Maryland Stem Cell Research Commission Announces Funding Opportunities
Columbia, MD (PRWEB) September 28, 2015 -- The Maryland Stem Cell Research Commission (Commission) issued its 2016 Request for Applications (RFAs) and is looking forward to continuing to fund cutting-edge research programs through the Maryland Stem Cell Research Fund (MSCRF).
“Our grant opportunities help move research as rapidly as possible from the lab to clinical trials that change the lives of patients suffering from complex diseases,” said Rabbi Avram Reisner, Chair of the Commission. “We encourage biotechnology researchers and companies in Maryland to apply. We’re looking forward to this funding cycle and an exciting year of educational programming that will lead to continuing advances in medicine.”
Established under the Maryland Stem Cell Research Act of 2006, the MSCRF is currently budgeted to commit up to $9.4 million, in aggregate, in FY2016 to fund grants under all of its RFAs. These RFAs include: Investigator-Initiated Research Grants, Exploratory Research Grants, Post-Doctoral Fellowships, and Pre-Clinical and Clinical Stem Cell Research Grants. Under this funding cycle, all research proposals must pertain to stem cell based therapy and regenerative medicine. Priority will be given to translational and collaborative projects.
RFA-MD-16-1 is soliciting applications for Investigator-Initiated Research Grants, which are designed for investigators with preliminary data supporting the grant application, who wish to conduct basic, translational and/or clinical research involving human stem cells. Investigator-Initiated Research Grants provide up to $600,000 of direct costs to be budgeted over a period of up to three years.
RFA-MD-16-2 is soliciting applications for Exploratory Research Grants, which are designed to attract and support investigators new to the stem cell field (young investigators and investigators from other fields) and for new and/or innovative hypotheses, approaches, mechanisms or models that may differ from current thinking in the stem cell field and have little or no preliminary data supporting the application. These Exploratory Research Grants may request up to $200,000 of direct costs to be budgeted over a period of up to two years.
RFA-MD-16-3 is soliciting applications for post-doctoral fellows who wish to conduct basic, translational and/or clinical research involving human stem cells. Fellowship awards provide $110,000 of direct and indirect costs to be budgeted over a period of up to two years.
RFA-MD-16-4 is soliciting applications for Pre-Clinical and Clinical Stem Cell Research Grants from for-profit companies that wish to conduct research in Maryland using human stem cells to advance medical therapies. Pre-Clinical Grants may request up to $500,000 of direct costs, to be budgeted over a period of up to three years. Applicants for Clinical Grants may request up to $750,000 of direct costs, to be budgeted over a period of up to three years.
For critical dates please review our website http://www.mscrf.org.
About the Maryland Stem Cell Research Commission
The Maryland Stem Cell Research Fund (MSCRF) was established by the State of Maryland under the Maryland Stem Cell Research Act of 2006 to promote State-funded stem cell research and cures through grants and loans to public and private entities in the State. Administered by The Maryland Technology Development Corporation (TEDCO), the MSCRF is overseen by an independent Commission that sets policy and develops criteria, standards and requirements for applications to the Fund. To date, over $112 million and 320 research grants have been committed and for this year (FY2016) the program has a budget of $9.4 million. For more information about the Maryland Stem Cell Research Fund and a list of Commission members, please visit http://www.mscrf.org.
Fulya Gursel, TEDCO, http://www.tedco.md, +1 (410) 715-4178, [email protected]
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