Merkin Translational Research Grants

The Merkin Institute for Translational Research (MITR) at Caltech is calling for research and engineering proposals of up to $400K in total direct costs to be spent flexibly over a period of two years. These projects can be positioned anywhere along the translational path from early-stage invention and discovery to clinical testing or early commercialization.

The goal is to support and accelerate translation of Caltech projects to improve health and treat disease. Priority is given to projects with high translational impact where MITR support can make a significant catalytic difference.

The spectrum of translational interests is defined, first and foremost, by the aspirations and work of Caltech research community. Merkin expects this to include – but not be restricted to - work on medical devices, biomedical computation and data mining, human behavior, novel technology platforms, as well as biology and chemistry that aim to generate new drugs, diagnostics, biomaterials, and vaccines. Merkin encourages projects that translate to populations worldwide.

The budget is expected to be appropriate for the project. The timeline of spending over two years will be flexible and should be driven by the needs of the project.

Eligibility:

• The program is open to all Caltech Professors and Research Professors. 
• Multiple-faculty projects are welcome, but you must identify a lead-PI for grant purposes.
• Research requiring IRB, IACUC, IBC approvals or MTAs can commence only after the approvals (or exemptions, as applicable) are obtained.
• Please email any questions you have regarding whether a project falls within the scope of the call or other issues to gtolomic@caltech.edu (George Tolomiczenko, ED, Merkin Institute).

Submission Deadline: End of day (PDT) Monday October 17, 2022.  Inquiries before then are welcome. Please reach out to George Tolomiczenko (gtolomic@caltech.edu) if you have questions about the program or the application process.

Proposals should include:

1. An application cover page, which will include a proposal title, PI(s), a statement outlining envisioned translational path including anticipated project impact on human health, a budget justification, and list of other supporting information as needed (included in an Appendix).
2. The technical narrative (up to 4 pages, including figures, not including references).
3. A project budget with anticipated cadence of spending for each year.
4. A signed Division Approval Form.

The following criteria are considered in the selection process:

• Overall scientific strength of the project.
• Translational impact.
• The rationale for MITR funding at this stage of translation.
• The research team, including any external collaborators or partners (Academic, Contract Research Organization (CRO), Biotech, other).
• The current plan to achieve translation into the clinic or other appropriate venue.

Proposal submission: Attach your full proposal (in pdf format) to an email and send it to this Box address: MTR_Fal.c193rmg7yw91rqxf@u.box.com. This will automatically deposit the attached proposal in the submission folder. You will receive an automated confirmation of receipt.

Name your attached proposal file as follows: MFG_SubN_Last Name_First Name. For example, the second (corrected or updated) proposal submitted from Groucho Marx would be named "MFG_Sub2_Marx_Groucho" His first submission would have been "MFG_Sub1_Marx_Groucho"