Vagelos Precision Medicine Pilot Grant

The Vagelos Precision Medicine Pilot Grant program is made possible by the generous gift of Roy and Diana Vagelos, to the Columbia Precision Medicine Initiative, and is intended to support ground-breaking research in the field of precision medicine.

Proposals are requested for two-year pilot studies in precision medicine. Awardees will receive $100,000 per year for two years. Studies must be relevant to advancing precision medicine basic science. Examples areas include genomic data, biomarkers, clinical data, new methods of working with precision medicine data, technology development, disease mechanism studies and stem cell biology. For research with human subjects, an IRB must be in place at the time of funding.

These pilot grants are intended to support feasibility studies that will establish a basis for applying for further research funding. As such, pilot grants are intended to generate preliminary data required to produce competitive grant applications to outside funders.  

Three studies will be funded, with additional calls for proposals expected next year.

Eligibility: Applicants must have a full-time Columbia University faculty appointment at the rank of an Assistant, Associate, or Full Professor, including NYPSI and clinical faculty. Studies may involve more than one department, including collaboration between Morningside and Medical Center campuses. Preference will be given to applications including junior investigators. Applicants may apply for the Irving Institute Precision Medicine award and the Vagelos award, but may not hold both concurrently; if successful in both applicants will be able to choose their preferred award.

Budget: $100,000 per fiscal year for two years. Second year funding contingent on satisfactory progress report

Application Directions: Prepare detailed project description (2-4 page excluding references, minimum 11-point font) as follows:

• Investigators

• Background and Specific Aims

• Preliminary Findings

• Methods

• Future Plans and Direction

• Literature citations

Provide the following supporting documents:

• Statement of Facilities and other Resources

• NIH-style biographical sketch for each investigator (5-page limit)

• Budget

Submit documents by December 11th 2017, preferably as one single pdf to [email protected]

Eligible applications submitted by the deadline will be evaluated by confidential peer reviewers. Reviewers must remain anonymous but may opt to give feedback to the applicants through the Precision Medicine office, but are not required to do so. Winning applications will be announced in February 2018. 

Questions? Email [email protected]