UCSF’s Resource Allocation Program (RAP) Accepting Applications for the Spring 2018 Cycle

The Resource Allocation Program (RAP), in partnership with many on-campus sources of research funding, facilitates the dissemination, submission, review and award of intramural research funding opportunities on campus.

RAP offers a single online application process for a wide variety of intramural funding opportunities and is now inviting applications for the Spring 2018 Cycle.

The electronic submission deadline for applications is Monday, Feb. 26, 2018, at 2 p.m. (PST).

As with each funding cycle, the RAP website provides helpful information and guidance on the application process. In a snapshot:

• The RAP home page summarizes all updates and major changes
• Prior to preparing a proposal, an applicant needs to carefully review the grant mechanism’s Request for Application (RFA), as requirements change from cycle to cycle
• Eligibility requirements need to be met as of date of submission – no waivers are allowed
• The Submission Rules can be found here: http://rap.ucsf.edu/submission-rules
• The website Resources section shows prior Cycle Statistics, Past Awardees, Success Stories, and examples of Support Letters as well the Electronic Application Form.

During the past Fall 2017 cycle, RAP reviewed 149 applications and made 54 awards with 36 percent success rate. Thanks to the combined efforts of multiple funding agencies, a total of $2,449,721 was allocated to UCSF researchers.

The reviews and final scores are available to all applicants on their dashboard in the RAP portal.

RAP Grants Support Competitive Submission for Extramural Funding

Shylaja Srinivasan, MD, a clinical instructor in the School of Medicine, Division of Pediatric Endocrinology and Diabetes, was awarded a Family Support Award for the submission titled “Understanding the determinants of metformin pharmacokinetics in children.” Srinivasan has been focusing on the increasing prevalence of type 2 diabetes in children. She says: “The overall goal of my research is to use genetic approaches to improve preventative and therapeutic strategies for type 2 diabetes in children. The objective of this proposal is to examine current dosing strategies for metformin in children with type 2 diabetes and to understand the sources of variability in the pharmacokinetics of metformin in children particularly with regard to age and body size. As a junior faculty member, this funding will provide valuable support as I collect preliminary data towards a K23 proposal.”

Licia Selleri, MD, PhD, a professor in the School of Dentistry, Orofacial Sciences, received a Team Science Grant award for a project titled “Genomic regulation of midfacial outgrowth variation in evolution and pathology.” Here is a quick snapshot of her project: “Craniofacial morphogenesis demands coordinated outgrowth of multiple facial prominences that are initially spatially separated. Underscoring this complex choreography, one-third of all human birth defects affect craniofacial development. Both orofacial clefting and malocclusions are common birth abnormalities that affect the midface. During development, regulatory genes control the dynamics of transcriptional activity, tissue-level patterning, and intercellular signaling to modulate the timing of morphogenetic processes. Our goal is to define regulatory landscapes underpinning midfacial outgrowth in different species (mouse, chick, and pig) in order to understand how morphogenesis of the craniofacial complex is coordinated with variation in the growth of specific skeletal elements. Changes in these dynamic processes and underlying regulatory mechanisms underpin both evolutionary divergence in midfacial outgrowth and the etiology of craniofacial birth defects in humans. This award will allow us to generate preliminary results in collaboration with Ralph Marcucio, PhD, as the foundation for a future RO1 grant application.

Spring 2018 Cycle Highlights

• The Breakthrough Program in Rheumatoid Arthritis Research (BPRAR) now offered via the Pilots for Junior and Established Investigator
• Posey Family Pediatric Cancer Pilot Award offered for the first time through RAP
• The Program on Non-AIDS Defining Cancer, HIV and Aging offered again through RAP but with Independent Review
• The Global Cancer Pilot Award now open to trainees
• The Osher Center broadens the scope of the Integrative Palliative Care or Dementia Pilot Award
• Eligibility broadened to appointees in the Librarian Series, where applicable
• CTSI-Pilot Awards is sponsoring in the Spring Cycle
• Digital Health Research continues to be offered via the Pilots for Junior and Established Investigator
• Digital Mental Health Award Track offered in Spring Cycle
• CAPS-HIV Innovative Grants is sponsoring this Spring Cycle
• In the electronic application form we now capture data on Special Category Populations if they are included as study subjects

The consortium nature of RAP requires sharing responsibilities with the Funding Agencies in this dynamic partnership.  In a nutshell, the reciprocal responsibilities are delineated below:

• RAP & Funding Agency Functions:  Developing RFAs for the grant offerings
• RAP Functions:  Marketing the call for applications – Electronic submission – Review
• Funding Agency Functions:  Selecting awardees – Post-award activities

For more campus news and resources, visit Pulse of UCSF.