EGRP News Flash - September 29, 2009

Funding Opportunity for Exceptional, Unconventional Research Enabling Knowledge Acceleration (EUREKA)

On behalf of the National Cancer Institute (NCI), and several other Institutes and the National Institutes of Health (NIH), the Epidemiology and Genetics Research Program (EGRP) announces the release of a new Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA). The purpose of the EUREKA (Exceptional Unconventional Research Enabling Knowledge Acceleration) initiative is to foster exceptionally innovative research that, if successful, will have an unusually high impact on the areas of science that are germane to the mission of one or more of the participating NIH Institutes. This FOA solicits applications from investigators who want to test novel, unconventional hypotheses or pursue major methodological or technical challenges.

Each of the participating NIH Institutes has its own scientific purview and different program goals for the EUREKA initiative. Applicants are strongly advised to include a cover letter indicating the appropriate Institute. NCI welcomes EUREKA applications for all program areas supported by the Institute. For more information on NCI research interests, priorities and strategic objectives, listed by Program Area, see http://www.cancer.gov/researchandfundingExternal Web Site Policy.

This FOA will use the NIH Research Project Grant (R01) award mechanism. The investigator should anticipate starting and completing the project during the term of the award, since this FOA is not for support of ongoing research or for pilot projects, and awards are not renewable. This FOA is for support of new projects, not continuation of projects that have already been initiated. It does not support pilot projects, i.e., projects of limited scope that are designed primarily to generate data that will enable the PI to seek other funding.

Support may be requested for up to $800,000 in direct costs (excluding consortium Facilities and Administrative [F&A] costs) over a four-year period, prorated for shorter terms ($600,000 for three years, $400,000 for two years). Regardless of the term of support, direct costs (excluding consortium Facilities and Administrative [F&A] costs) may not exceed $250,000 in any one year.

The application due date is November 24, 2009. Applicants should contact the appropriate Institute representative listed in the FOA to ensure that the proposed research will be responsive to this FOA. NCI Contact: Judy Mietz, Ph.D., Division of Cancer Biology; e-mail: mietzj@mail.nih.gov.

Key EUREKA Web pages: