Pilot Awards

The University of Minnesota NSC Pilot Awards are intended to provide collaboration between the awardee and the core services provided by the UMN NSC.  Projects will primarily support junior level geroscience investigators. Applications from more established investigators whose research is pivoting to aging will also be considered. 

DNA Damage & Epigenetics Core: This core provides quantitation of established age-related adduct-specific DNA damage including epigenetic DNA marks 5-methyl-dC, 5-hydroxymethyl-dC, 5-formyl-dC, and N6-methyl-dA and performs global DNA methylation and hydroxymethylation analysis by LC-MS/MS and the distribution of DNA marks using an Illumina Epic 850 DNA methylation array.

DNA Damage Signaling & Repair Core: This Core provide access to CyTOF analysis using a panel of antibodies to measure the extent of a DNA damage response, cellular senescence and inflammation as well as provide access to a rapid, quantitative assay to measure nucleotide excision repair to investigate DNA damage, DDR, senescence, and DNA repair activity during aging.

Models of Genome Instability & Aging Core: This core provides access to a unique and large collection of human cells and murine models (and a tissue bank from the mice) in which there is a DNA repair defect that can accelerated DNA damage, senescence, inflammation and aging systemically or in a cell-specific manner.

Program Manager/Core Director Consultation:

Contact the UMN NSC Program Manager and Core Leader(s) in advance to initiate planning for use of the core(s) services, budget planning, timeline development and data output expectations (analysis, figures, etc.) Consultations with Program Manager and Core Director are in lieu of a letter of intent and serve as a first step towards preparing the application. Please note that discussion with Core Directors does not guarantee pilot award funding. 

UMN NSC Program Manager: Chastity Healy

DNA Damage & Epigentic Changes: Dr. Andrew Rajczewski

DNA Damage Signaling & Repair:  CyTOF: Patrick Fehrenbach

                                                                 NER: Dr. Elizabeth Schmidt

Models of Genome Instability & Aging: Dr. Christina Camell                          

MN NSC Application

Formatting Requirements:

1. Arial 11 pt font with 0.5” margins
2. Figure and table font must be 9 pt or greater in size
3. Final submission must be a single PDF file

Required Documents and page limits:

1. COVER PAGE (1 page maximum)
   
   1. Proposal title
   2. PI/PIs – name, degree, position, academic institution, department

   3. Future Development Statement – A brief statement on how the pilot project will leverage the investigator for additional future funding (NIA R01, F- or K-award, etc.), the estimated timeframe of these future application(s), and the anticipated publication(s) resulting from the pilot project. 

2. PROPOSAL (3 pages maximum)
   
   1. Specific Aims (1 page)

   2. Research Plan (2 pages)

3. BUDGET WITH JUSTIFICATION (2 pages maximum)
   
   1. A table detailing project scope (sample #s, mouse #s, cell numbers, etc.) including costs/sample as discussed with the Core Leader is required.
   2. A brief budget justification (3-5 sentences)

   3. A summary of project planning/budget discussions with Core Leader (3-5 sentences)

4. APPLICATION SUBMISSION

Please email the completed proposal along with a current NIH biosketch to Chastity Healy, Program Manager.