The information below is from the 2020 request for proposals, following the start of the COVID-19 pandemic in America. Please see the opportunity website for updated information.
In light of the emergence and spread of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in California and beyond, the statewide funding programs of the University of California Office of the President (UCOP) Research Grants Program Office (RGPO), (California Breast Cancer Research Program (CBCRP), Tobacco-Related Disease Research Program (TRDRP), California HIV/AIDS Research Program (CHRP) and the Type 1 Diabetes Research Fund are together making available up to $2M to immediately support urgent research to mitigate the pandemic. Brief project proposals will be evaluated based on the potential to (a) generate rigorous, actionable science by qualified teams with essential infrastructure support; (b) yield measurable, short-term outcomes that, when taken to scale, can help blunt the impact of the COVID-19 outbreak; (c) address the needs of vulnerable populations, including those with the co-morbid conditions of HIV infection, COPD or other lung diseases, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, or cancer, as well as the medically underserved.
This request for proposals aims to support rapid research focused on immediate outcomes and deliverables to mitigate SARS-CoV-2 infection or COVID-19 disease severity, especially among those with cancer, HIV, and tobacco-related diseases, and it does so with a special focus on vulnerable populations. To address the knowledge gaps identified by the World Health Organization (WHO) and others that may inform immediate efforts to stem the COVID-19 outbreak, RGPO encourages the submission of proposals on topics that include but are not limited to:
- SARS-CoV-2 virus natural history, transmission, and diagnostics, including point-of-care tests
- Data collection and sharing tools (strategy, policy, and technology) that are the precursor to the ability to conduct urgent research on SARS-CoV-2 and COVID-19
- Epidemiological studies, including surveillance, contact-tracing, modeling to predict the patterns of the outbreak and risk mitigation efforts, particularly for those at greater risk for infection and adverse associated outcomes
- Clinical management, especially in patients with cancer, HIV/AIDS, or tobacco use and related diseases and its effect on disparities in healthcare access on the severity of the pandemic
- Infection prevention and control (e.g., health care workers protection, quarantine strategies)
- Development and testing of candidate therapeutics and vaccines for the novel coronavirus, including new immunotherapies, methods of boosting immune responses, virus and reagent mapping, and standardization of animal models to evaluate vaccine efficacy, among others
- Ethical considerations in COVID-19 research and outbreak response
- Behavioral and social aspects in pandemic response, prevention and risk mitigation, economic research, and considerations of the disproportionate including economic considerations and impact effects of COVID-19 on vulnerable populations and marginalized communities
- The impact of smoking and vaping on COVID-19 infection and disease severity
- Susceptibility to infection and severity of COVID-19 infection in patients with lung cancer, COPD, or other diseases
- Tobacco product, e-cigarette and cannabis use cessation during COVID-19 recovery
Please see RFP by clicking on "Go To Application Home Page" below for more detais about proposal requriements.
Award Amount and Details
- RGPO intends to fund urgent, short-term projects, each with a maximum direct cost of $25,000 and duration of 6 months.
- Applicants will be notified of their funding status within two weeks of submission.
- Successful applicants will be eligible to apply for continuation funding prior to the expiration date. These continuation applications will be more substantive and will undergo competitive peer review.
- Some applications could be placed on a waiting list for possible later funding.
- Please note that indirect (F&A) costs will not be provided. For University of California campuses, indirect cost exceptions are not required per Contracts and Grants Manual Section 8-560.
- Pre-funding Requirements: Funds will be advanced as quickly as possible following certification from the recipient institution that the PI and applicant organization will satisfy standard funding requirements in a timely manner.
Deadlines and Date Information
The due dates listed below are the most recent due dates our office is aware of. Please see the opportunity home page for information about potential upcoming deadlines or other opportunities.
- Applications will be accepted starting April 6, 2020 and continuously until available funds are expended.
- RGPO will review and agree to fund proposals within two weeks of submission (actual receipt of funds will follow).
- Projects will be reviewed on a rolling basis starting immediately and continuing until all available funds are expended
- The project start date is immediately upon notification of award.
Eligibility Information
- Any individual or organization in California may apply.
- The project must be conducted primarily in California.
- Investigators from community organizations, public or privately owned corporations and other businesses, volunteer health organizations, health maintenance organizations, hospitals, laboratories, research institutions, colleges, and universities are welcomed.
- Multiple applications and grant limits for PIs: A PI may submit more than one application, but each must propose a unique project. Applicants are limited to a maximum of one (1) grant award as PI.
