Spark Pilot Awards

Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) – 2025

The purpose of the WVUCI Spark Pilot Award is to support the collection of data to provide a foundation for the development of a competitive cancer-related NIH grant application.

Purpose

Pilot projects may be awarded to new or established investigators, preparatory to the development of an application for independent peer-reviewed support, or to take maximum advantage of a unique research opportunity, nurture an innovative idea, stimulate growth in grant funding in a high priority research area, or encourage cross-disciplinary translational research.

Eligibility

• May be individual or multiple principal investigators (PI or MPIs).
• At least one PI must be a WVUCI member in good standing at the time of application, and all investigators must be full-time WVU faculty in good standing.
• A PI may only submit one Spark Pilot Award application per year, but they can serve as a Co-I, consultant, collaborator, or mentor on an unlimited number of applications.
• An investigator may only serve as PI on one funded WVUCI intramural award at a time.

Application and Submission Guidelines

Spark Pilot Award General Features

• Award duration: 12 months
• Award amount: Up to $75,000; budget requests must be justified, and there is no minimum budget amount.
• The Spark Pilot Award is intended to support the pursuit of NCI/cancer-focused NIH grant funding that is at least an R01 equivalent (>$250k/year DC).
• Applications should be hypothesis-driven and not focused on training or career development (e.g., F31, F32, T32, etc.).
• LOI due: One month before full application.

• NIH Formatting: 11 Arial font, single-spaced, 0.5-inch margins.
• Required components:
  • Page 1: Fillable Spark Pilot Award cover page (downloaded from website).
  • Page 2: Abstract/Summary (30 lines or less).
  • Pages 3 & 4: Budget form (downloaded from website; see allowed expenditures below).
  • Page 5: NIH-style Specific Aims (1-page max).
  • Pages 6-9: Research Strategy (4-page max; follows NIH format: Significance, Innovation, Approach).
  • Unlimited pages: Cited literature.
  • Multi-PI leadership plan if applicable (1-page max).
  • Plan for NIH grant application submission (1-page max).
  • NIH-formatted Biosketches for all personnel.
  • For all key personnel, list current and prior (within 36 months) WVUCI intramural research-related awards, start-up funds, or bridge funds, along with key products (e.g., resulting publications, peer-reviewed grant funding, clinical trial development/accruals).

Budget

Total awards are dependent upon available funding. This award supports project costs up to $75,000.

Expenditures Allowed

• Research supplies
• Research staff salary (graduate student stipends, post-doc salaries, technician salaries, undergraduate assistant salaries)
• Consultant costs
• Computers (if directly required for data collection and not otherwise available to the research team, with justification)
• Shared resource fees at WVU or partner sites
• Per diem charges for animals
• Travel related to data collection
• Equipment/software/technology costing less than $5000
• Equipment/software/technology costing more than $5001 (requires detailed justification, including a statement on existing availability on campus)
• Publication costs up to $3000 for associated proposed research

Expenditures NOT Allowed

• Faculty salary and related expenses
• Administrative, secretarial, or editorial salary support
• Office supplies or computers
• Tuition
• Travel to conferences
• Subcontracts to other institutions (unless core services, case-by-case approval required)
• Pre- or post-award management costs
• Non-medical or personnel services to patients
• Other expenses not typically allowed by NIH

Review Process

• The WVUCI Deputy Director will create a peer-review committee to evaluate and score each application.
• Committee members will be selected based on expertise and to avoid conflicts of interest.
• Each submission will have a primary and secondary reviewer, with discussions and scoring by the full committee.
• Review criteria include scientific rigor, NIH application plan, likelihood of NIH funding success, and suitability of research team.
• Scores will be reviewed by the Executive Committee, which will recommend funding decisions to the WVUCI Deputy Director.
• The number of funded applications will depend on scores and available WVUCI funds.

Spark Pilot Award Deadlines

Contact Information

For any questions, please contact:

Ms. Annie Prestrud
WVUCI Grants Administrator
Email: ann.prestrud@hsc.wvu.edu