DoD Tuberous Sclerosis 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: • 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. • 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. • Preliminary Data: Unpublished results from the laboratory of the Principal Investigator (PI) or collaborators named on this application, and/or data from the published literature that are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 Investigators (New for FY16): The FY16 Idea Development Award mechanism encourages applications from investigators in the early stages of their careers. The New Investigator category of this award mechanism is designed to allow applicants early in their faculty appointments, or in the process of developing independent research careers, to compete for funding separately from Established Investigators. Applications from New Investigators and Established Investigators will be peer- and programmatically reviewed in separate groups. PIs applying under the New 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. It is the responsibility of the PI to describe how the collaboration(s) will augment his/her expertise to best address the research question. All New Investigator applicants must meet specific eligibility criteria as described in Section I.D., Eligibility Information.

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