DOD, Tuberous Sclerosis Complex Research Program, Idea Development Award

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The Idea Development Award promotes ideas that have the potential to yield high-impact findings and new avenues of investigation. This award mechanism supports conceptually innovative research that could ultimately lead to critical discoveries in TSC research and/or improvements in patient care. Research projects should include a well-formulated, testable hypothesis based on strong preliminary data and scientific rationale. The following are important aspects of the Idea Development Award: Impact: Applications should articulate both the short- and long-term impact of the proposed research. High-impact research will, if successful, significantly advance TSC research and/or patient care. Innovation: Innovative research may introduce a new paradigm, challenge existing paradigms, look at existing problems from new perspectives, or exhibit other uniquely creative qualities that may include high-risk/potentially high-gain approaches to TSC research. Research that is merely an incremental advance (the next logical step) is not considered innovative. Although not all-inclusive, the following examples are ways in which the proposed research project may be innovative: -Explores a novel idea and/or research question in TSC research and/or patient care. -Uses or develops novel methods or technologies to address a question in TSC research and/or patient care. -Applies or adapts existing methods or technologies for novel TSC research or clinical purposes that differ fundamentally from those originally intended. Preliminary Data: Unpublished results from the laboratory of the Principal Investigator (PI) or collaborators named on this application, and/or data from the published literature that are relevant to TSC and the proposed research project, are expected. New-to-the-Field Investigator: The FY22 TSCRP Idea Development Award mechanism encourages applications from investigators in the early stages of their TSC research career. The New-to-the-Field Investigator Option is designed to support the continued development of promising independent investigators that are early in their faculty appointments and/or the transition of established investigators from other research fields into a career in the field of TSC research. Applications to the New-to-the-Field Investigator Option will compete separately from Established Investigators submitting to the regular Idea Development Award. PIs applying under the New-to-the-Field Investigator category are strongly encouraged to strengthen their applications through collaboration with investigators experienced in TSC research and/or possessing other relevant expertise as demonstrated by a record of funding and publications.

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