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General Clinical Research Center

Clinical Research Feasibility Funds (CReFF) Program

The CReFF Program offers start-up funds for investigators utilizing GCRC resources. This program is designed to support pilot studies.

The GCRC Scientific Advisory Committee (GAC) has established criteria for eligibility for support. Potential recipients should be junior faculty with a rank of instructor or assistant professor. Faculty with independent funding (R01, P01) are not eligible; faculty with training grant funding (K23) may not be eligible and must contact the Program Director, James Heubi, before applying.  Applicants who are recipients of  CHRF  Trustee grants, TRI or Procter Scholar funding are not eligible. Fellows may be candidates when it is anticipated they will have faculty appointment during the course of the CReFF Award. To be eligible, candidates must either have an active GCRC-approved protocol or submit one for review with their application. Applicants are strongly advised to contact Dr. Heubi prior to submitting their application and to submit their protocol to the GAC at least one month in advance of the CReFF review meeting to facilitate resolving scientific or other issues. The approval process must be completed before a protocol is considered for a CReFF award. Protocol submission guidelines may be obtained from Andrea Smith, GCRC Administrative Manager, (513) 636-4273, or andrea.smith@cchmc.org).

The CReFF application should include:

  1. A cover letter from the investigator for any projects seeking support. The letter should include a description of the applicant's career plan. Specifically, the letter should include a description of how support from the CReFF Program will allow the candidate to seek external support based upon the pilot data collected from it. The letter should also indicate which funding agencies are appropriate for funding the project after the pilot study is completed and a timetable for potential submission of grants for extramural support.
  2. A detailed description of one-year's budget will be requested with support up to $20,000/year with the potential to renew for up to one year. Monies can be expended on costs not usually covered by resources available through the GCRC such as coordinator salary, laboratory costs, patient incentives, etc. Investigator's salaries are not an allowable budget item. This detailed budget must be accompanied by a budget indicating the entire cost of the project. If the project cannot be carried out for $20,000, an explanation of the source of the additional funds must be included. The person who has authorization over the source of additional funds must write a letter indicating that the monies will be forthcoming if the candidate is successful in getting a CReFF award.
  3. A copy of the applicant's curriculum vitae in the NIH 3-page format which should include any current or pending intramural (including Procter Scholar or Trustee Grant applications) or extramural support.
  4. Letters of recommendation by the applicant's research mentor and Divisional or Department Head. Specifically detailed in the letter should be a description of how the applicant will be supported by the mentor and Divisional or Departmental Head including a description of the applicant's protected time (% effort) available for completion of the project. Support is defined as protection of time, funding or allocation of resources to facilitate the project.

An annual report regarding progress (limited to no more than 3 pages) will be required as well as a report at the time of termination of the project. These reports should include a description of the hypothesis, aims, brief description of methods and results with interpretation and how they will be used to submit or obtain extramural funding. Renewal is possible for an additional year funding with demonstration of significant progress on the project, need for additional support and likelihood of results leading to extramural support.

Review Criteria:

  1. Candidate: Is the candidate committed to a substantial portion of his/her academic time to clinical research.
  2. Letters of recommendation from the research mentor and Divisional Director: Is the applicant committed to a career in clinical research and is the Division committed to the applicant's career development in clinical research and what, if any, resources the Division will commit to the applicant's research project.
  3. Scientific Merit: What level of enthusiasm for scientific merit was assigned by the GAC? What is the potential for this work to lead to further extramural funding?
Deadline for Submission: October 7, 2008.

All completed applications (one hard copy, and one electronic copy (where appropriate) should be directed to Andrea Smith, Administrative Manager, GCRC, Children's Hospital, Room A3.300, MLC 5006.

rev 07/16/2008