RFA 09-01: CIRM Disease Team Research Awards Application Instructions

RFA 09-01: Application Instructions

Application Requirements

  1. You will need a fully functional copy of Adobe Acrobat version 7 or 8 (Standard or Professional) to complete, print, and save the Project Information Form and Subparts of the application. For optimal performance, we recommend that you upgrade to Adobe Acrobat (Standard or Professional) version 8.1. Using Adobe Acrobat Reader will not permit you to save information that is entered in the form.
  2. All application materials must be received by CIRM both electronically and in hardcopy no later than 5:00pm PDT on July 16, 2009. Meeting this deadline is the applicant’s responsibility, and no exceptions will be made.
  3. Full Applications will only be accepted from applicants who 1) submitted a PreApp and 2) were invited by CIRM to submit a Full Application. The project proposed in the Full Application must be the same as that described in the Pre-Application (i.e. the same research team leadership, the same proposed therapeutic candidate and indication, and the same Preclinical Research and Development Plan. Additional detail is allowed for the Preclinical Research and Developmental Plan).
  4. A complete application includes the following five parts:
    1. Part A: Project Information Form [PDF form]; along with three subparts:
      1. Part A: Subpart I [PDF form. Updated 6.26.09] 
      2. Part A: Subpart II (Only if a Funding Partner is designated) [PDF form. Updated 6.26.09]
      3. Part A: Detailed Budget Worksheet [MS Excel Spreadsheet] 
    2. Part B: Disease Team Award Research Proposal [MS Word template]
    3. Part C: Biographical Sketches for Key Personnel [MS Word template]
    4. Part D: Institutional Letter (s) of Commitment and other letters of commitment or agreement (no template provided; see RFA 09-01 Section VIII.C. page 15 and Section VIII.C.13 page 19.)
    5. Part E: Related Business Entities [PDF form]
  5. You must download and save a copy of the templates for the Project Information Form (and its Subparts), Disease Team Award Research Proposal, Biographical Sketches for Key Personnel, and Related Business Entities Disclosure Form onto your computer. Do not open the documents directly from the CIRM web page, as the forms will not function properly. Open and use the saved copies on your computer instead.
  6. You must submit application materials both electronically and in hardcopy (original plus 5 copies, preferably double-sided) as instructed below. The original hardcopy must be signed by the applicant (Principal Investigator) and the institution’s Authorized Organizational Official (AOO). The AOO is the individual, named by the applicant organization, who is authorized to act for the applicant organization and to assume the obligations imposed by the laws, regulations, requirements, and conditions that apply to grant applications or grant awards. CIRM will not accept an application without these original signatures.
  7. Signatures: The original hardcopy of the Part A: Project Information Form must be signed by the applicant (CIRM Principal Investigator) and the Applicant Institution’s Authorized Organizational Official (AOO). The AOO is the individual, named by the Applicant Institution, who is authorized to act for the applicant organization and to assume the obligations imposed by the laws, regulations, requirements, and conditions that apply to grant applications or grant awards. CIRM will not accept an application without these original signatures.
    1. If CIRM Co-PI(s) are designated in the application, Subpart(s) I must be signed by the Co-PI and the AOO of the Co-PI’s sponsoring institution. A scanned copy of the signature page may be submitted to CIRM in lieu of a signed hardcopy.
    2. If a Collaborative Funding Partner and Partner PI are designated in the application, Subpart II must be signed by the Partner PI and the AOO from the partner Applicant Institution. A scanned copy of the signature page may be submitted to CIRM in lieu of a signed hardcopy.
  8. Written assurances of institutional approval for use of human subjects, covered stem cell lines, or vertebrate animals (where applicable) are not required at the time of application submission but will be required prior to issuance of Notice of Grant Award.

How to Apply:

We recommend that you review all documentation and submission requirements early in your preparation process. If CIRM Co-PIs and/or Collaborative Funding Partners are designated in your application, this process requires collaboration and coordination in preparation of the required documents and may impact the logistics of submission. Meeting the submission deadline is the applicant’s responsibility, and no exceptions will be made.

  1. Download and save a copy of the templates for the Project Information Form (and applicable Subparts), Disease Team Award Research Proposal, Biographical Sketches for Key Personnel (see GLOSSARY OF KEY PERSONNEL ROLES), and Related Business Entities Disclosure Form onto your computer.
  2. Complete, save, and print the Disease Team Award Project Information Form with Signature Page using the template provided. Be sure to provide all required information and observe indicated character limits
    1. CIRM-funded PIs, and if applicable CIRM-funded CO-PIs, must each complete, save, and print a separate Subpart I form, and provide it to the CIRM PI for submission to CIRM.
    2.  Collaborative Funding Partner PIs must complete, save and print a separate Subpart II form, and provide it to the CIRM PI for submission to CIRM.
  3. CIRM PIs, CIRM Co-PIs and Partner PIs must complete, save, and print the appropriate section of the Detailed Budget Worksheet (Excel Spreadsheet). All budget detail should be assembled into a single Excel Workbook for submission.
  4. Complete, save, and print the Disease Team Award Research Proposal using the template provided. The proposal may include tables and figures. CIRM will not accept pages that exceed the indicated page limit for each section. We recommend that you convert the document into a PDF file to ensure that figures, tables, and formatting are preserved for submission to CIRM.
  5. Use the templates provided to complete all Biographical Sketches for Key Personnel (see GLOSSARY OF KEY PERSONNEL ROLES). All biosketches should be assembled into a single document observing the two page limit per individual. We recommend that you convert the final document into a PDF file to ensure that formatting is preserved.
  6. Compile all letters for the research team into a single document. Provide signed Institutional Letters of Commitment per the instructions in RFA 09-01 (Section VIII.C.13, page 19) for each of the research team leaders designated in your application: CIRM PI, CIRM Co-PI(s), and Partner PI, observing the two page limit per leader. Other letters of commitment or agreement may be included.  Additional letters should be placed after the Institutional Letters of Commitment in the single document. We recommend that you convert the final document into a PDF file to ensure that formatting is preserved.   
  7. Complete, save, and print the Related Business Entities Disclosure Form. The Applicant PI should compile all information from Co-PI(s) and Partner PI into a single form. Note that every applicant, whether from a for-profit or non-profit organization, must complete and submit this form.
  8. Send electronic copies of all five parts (and applicable subparts) of the application as attachments in a single email to DiseaseTeamResearchAwards@cirm.ca.gov. This email must be received by CIRM no later than 5:00pm PDT, July 16, 2009. Meeting this deadline is the applicant’s responsibility, and no exceptions will be made. You will receive an email reply that confirms your proposal was received by CIRM. If the proposal designates a Collaborative Funding Partner, copy the designated Partner point-of-contact listed in the Appendices (Submission Requirements Table) on the electronic submission.
  9. All application materials, including the Project Information Form with original signatures, applicable Subparts, the Disease Team Award Research Proposal, Biographical Sketches for Key Personnel, and Related Business Entities Disclosure Form must be received by CIRM both electronically and in hardcopy no later than 5:00pm PDT, July 16, 2009. Meeting this deadline is the applicant’s responsibility, and no exceptions will be made.

Mail the completed original plus 5 copies (preferably double-sided) to:

Disease Team Research Awards Application
California Institute for Regenerative Medicine
210 King Street
San Francisco, CA 94107

Contact Information

For program information about this RFA:

Bettina J. Steffen, M.D.
Scientific Officer
California Institute for Regenerative Medicine
210 King Street
San Francisco, CA 94107
Email: bsteffen@cirm.ca.gov
Tel:   415-396-9120
Fax: 415-396-9141

Patricia Olson, Ph.D.
Director of Scientific Activities
California Institute for Regenerative Medicine
210 King Street
San Francisco, CA 94107
Email: polson@cirm.ca.gov
Tel: 415-396-9116
Fax: 415-396-9141

For information about the review process:

Gilberto R Sambrano, Ph.D.
Senior Officer to the Grants Working Group
California Institute for Regenerative Medicine
210 King Street
San Francisco, CA 94107
Email: gsambrano@cirm.ca.gov
Phone: (415) 396-9103
FAX: (415) 396-9141