Executive Summary
Imaging technologies have revolutionized our approach to clinical medicine particularly in the areas of diagnostics and therapeutic management, including real time imaging-guided therapeutics and minimally invasive procedures. Our overarching objective is to promote programmatic translational science projects that bring together experts in imaging and other disciplines to focus around key disease areas and strategies as outlined by our Arizona Health Sciences Center (AHSC) strategic plan. Programmatic domains of interest include “Precision Medicine”, “Neurosciences”, “Population Health” and “Health Disparities”. The new initiative described here will promote imaging sciences translation in one or more of these areas. To support this objective, AHSC and the Department of Medical Imaging (DMI) are collaborating to organize and provide a competitive stimulus funding initiative to support several programmatic projects. The endpoint includes the coordinated stimulation of multiple projects around a disease focus that is pillared on translational imaging sciences and aligned with the AHSC strategic plan, which will be impactful on healthcare, and which will lead to competitive and sustainable programmatic funding.
Background
The DMI at the University of Arizona has a long and rich history in science and technology innovation. Current initiatives include a refocus on bench-to-bedside translation aligned with new AHSC initiatives in the areas of Precision Medicine, Neurosciences, Population Health and Health Disparities, emphasizing foundational developments in imaging sciences and bioinformatics. In alignment with these areas of focus, the DMI clinical imaging translational sciences initiative (CITSI) is disease focused in divisions that collectively represent the causes of major health burdens to our society, and where imaging stands to make even greater strides toward improving health outcomes and reducing overall cost of care. The divisions of focus include: neurological, cardiothoracic, oncological, bone and joint disorders, and disorders of obesity and metabolism. Within CITSI, we have a cross-cutting focus on imaging technology innovation, where innovation in image acquisition, display and analysis systems is intrinsically of value across disciplines and applications. This includes innovation in imaging diagnostics and quantitative, non-invasive disease biomarkers, molecular imaging and nanotechnology, magnetic resonance imaging, ultrasonography, imaging-guided therapeutics, adaptive imaging systems and automated imaging quality measures.
Translational Imaging Program Project Stimulus (TIPPS) Fund Requirements
Total funding of $400,000 will be awarded as a one-time funding to the successful program project proposal. Each application will be comprised of three to four projects. The overarching project theme will be clearly stated (e.g., brain neurodegenerative disorders; metabolic syndrome biomarkers; etiology and therapy; atherosclerotic disease and ischemic brain injury). Each proposed program will have a designated Program Director. Each research project should have 2 or 3 Co-Principal Investigators, with at least one PhD and one MD or MD/PhD among the Co-PIs. At least one Co-PI should have a primary faculty appointment in DMI, or other department in AHSC. Additional co-investigators and consultants will be determined as appropriate to the project.
Funding will be provided for an 18-month term with the possibility of no-cost extensions or further funding depending upon progress.
Each proposal should be comprised of the following sections. The pages should be formatted with NIH style, using 0.5 inch margins and Arial 11 point font.
- 1 page program proposal summary with overarching aims and expected outcomes
- Program focus
- Overarching innovation and contribution
- Project foci and interdisciplinary component
- Outcome projections
- Program focus
- Summary page of the individual project titles, Co-PIs and Co-Is, with affiliations in AHSC and areas of expertise
- Summary page of specific plans for follow-on funding, for the entire program and for each individual project
- Each project
- 1 page NIH-style intro and specific aims
- 1 page background and impact
- 2 pages preliminary work and proposed methods
- References
- Budget
Evaluation will be based on a review committee using scoring criteria and a process similar to the NIH review system. Quantitative scoring of each project will consider feasibility of the research approach; impact that causes a paradigm shift in health care across the AHSC; innovation that causes a paradigm shift in imaging sciences and healthcare; and programmatic organization conducive to competitive external support and formulation of an NIH Program Project Grant. Qualitative evaluations will include consideration of investigators, resources/environment, proper research approaches with human subjects and vertebrate animals, and how the project integrates within the overall program. Higher scoring will be assessed for investigators spanning departments, colleges, disciplines and for alignment with AHSC strategic plan. Use of existing cores in AHSC to be shared by programmatic projects is highly encouraged. Applicants should address how this stimulus grant will seed the organization of experts and programmatic science that would not occur otherwise.
Post-award evaluations will include collegial meetings with the oversight committee at 3-month intervals. In addition, there will be a formal presentation at 6-month intervals given to the oversight committee and open invitation attendees.
Submission Deadline: Jan. 21, 2016.
Award Announcement and Funding Start: Feb 25, 2016.
The final application should consist of a single PDF file. Send applications to rmv@radiology.arizona.edu.
Questions regarding the strategic content should be sent to mpagel@radiology.arizona.edu.
Questions regarding the format or submission process should be sent to rmv@radiology.arizona.edu.
Link - /sites/radiology.arizona.edu/files/u17/TIPPS%20Announcement%20v4.pdf