CCIL Planning Grant Program

Overview

This one-time support provides up to $25,000 in funding to spark innovative research projects that have promise to earn future external and federal funding. Project costs may include UIUC supplies, staff time, and research facility use fees. Funds sent external from the university to other institutions must receive prior approval from the CCIL. The funds  cannot support tenure-track faculty salaries.

Important Dates and Deadlines

• Proposal Due Date: Rolling, submit any time
• Award Notification: Most decisions will be made one week after submission of application
• Funding Release Date: Within one month of award

Proposal Preparation

All required information must be entered directly into the application form. Supplemental attachments will not be accepted. You will be asked to provide:

• Project title, description, expected outcomes/outputs, total amount requested, funding purpose, and project duration.
• Research team details, including member names, roles (PI, Co-PI, Co-Investigator), primary affiliation, position/title, and contact information.
• PI’s home department and the name/contact information of the University of Illinois department business office manager responsible for administrative or budgetary matters.

Note: Indirect costs and PI salaries are not allowable.

Award Expectations and Reporting

Awardees are expected to provide a semi-annual progress report regarding the outcomes of their project highlighting external funding received, patents, awards, and publications accepted. These reports are collected for five years to help us track return on investment as part of the Cancer Center Support Grant reporting requirements.

Review Criteria

Reviewers will evaluate each criterion on a scale of 1-9, consistent with the standard practice for NIH applications.

• Significance: Does the project address an important problem or a critical barrier to progress in the field? Is there a strong scientific premise for the project? If project aims are achieved, how will scientific knowledge or technical capabilities be enhanced? How will the successful completion of the aims change the concepts, methods, technologies, treatments, services, or preventative interventions that drive the field of cancer research? How will this project contribute to the CCIL scientific program(s) and support and advance the goals of the CCIL?
• Investigator(s)/Research Team: Are the PIs, collaborators, and other researchers well suited to the project? If the PI is an early-stage investigator or in the early stages of their independent career, do they have appropriate experience and training? For this collaborative project, do the investigators have complementary and integrated expertise that spans the themes of the CCIL programs?
• Innovation: Does the proposal seek to shift current cancer research paradigms by utilizing novel theoretical concepts, approaches or methodologies, instrumentation, or interventions?
• Approach: Are the overall strategies, methodologies, and analyses well-reasoned and appropriate to accomplish the project’s specific aims? Have the investigators presented strategies to ensure a rigorous and unbiased approach, as appropriate for the work proposed? Are potential problems, alternative strategies, and benchmarks for success presented?
• Milestones: Are milestones provided that ensure a high likelihood of progress? How likely is the formulation and submission of a multi-PI project application to a funding agency?