loss | Otolaryngology | University of Washington | April, 2011 |
| Juul, Sandra | A Novel Non-Human Primate Model of Neonatal Stress and Sedative Drug Use | Pediatrics | University of Washington | March, 2010 |
| Zhang, Glenn | Identification of Molecular Signature of Successful Influenza Vaccinations | Animal Sciences | Oklahoma State University | March, 2010 |
| Ho, Rodney | Neuro-Imaging of a Novel CNS Targeted Drug Delivery Device in Primates | Pharmaceutics | University of Washington | January, 2010 |