Specialized Center of Research Program

Funding Agency:
Leukemia & Lymphoma Society

LLS’s Specialized Center of Research (SCOR) grant program is intended to bring together established investigators from one or several institutions to develop a focused research program, foster new interactions and cooperation, and enhance interdisciplinary research among the participants. The overall goal of this mechanism is to enhance the development of innovative strategies for the treatment, diagnosis or prevention of hematological malignancies. Strategies that move discoveries from the bench to the clinic are of high importance as are integrated translational projects.

A major emphasis in the SCOR grant program is on clinical translation of scientific results. Ideally, a SCOR application will propose a combination of basic and translational laboratory research that will lead to eventual clinical translation. There should be clear and direct “bench to bedside” translational trajectory from one or more of the Projects in the SCOR. It is important to note that the inclusion of a clinical trial in and of itself may not satisfy this requirement. Any clinical translation must be a coherent and integrated extension of other SCOR activities, and there should be substantive interactions and synergy between clinical trials and more basic or early translational Projects in the SCOR.

Each SCOR is comprised of 3-5 scientific Projects, 2-5 supportive Cores, including an administrative Core. There must be objective evidence of interdisciplinary research and the potential for synergism by linking the various Projects and Cores into a SCOR team. The quality and significance of the Projects and Cores and the enhanced productivity that is likely to be achieved by linking investigators are primary determinants of funding decisions.

A SCOR team will be judged as a unit and funding will not be available for otherwise meritorious but non-synergistic parts of an application.

 

Deadlines:

  • Required Letter of Intent: Dec. 7, 2023
  • Invited Full Application: March 28, 2024

Agency Website

Eligibility Requirements

Applicants must hold a PhD, MD, DVM, or equivalent degree and must be affiliated with a non-profit Sponsoring Institution at the time funding commences and for the duration of the award. Applications may involve multiple institutions.

The SCOR is led by an overall Principal Investigator, called the SCOR Director, who is responsible for writing and submitting the application. The SCOR Director of a funded SCOR is also responsible for the disbursement of funds to the various Projects/Cores, the conduct of the Projects and Cores, and adherence with LLS policy. Each Project/Core is led by a Project Leader/Core Leader, who is responsible for the management of that Project or Core. There must be at least three but no more than five Projects. There must be at least two scientific Cores and one administrative Core but no more than five Cores in total.

An application to any LLS grant program may not have aims that substantially overlap with the aims of any other application (either to the same program or to a different program) that includes the same investigator(s) as PI(s), Co-I(s), Project or Core Leaders, or collaborator(s). All such duplicate grant proposal submissions with substantially overlapping aims are subject to administrative disqualification, and such proposals will not be reviewed further or considered for funding. This policy applies to proposals submitted within the same application cycle, which is defined as all LLS calls for proposals – across all grant programs – that open within the same calendar year.

Amount

$5,000,000

Amount Description

  • The maximum total award is $5,000,000.
  • The maximal total annual award is $1,000,000.00 for each year of the five-year grant.
  • The maximum annual indirect cost is $150,000 (15% of total annual costs). You may claim less than 15% of the indirect costs and apply those costs to the direct costs.

Funding Type

Grant

Eligibility

Faculty
Institutional

Category

Interdisciplinary
Medical
Medical - Basic Science
Medical - Clinical Science
Medical - Translational

External Deadline

December 7, 2023