QCRG Mentored Project Awards

Overview

The QCRG (Quantitative Biosciences Institute Coronavirus Research Group), one of the NIH Antiviral Drug Discovery (AViDD) Centers for Pathogens of Pandemic Concern, has funds to support early-career researchers such as postdoctoral fellows, and early-career investigators, as well as external senior investigators new to the field of antiviral discovery and development. The goal for these mentored projects is to advance QCRG’s mission to develop clinical drug candidates with potent in vivo antiviral activity against viruses of pandemic concern, and advance a readily shared platform of technologies and target strategies applicable also to future pandemics.

Awardees will be required to participate in the Center’s annual SAB Meeting, monthly Center Scientific Meetings and other QCRG events where they will be strongly encouraged to present their research. They will also have to submit an annual progress report. Funds will be provided for one year.

Research Objectives and Scope

QCRG’s efforts are focused on eight target classes from eight viral families: Coronaviridae, Picornaviridae, Togaviridae, Flaviviridae, Hantaviridae, Arenaviridae, Nairoviridae and Paramyxoviridae. Our main focus is on SARS-CoV-2, where the following viral components will be targeted across 5 Projects: viral RNA, Nsp3 PLP and Nsp5 Mpro proteases, the Nsp3 macrodomain, the RdRp polymerase (Nsp7, Nsp8 and Nsp12), the structural proteins E and M, and the methyltransferases Nsp10/14 and Nsp16. More detailed information about the different Projects can be found on QCRG’s website: https://qcrg.ucsf.edu/projects.  

The 5 Projects are supported by 8 Cores, which provide integrated suite of experimental and computational technologies including protein purification, high-throughput screening, Cryo-EM, Cryo-ET and crystallography capabilities, computational support to structure determination and inhibitor discovery, state-of-the-art mass spectrometry, on-target compound optimization, in vitro and in vivo antiviral activity measurements. The final goal of each project is an optimized lead ready for clinical development at our industry partner, Roche. 

Proposed projects for Mentored Project Awards should address topics relevant to the QCRG research efforts, and may include specific technologies to enhance the Center’s Drug Discovery Platform, adaptation of the Center to new variants of concern or emerging RNA viruses identified as pathogens with pandemic potential, or new developments of the pharmaceutical landscape relevant to individual QCRG Projects. MPAs may encompass research to obtain preliminary data to apply for independent funding. 

Funding for this program is a maximum of $150,000 in direct costs. This program supports investigators in the conduct of a science research project aligned with the Center’s objectives, and aims to generate preliminary data for subsequent outside funding applications. Early-career awardees will be prepared for their future independence and will receive support in budget planning (QBI finance team). Awardees, regardless of their career stage, are required to mentor a summer intern as part of the award. To further foster the awardee’s career development and allow senior investigators new to the field to gain deeper understanding of antiviral discovery and development, each awardee will be paired with one senior QCRG mentor.

MPA budgets may include salary and research costs of candidates, as well as other reasonable costs. Projects are limited to two years. The activities require that each candidate have a mentor and devote at least 9.6 (CY) person months effort per year to the project. 

Eligibility Criteria

All applicants must hold a doctoral degree or equivalent terminal degree. Postdoctoral Scholars cannot have exceeded their 5th year of training at the time of application.

Clarifying update: Researchers currently supported by an AViDD award, or that have a conflict-of-interest with someone supported by an AViDD award, are not eligible to apply.

Review Criteria

Completed applications that meet eligibility requirements will be evaluated for scientific and technical merit by an appropriate review committee convened by the QCRG Administrative Core in accordance with NIH review criteria: (1) Significance, (2) Approach, (3) Innovation, (4) Investigator, (5) Environment. Each of these criteria will be addressed and considered in assigning the overall application score. Funding decisions will be based on several factors: scientific review score, alignment of proposal to the Center’s strategic goals, proposal research area of focus, and potential for an early-career level applicant to become an independent investigator.

Required Application Components

Proposals must include (1) an abstract of no more than 300 words describing the significance of the project; (2) a description of the proposed research plan limited to no more than three pages; clearly defined aims and a justification for why the proposed work is highly innovative, addresses a major challenge, and complements QCRG AViDD’s objectives;  (3) a research plan for a subproject to be carried out by an intern over a summer mentored by the applicant; (4) NIH biosketches of the applicant and their primary mentor (if applicable) and (5) a budget and budget justification of max. $150,000 in direct costs, including allocation of $7,000 to a summer intern’s salary (inclusion of salary of the applicant is optional). The applicant must allocate 9.6 person months effort per year. Projects involving human or animal subjects are only allowed if IRB approvals and IACUC protocols are approved. All applicants regardless of career stage must further indicate a faculty research mentor at the time of submission who will commit to guiding the applicant throughout the duration of the proposed project (as proven by letters of support). The mentor can be a senior QCRG AViDD faculty member (at the full professor level) or can come from any institution as long as recognized as an accomplished investigator in the antiviral discovery and development field.

All documents should be submitted as one PDF to admin-AViDD@ucsf.edu by 11:59 PM PT February 9, 2024. Please also direct any questions to admin-AViDD@ucsf.edu.

Progress Reporting

Progress reports will be due to the QCRG one month prior to the Center’s NIH progress reporting date. The funding period is a maximum of two years. Final reports will be required to include research progress, including metrics such as resulting submitted and/or accepted publications and follow-on grant applications, as well as future plans. In addition, awardees should detail if outcomes described in the application have been accomplished or justify why outcomes could not be achieved or have been modified. Progress reports will be provided to the QCRG Director and the NIH program office.