NANETS Theragonistics Investigator Grant (NTIG)

Purpose

This NANETS Theragonistics Investigator Grant (NTIG) is intended to encourage scientists at the end of their fellowship who have secured a faculty appointment or beginning of their faculty appointment to push forward the boundaries of molecularly targeted radionuclide therapy and diagnostics for patients with neuroendocrine tumors.  Personalized, molecularly targeted Theragnostics requires input from many spheres of human biology including, but not limited to, nuclear physics and chemistry, genetics, proteomics, bioinformatics, epidemiology, and patient-centered outcomes research. NANETS welcomes innovative applications in development of new diagnostic and therapeutic radionuclides, pre-clinical studies of Theragnostics combined with other modalities of treatment, investigator-initiated clinical trials, and studies of health care economics. The NANETS Theragnostics investigator’s focus may be in any basic science, pre-clinical, or clinical arena so long as the approach for conducting the studies includes a supportive, multi-disciplinary environment including a strong mentoring team well versed in Theragnostics. 

Award Sponsor

The 2022 NANETS Theragnostics Investigator Grant is supported by NANETS, with anticipated additional support by Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation on behalf of Advanced Accelerator Applications.

Award Term

The NANETS Theragnostics Investigator Grant is a two-year award and will provide $50,000 in funding each year, which will be directed to the sponsoring institution. The NTIG recipient will be expected to present their findings as a poster or oral presentation at the NANETS Annual Symposium.  At the conclusion of the first year, the recipient must provide NANETS with a written progress report of the project and a budget reconciliation. At the end of the second calendar year, the progress summary must include the following:

  • Scientific summary of the research project
  • Budget reconciliation
  • Any lessons learned that would be useful to other research scientists
  • Investigator’s future clinical and research plans, especially in regards to the field of neuroendocrine tumors
  • Listing of reference citations for all articles or presentations arising from the recipient’s research project
  • Description of how the NTIG has impacted recipient’s career

Eligibility

  • Candidates must have a MD, MD/PhD, PhD, DO degree or equivalent
  • At the time of funding, candidates must be:
    • Within 6 years of starting their first faculty position and currently have an academic appointment at an accredited medical school or other institution in North America,
    • OR hold a postdoctoral fellowship appointment at an accredited medical school or other institution in North America.
  • Candidates must illustrate that they have a strong mentoring team and are in an appropriately supportive environment to facilitate multispecialty involvement in their research
  • Candidates must have a clear commitment to the advancement of theragnostics in the diagnosis and treatment of NETs
  • Candidates must be a NANETS member
  • Previous recipients of BTSI or NCIS awards are not eligible to apply. 

Selection Criteria

Criteria for selection will include both the research proposal itself and the potential of the individual to make future scientific and/or clinical contributions to the neuroendocrine tumor field. Strong emphasis will be placed on the career development plan and the applicant’s personal statements, as well as the research proposal. The research proposals section should focus on research projects with the potential to directly impact and improve the treatment of patients with neuroendocrine tumors. Appropriate projects include basic, translational or clinical research in the area of theragnostics and NETs.  This includes (but is not limited to) studies of neuroendocrine tumor genetics, physiology, nuclear physics and biology, epidemiology, risk factors, clinical outcomes, novel treatment strategies, and translational research projects with clear clinical significance. The research proposal can include the development of a clinical trial and/or correlative studies involving existing clinical trials.

Grant Application

The grant application must have the following components in the order listed: 

Please use only Arial or Times New Roman fonts with a font size of 11. Please produce a single PDF file.

  1. Title page: Applicant Name, Project Title, Institution
  2. Career Development Plan (1-2 pages): written by the mentor and applicant. This should include intramural coursework/seminars, protected time, participation in intramural clinical trials and plans to attend national meetings focused on neuroendocrine tumors.
  3. Personal Statement by the Candidate (1-2 pages): the applicant should include description of any past research projects, evidence of interest in neuroendocrine tumors, and description of how the project will contribute to the future development of the candidate as a clinician and/or investigator in the field of neuroendocrine tumors, specifically in the area of theragnostics.
  4. NIH Biosketch of the Applicant (5 page maximum)
  5. NIH Biosketch of the Mentor/Mentoring Team (5 page maximum)
  6. Letter of Institutional Support (1 page)
  7. Research Plan (no more than 3 pages) containing the following elements
    1. Specific Aims
    2. Background and Significance
    3. Preliminary Data (if available)
    4. Methods
  8. Proposed Budget: The funds can be used to support the salary of the applicant, research costs and/or travel.  Indirect expenses are capped @ 5%.  This budget should include anticipated travel to the NANETS Annual Symposium to present research findings.

Review Process

Deadline for submission of the application is June 13, 2018 (11:59 pm PDT) and will be done online.  You must be logged in to access the application. Join or Login now. An email will be sent to confirm your submission was received.  Applications will be reviewed by members of the NANETS Review Committee and presented to the NANETS Board of Directors for final vote and approval. Notification to the recipient will be made by July 31, 2018, and funds will be dispersed to the sponsoring institution upon receipt of a signed letter of agreement and no later than December 31, 2018. 

Disclaimer

Funding of this award is subject to the approval and availability of grant funds appropriated to NANETS. Therefore, NANETS reserves the right to alter, the number of investigator awards, terms and allowances.

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