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Graduate Research and Education in Adaptive bio-Technology Training (GREAT) Program

I. How it works
The application is a two-part process:
     A. A brief pre-proposal submitted by an investigator is due October 4, 2004, 11:00am.
     B. In late October, selected investigators are invited to submitt full proposals with a deadline of February 2005.

II. Introduction and scope of initiative
The University of California Biotechnology Research and Education Program offers an innovative research training program that supports individual two-year fellowships (up to $50,000 per fellowship per year) in the Graduate Research and Education in Adaptive bio-Technology (GREAT) Training Program.

This GREAT Training Program supports the training of the brightest young graduate students within the University of California system in cutting-edge theoretical and experimental research at:

The interface between the life sciences and the physical, chemical, material, engineering, mathematical or computational sciences.

Indisputably novel ideas for research and training that do not strictly fall within those parameters but are within the broadly defined field of biotechnology will be considered.

The program focuses on training in the cross-disciplinary fields listed above. It is designed to: The GREAT Program anticipates funding 10-15 proposals for this highly competitive award. An award is granted for a two-year term with the second year of funding contingent upon satisfactory scientific progress and budget report and University of California Biotechnology Research and Education Program funding.

III. Pre-Proposal
Outstanding researchers of the University of California and the UC-administered national laboratories' scientific research community working at the interface of the disciplines as described above will be known as the Faculty sponsor(s).

Pre-proposal application consists of:

  1. one primary Faculty Sponsor
  2. one or more co-sponsor(s), and/or mentor(s)
  3. one fellowship nomination (optional at pre-proposal stage)

A faculty Sponsor may be listed as the primaryFaculty Sponsor on only one application. This does not preclude co-sponsorship or mentorship on other proposals. Applications for larger trainee groups will not be considered.(More on faculty sponsors below.)

The preproposal consists of the following parts in the order given below:

Page 1
  1. Name of primary sponsor, co-sponsor(s) and/or mentor(s).
  2. Title of project.
  3. Two 200-word abstracts--one scientific/technical and one for public/lay audience.
Page 2 and 3
  1. Narative--no more than two pages addresing:
Page 4
  1. Four-page Biographical sketches (NIH style) of primary sponsor, co-sponsor(s) and/or mentor(s)
  2. Nomination form with relevent information of fellow candidate (optional at pre-proposal stage to allow for recruitment efforts; mandatory if invited to submit full proposal.)
Page 5
  1. Signature page.

IV. Faculty Sponsor(s)
Outstanding members of the University of California (UC) and the UC-administered national laboratories' scientific research community working at the interface of the disciplines as described above will be known as the Faculty Sponsor(s) . Faculty Sponsors must be eligible for Principle Investigator status at the University of California.

Normally, two Faculty Sponsors from complementary disciplines will provide the required training for depth and breadth, and may nominate a candidate. (Note: at the pre-proposal stage, the nomination of a candidate is optional. However, a fellowship candidate must be nominated in the full proposal submission.) One of the two faculty sponsors will be designated as the primary sponsor, the other as co-sponsor.

Primary Faculty Sponsor

The primary sponsor provides major oversight, training and administration of the fellowship, and coordinates the training for the selected fellow. This role, and the relationship with other sponsor/mentor(s), must be fully developed and explained in the narrative of the full proposal. The primary sponsor will be the administrative contact for the GREAT program, and his/her department will administer the funds.

Faculty Co-Sponsors and Mentors

We will accept nominations from atwo or three-Faculty Sponsor team or from a single Faculty Sponsor who demonstrates suffiecient depth and breadth of expertise accross disciplines. For a single Faculty Sponsor, a mentor or mentors--who will have less responsibility than a co-sponsor--may be required to satisfy the requisite cross-disciplinary exposure. Co-sonsor(s) and/or mentor(s) must demonstrate interest by providing a biographical sketch and signature on the signature page of the pre-proposal.

Faculty Sponsor(s) must:



V. Research areas identified as priorities for 2005-2006 funding
To ensure an environment for non-traditional, cutting-edge, cross-disciplinary training, we are seeking proposals from investigators who display the greatest expertise and creativity working at the interface of complementary disciplines. Research areas may include, but are not limited to, such disciplines as:

VI. Who are eligible GREAT nominees?
Graduate students of the University of California system pursuing research leading to an advanced degree may be nominated for a graduate fellowship under the following criteria:

Please note: at this pre-proposal stage, the nomination of a candidate is optional. However, a fellowship candidate must be nominated in the full proposal submission.

VII. Award Criteria
The Executive Committee of the University of California Biotechnology Research and Education Program reviews all pre-proposals (and full proposals), and makes the awards.

The primary criteria used to evaluate the proposals are:
VIII. General award information
IX. Overview of the GREAT pre and full proposal process
Step 1. Faculty Sponsor(s) submit a pre-proposal with or without a trainee nomination (to allow for recuitement efforts) by October 4, 2004 on-line. More information to follow.

Step 2. The Executive Committee of the University of California Biotechnology Research and Education Program reviews all pre-proposals (and nominations, if applicable) for appropriateness to the GREAT Program

Step 3. Invitations to submit full proposals are sent to selected investigators by October 25, 2004. In general, full proposals will consist of updated sponsors' biographical sketches, nominee application form, eight-page narrative expanding on the abbreviated pre-proposal narrative, demonstrated training experience of primary sponsor and co-sponsor(s), budget justification, commitment to reporting and tracking requirements. Detailed instructions for full proposal submission will be provided to those invited.

Step 4. Full proposals are submitted on-line by late February 2005.

Step 5. Award notification late March 2005

Step 6. Award commences July 1, 2005

AWARD PERIOD:
      July 1, 2005 through June 30, 2007

Each University of California campus and University of California-administered National Laboratory is requested to inform appropriate administrators, faculty, and staff about this solicitation.

For assistance, please contact the University Of California Biotechnology Research and Education Program, home of the GREAT Program at the address listed below or call 530 752-8237.

Pre-proposals must be submitted on-line. More information to follow. The pre-proposal signature page must be mailed separately to:

GREAT Fellowship Program
University Of California Biotechnology Research and Education Program
University of California
Attn: Cathy Miller, grant administrator
One Shields Avenue
Davis, CA 95616

If you have any questions or need additional information, please contact: 530 752-8237 or ucbrep@ucdavis.edu