The mandatory Responsible Conduct of Research (RCR) training applies to ALL full-time faculty, staff, graduate students or trainees (undergraduates, postdoctoral fellows, visiting scientists) who participate in research or creative work. This mandate also includes any individual supported in part or fully through research funding, grants, and contracts.

The deadline to complete Responsible Conduct of Research In-Person Training/Discussion is May 31, 2023. To find available session dates, visit the RCR Events page. Sessions are added as they become available.

May 10, 2023 | 12-1PM

Ilhem Messaoudi (Microbiology, Immunology and Molecular Genetics) and Erin Haynes (Epidemiology and Environmental Health) 

Zoom Link: https://uky.zoom.us/j/87433212500 

Phone: 646-876-9923 Meeting ID: 874 3321 2500

The UK Center for Clinical and Translational Science (CCTS) is now accepting applications for collaborative pilot projects.

Within the general guidelines outlined below, the types of projects that will be considered within these mechanisms include projects that:

• Provide support for early career investigators.
• Stimulate the development of new clinical and translational inter- and multidisciplinary teams.
• Promote community-based research.
• Develop new methodologies to leverage institutional strengths and new initiatives.
• Pursue high-risk, high reward studies.
• Promote translational science.

UK CCTS/AI in Medicine Pilot Award

Artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) are transforming biomedical research and health care delivery, enhancing clinical care, and speeding scientific discovery. The recent coalescence of big data, accelerated computing, and deep learning has yielded remarkable results across research discovery and translational medicine. AI has emerged as a promising tool to improve patient outcomes and reduce cost by providing insights from clinical data across medical domains, including cancer, neuroscience, aging, substance use disorder and more.

The purpose of this funding mechanism is to support development of AI research teams with the resources to compete for externally funded grant awards by providing pilot or preliminary data to support grant applications, manuscripts, and new research teams.

• The awards co-funded by CCTS, AIM and IBI will be $20,000-$25,000 which must be spent over 12 months. It is anticipated that 3-4 pilot projects will be supported.

UK CCTS/Alliance for Diabetes and Obesity Research (ADORE) Pilot Award

Kentucky's adult obesity rate has climbed dramatically over the last two decades. The state now has the fifth highest adult obesity rate in the nation – 36.6 percent, up from 21.7 percent in 2000 – and the third highest obesity rate for youth ages 10 to 17. Obesity is far more complicated than a simple accumulation of fat. The metabolic changes that occur with obesity result in an increase in cardiovascular risk factors, poor bone quality, and insulin resistance. This last complication is directly related to 13.8 percent of Kentucky’s adult population having diabetes.

• Although anyone in the diabetes/obesity research area can apply, preference will be given to projects that use the ADORE tissue bank, and/or junior investigators.
• One award co-funded by the CCTS and ADORE alliance will be up to $50,000 which must be spent over 12 months

UK CCTS/COVID-19 Unified Research Experts (CURE) Pilot Award

The goals of the CURE research alliance are to support and enhance research in the area of infectious diseases with an emphasis (but not limited to) emerging and re-emerging infectious diseases. Research spanning from basic to clinical spectrum are welcomed. We also high encourage submission of research projects that are at the intersection of infectious diseases and the established UK Research Priority Areas as well as collaborations with other Alliances.

• The awards co-funded by CCTS and CURE will be up to $20,000 which must be spent over 12 months. It is anticipated that 3 projects will be supported.

UK CCTS/Kentucky Research Alliance for Lung Disease (K-RALD) Pilot Award

Lung disease is the third leading cause of death in the U.S. and a significant health problem in Kentucky, and the COVID-19 pandemic has shined a spotlight on the public vulnerability to respiratory pathogens and the need for basic and clinical research to develop new therapeutic interventions. The purpose of the Kentucky Research Alliance for Lung Disease (K-RALD) is to develop a transdisciplinary, translational platform for the investigation of lung diseases. Included within this scope are translational studies of lung diseases such as acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), respiratory infections, interstitial lung diseases, pulmonary fibrosis, asthma, COPD, and cystic fibrosis. Learn more

• The awards co-funded by CCTS and K-RALD will be up to $25,000 which must be spent over 12 months. It is anticipated that 2 projects will be supported.

UK CCTS/mHealth Application Modernization and Mobilization Alliance (MAMMA) Pilot Award

The overall goal of this alliance is to leverage the knowledge, experience, and skillset of the transdisciplinary alliance members to create resources that can be used by junior faculty and others new to mHealth research. Through mentorship, linkage to existing resources, and assistance with customized protocols for our existing mHealth platform, we will facilitate the development of research programs in faculty new to mHealth research. We expect that these efforts will also lead to new grant funding among these new faculty, as well as among teams of senior and junior faculty who can leverage a robust smartphone app platform to propose large-scale, collaborative grants. Learn more

• The awards co-funded by CCTS and MAMMA will be up to $30,000 which must be spent over 12 months. It is anticipated that 2 projects will be supported.

UK CCTS/Maternal and Pediatric Research Alliance (MaPRA) Pilot Award

The Maternal & Pediatric Research Alliance (MaPRA) is inviting applications for pilot proposals that are in alignment with the stated goals and purpose of the Alliance. Specific areas of funding interest include projects that involve multiple departments (including the 3 founding MaPRA departments, Pediatrics, Obstetrics/MFM, Immunology), and collaborative involvement of clinicians and/or clinician scientists. Potential for project development leading to new and fundable teams is also encouraged.

• The awards co-funded by CCTS and MaPRA will be up to $25,000 which must be spent over 12 months. It is anticipated that 2 projects will be supported.

UK CCTS/T Cells to Induce Liver Tolerance (TILT) Pilot Award

Manufacturing Optimization of Regulatory T cells for Clinical Application in Solid Organ Transplantation

TILT alliance is working in the development of projects related to tolerance induction in solid organ transplantation (SOT) with special focus on the use of adoptive Treg cell immunotherapy. This is a high risk/high yield therapeutic approach that can reduce drug-related toxicity in SOT patients by enabling immunosuppression minimization or even withdrawal while sustaining allograft survival. The UK Transplant Center is one of the only 7 active programs in the US approved by the FDA to use this therapeutic modality in SOT. This approach may have implications beyond the field of transplantation as it is being tested in other immuno-related conditions such as autoimmune diseases, graft versus host disease (GVHD) and type I diabetes.

Funds will be available for 1 project up to $20,000 to enhance the manufacturing process of primary human Treg cells and improve consistency and quality of the final cell product. The areas of interest include but are not limited to the assessment of phenotypic, molecular and metabolic signatures (single or combinatory markers) linked to expansion rates, suppressor activity and lineage stability.

• One award co-funded by CCTS and TILT will be up to $20,000 which must be spent over 12 months.

Purpose: The Health Resources and Services Administration announces the opportunity to apply for funding under the FY 2023 State Maternal Health Innovation (State MHI) program. The purpose of this program is to reduce maternal mortality and severe maternal morbidity (SMM) 1 by supporting state-led demonstrations focused on improving maternal health and addressing maternal health disparities through quality services, a skilled workforce, enhanced data quality and capacity, and innovative programming. This program also engages public health professionals, providers, payers, and consumers through state-led Maternal Health Task Forces (MHTF). These Task Forces review state-specific maternal health data and then implement evidence-based interventions and innovations that address critical gaps. FY 2023 funding for this program seeks to provide support to expand to new states focused on improving maternal health. Potential applicants should design submissions to implement innovations to improve health outcomes, develop state-specific plans that will guide maternal health efforts, and enhance measurement of maternal health outcomes.

The goal of the State Maternal Health Innovation Program is to improve maternal health in the United States. This will be achieved by supporting multidisciplinary collaboration; collecting and analyzing maternal health data; and promoting and executing innovation in maternal health service delivery to advance evidence-informed strategies and achieve a measurable impact.



Funding Amount/Project Period: up to $2,000,000 per year for 5 years dependent on annual state birthrates

Internal Competition: To participate in the university’s selection process, please upload the following, assembled into a single PDF file, to the Office of the Vice President for Research via this portal with a copy to your Associate Dean for Research by May 2, 2023:

1. Names and departments/affiliations of the Project Director and other key personnel or partners
2. Title of program and/or funding opportunity announcement number
3. Brief project description (2 pages maximum)
4. Brief biographical sketch

A committee will be convened to review the material and make a recommendation.

For questions or issues with submission through the portal, email the limited submission mailbox (limitedsubmissions@uky.edu), or call 257-2861.

Agency Deadline: June 2, 2023