Project types
Applications should
address basic or translational questions relevant to joint biology
and/or mechanisms or treatment of rheumatic/joint diseases. Applications
for clinical trials will not be accepted.
Eligibility
All MARC members are
eligible to apply for MARC Pilot Project Grants. MARC members must have
the equivalent of a faculty or instructor appointment at one of the
MARC-participating institutions (UCSD, SBPMDI, LJI, or TSRI) and have at
least one proposed or active project focused on joint biology or
pathology. Those grant applicants who are not MARC members but are
eligible for membership must have applied for membership prior to the
pre-application deadline.
Non-faculty members of MARC-participating institutions who are eligible to apply for NIH grants (e.g.
Project Scientists), by the policy of their home institution, will be
allowed to apply for MARC Pilot Project Grants, provided they include
letters of support from both their institution and from an established
MARC member with their application. New investigators (as defined by the
NIH) are strongly encouraged to apply. Previous awardees are not
eligible to reapply. Postdoctoral fellows are not eligible. Medical
fellows should send an inquiry to
marcadmin@health.ucsd.edu to discuss eligibility. Only one pilot proposal may be submitted by a Principal Investigator per cycle.
Funding levels and matching funds
New investigators: $25,000-$50,000 for 1 year, depending on the application's score
*Please note, the amount budgeted for in the application is the maximum amount that can be given.
Established investigators: up to $25,000 for 1 year
Matching funds:
In some cases, applicants may be eligible for a second year of matched
funding from their home department or institution if sufficient progress
is achieved in the first year and the home institution/department is willing to participate in matching the funds. Availability of matching funds varies
between departments and institutions. Please e-mail the MARC coordinator
to inquire about the availability of and eligibility for second year
matching funds.
Vouchers:
Projects may additionally request MARC vouchers to pay for MARC Core
services (ranging from $1,000-$5,000). Please see the MARC website for
further details.
Investigators have one full year to spend the
funds. All funds not spent by the end date of the Pilot Project award
will be returned to the MARC. No extensions can be granted.