CPRIT High-Impact/High-Risk (HIHR) Research Awards seek to provide short-term funding to explore the feasibility of high-risk projects that, if successful, would contribute major new insights into the etiology, diagnosis, treatment, or prevention of cancers. Because HIHR Research Awards are designed to support new ideas, preliminary data are not required. Using this mechanism, CPRIT intends to support innovative, developmental projects that focus on exceptionally promising topics that are not yet sufficiently mature to compete successfully for more conventional funding.
The HIHR Research Awards are expected to provide the foundation for individual or multiple investigator awards upon completion. Applicants must explain why more conventional sources of support are not available for the proposed research and how short-term funding will lead to strong applications for additional support. Applications that might be described as “mini-R01s” will not be competitive. The goal of this award mechanism is to fund uncommonly great ideas that merit the opportunity to acquire preliminary data. There should be reasons for the idea to be plausible, but CPRIT acknowledges that most of the selected projects will ultimately fail to meet their primary goals. The rare proposals that succeed will be of sufficient importance to justify this program. Applications may address any research topic related to cancer biology, causation, prevention, detection, screening, treatment, or survivorship.
CPRIT published their Limited Opportunity Request For Applications, RFA R-18.2-HIHR, High-Impact/High-Risk Research Awards. As applications for this award mechanism are subject to institutional limit of 10, those interested in applying for these awards should submit a one-page abstract and biosketch for the PI to Ericia Huff no later than close of business November 10, 2017.
The abstract should clearly explain the question or problem to be addressed and the approach to its answer or solution. The specific aims of the application must be obvious from the abstract, although they need not be restated verbatim from the research plan. Clearly address how the proposed project, if successful, will have a major impact on the field of cancer research or on the care of patients with cancer. Summarize how the proposed research creates new paradigms or challenges existing ones.
Abstracts will be reviewed and the selected individuals will be notified in order to have ample time to prepare a full proposal and submit it to the sponsor. Any questions should also be directed to Ms. Huff. The full CPRIT HIHR application is due on January 31, 2018.