Paceline Awards - 2025 Event

Purpose

The Georgia Cancer Center is excited to announce the 2025 RFA for Paceline Awards leading to external funding aligned with NCI designation. Paceline fundraising efforts will support research activities at the Georgia Cancer Center in our mission to reduce the burden of cancer in Georgia and across the globe through superior care, innovation and education. To this effect, we are calling for proposals that further our mission and support our goal to achieve NCI designation. Eligible research categories include Basic Science, Clinical/Translational, and Population/Health Disparities Research.  Each of these categories may be addressed by the following types of projects: PI-Initiated; Early-Career Investigators (Faculty within 7 years of their first faculty appointment); Multi-PI; and Trainee Mentored Research (for trainees in conjunction with a mentor; all trainees are eligible and highly encouraged to apply, including graduate students, postdoctoral fellows, research assistants, research associates, clinical fellows, residents, etc.). All awards are intended to generate preliminary data (including that for high-risk, high-reward research) to seed competitive, peer-reviewed, external grant applications, leading to the sustained extramural support needed for NCI designation.

Amount: Top-scoring peer-reviewed projects will be eligible to compete for up to $50,000 or $35,000 (Trainees).  

Descriptions of Subject Categories

  • Basic Science: Projects that investigate the etiology of cancer genesis, progression, and metastasis or mechanisms of resistance. These studies will generate preliminary data on new areas of research that will lead to the submission of cancer-focused grant proposals to any NIH branch or other agencies that may support NCI designation.  
  • Clinical/Translational Research: These studies help transition a bench discovery into the clinic or bring back observations from the clinic for further investigation in the lab (e.g., biomarker discovery, research on mechanisms of response or resistance to therapy, physiopathology of unexplained or unexpected complications, etc.). Priority will be given to studies that originate from research performed at the Georgia Cancer Center. Collaborations between laboratory investigators and a clinical investigator are encouraged.  
  • Population/Health Disparities Research: These studies aim to understand or to address cancer in underrepresented populations, specifically in minorities as defined by (OMB): The minority racial and ethnic groups defined by OMB are American Indian or Alaska Native, Asian, Black or African American, and Native Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander. The ethnicity used is Latino or Hispanic. Included are studies that aim to understand healthcare disparities and approaches to overcome them. Research related to cancer survivorship is also eligible.  

Descriptions of Project Types

  • PI-Initiated: This research led by an individual PI will generate preliminary data that will seed sustained extramural support needed for NCI designation. (Maximum budget request $50,000) 
  • Early Career Investigator: Faculty at the level of Instructor, Assistant Research Scientist, or Assistant Professor within 7 years of initial appointment. Funds can be used for travel to one scientific meeting if requested in budget. (Maximum budget request $50,000) 
  • Multi-PI Projects: will propose innovative research that requires teams of investigators with complementary expertise. The goal of this mechanism is to support Multi-PI projects that can help develop projects that will lead to large multi-PI or program project-like grants. These projects require a 200-word description of the complementary expertise and how the project will lead to externally funded Multi-PI projects in the future.  Based on a favorable progress report, these projects may be eligible for a second-year extension. (Maximum budget request $50,000) 
  • Trainee Mentored Research: These studies are conducted by trainees, including graduate students, postdoctoral fellows, research assistants, research associates, clinical fellows, residents, etc. These projects can involve basic, translational, clinical, or population health research. A faculty mentor must be identified for this research, and the awardee and mentor will work closely together in the design and conduct of the study. The work could be either ongoing research of the applicant or new research identified by the mentor where the applicant plays a major role. These grants may cover the following allowable costs, up to a maximum of $35,000: up to 50% of salary support to conduct mentored research, professional development activities, and/or travel to one national meeting to present research.  

Proposal Requirements

  1. Project summary (500 words or less), consisting of a brief background to the problem; hypothesis; clear objectives and specific aims that address the problem; what has already been done regarding this problem; approach (research and design); and the significance of the proposed work. 
  2. Cover Page to include: 
    • Title of grant 
    • Name and title of PI (and Co-PI(s), or Mentor, if applicable) 
    • Subject Category (basic science research; clinical/translational research; population/health disparities research) 
    • Grant type (PI-Initiated; Early-Career Investigator; Multi-PI; or Trainee Mentored Research) 
    • Name and title of mentor, if applicable 
    • 2025 Paceline Participation  
    • Plans for the submission of the resulting data as an external grant application, to include grant type and submission timeline. 
  1. Research Plan (2 pages or less, margins measuring at least 0.5 inch, 11-point Arial font). The Research Plan should include:  
    • Background  
    • Hypothesis 
    • Specific aims 
    • Significance and Innovation (Factor 1) 
    • Statistics, Rigor, and Approach (Factor 2) 
    • A timeline depicting the anticipated progress of the studies within this award 
  1. References (No page Limit) 
  1. Budget and Justification of Expenditures (No page limit) 
  2. Other Attachments
    • NIH Biosketch for all PIs and Mentors  
    • Other support  
    • Multi-PI justification for Multi-PI proposals: A 200-word description of the complementary expertise and how this project will lead to externally-funded Multi-PI projects in the future 
    • Early-Career Investigators: give a timeline of your first faculty appointment 
    • Trainee Mentored Research proposals:  
    • A 200-word description of the applicant and his/her future goal 
    • A letter of support from the Mentor: The letter should state the Mentor’s qualifications, support for the candidate, and the mentorship plan related to the proposed project 
    • If ongoing research, a description of the additional research to be conducted that would require funding and more time for completion. 

 

Eligibility/Criteria

  • PI (and mentor when applicable) must be member of the Georgia Cancer Center.  
  • Lead PI on multi-PI grants must be a GCC member. (Please contact Lisa Middleton for a list of GCC members) 
  • The research must be cancer-related. 
  • Current funding level is irrelevant for the purposes of this award. 
  • Preliminary data is preferred but not required; when no preliminary data available, a strong background and description of feasibility of hypothesis is necessary. 
  • Funding must not be used for large equipment or PI salary support or travel (except for the Early-Career Investigator and Trainee Mentored Research, as described above) 
  • Funding will be for one year without the possibility of extension (except for the Multi-PI Projects, as described above).  
  • Awardees will be required to submit a progress report at the end of the funding cycle (i.e., 1 year after release of funds).  
  • Please contact Charles Woody with questions or concerns. 

Deadline

Submit Proposals by 11:59 pm, December 14th, 2025

Reduce the Burden

The Georgia Cancer Center at Augusta University is dedicated to reducing the burden of cancer in Georgia and across the globe through superior care, innovation, and education. Through unprecedented expansion, the Georgia Cancer Center is providing access to more first-in-the-nation clinical trials, world-renowned experts and life-saving options.

Education & Research

M. Bert Storey Research
706-721-0570
cancer@augusta.edu

Care & Treatment

Outpatient Services Clinic
706-721-6744
https://www.wellstar.org/

 

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