2023 Request for Proposals: The Colton Center for Autoimmunity at Yale

Overview

The Colton Center for Autoimmunity at Yale is requesting research proposals dedicated to advancinginnovative and translational research in autoimmune and allergic diseases, including the development of novel diagnostics and the identification of therapeutic targets and therapeutic agents. The Center willsupport Pilot and Development grants, as described below, with the goal to advance research findings to a stage at which technology transfer to a commercial partner or start-up company is feasible. Projects will be evaluated for funding by the Advisory Committee of the Colton Center, comprised of academic and pharmaceutical industry scientists, as well as life science investors and technology transfer experts, with confidentiality maintained during review and assessment of proposals.

Application Timeline

Application Due Date January 23, 2023

Announcement of Awards June 1, 2023

Funding Start Date July 1, 2023

Applicant Eligibility

All Yale faculty (assistant, associate and full professors, and non-ladder research track) are eligible to submit proposals. Multi-PI applications, including from inter-disciplinary investigators, are acceptable.

Areas of Interest

The Center is devoted to developing new or improved diagnostics, therapeutic targets and/or therapeutics for patients with autoimmune or allergic diseases. Specific areas of interest include, but are not limited to:

1. Identification of potential therapeutic targets and novel approaches for the diagnosis and/ortreatment of autoimmune or allergic diseases. The scope of interest is broad and includes, but not limited to:
   • Identifying and understanding pro-inflammatory microenvironments within target tissues.
   • Understanding the fundamental regulation of immune system activation and suppression by co-regulatory molecules and/or regulatory cells.
   • Mechanisms of microbial control and/or induction of regulatory responses.
   • Identification of therapeutically-modifiable activities of the microbiota on autoimmunity or allergy.
   • Elucidating the role of innate immune cells in homeostasis, and autoimmunity or allergy.
   • Elucidating the role of adaptive immunity in autoimmune or allergic diseases.
   • Identifying cell surface receptors and receptor:ligand interactions on immune and/or relevant non-immune cells subtypes that could be therapeutically targeted.
   • Identifying new, repurposed, or novel combinations of therapeutic agents.
   • Development of autoimmune or allergic disease models that enable preclinical evaluation of new or repurposed therapeutic strategies.
   • Functional genomic approaches to identify therapeutic drug targets.
   • Engineered approaches to treat autoimmune or allergic diseases.

1. Selection of patients with autoimmune or allergic disease(s) that are most likely to respond to a given therapy. The scope of this area is also broad and could include:
   • Technologies, including tools for biomarkers and/or diagnostics, that enable patient stratification and an improved understanding of how to subset patients in different autoimmune diseases andin allergic illnesses. This would be especially impactful for those diseases for which treatment has been challenging because of clinical heterogeneity.
   • Biomarkers that identify responders and non-responders to current therapies.
   • Generation of novel patient databases along with a defined implementation pathway toward use of same for development of novel biomarkers or therapies. This would include development ofcohorts that could be used for identification of new diagnostic markers or for future early stageclinical trials (support for clinical trials is not allowed).

These suggestions provide examples and are not exclusive. The essential component is that the project must have a goal of delivering a diagnostic or therapeutic for autoimmune or allergic diseases with a plan toward commercialization and clinical development.

If you have any questions, please email the Colton Center for Autoimmunity at Yale at coltoncenter@yale.edu.

Awards

Pilot Grants: Pilot Grant awards will be for twelve months, typically between $50,000 and

$100,000 (direct costs), not exceeding the latter. Pilot Grants are intended to support exploratory projectsand proof-of-concept activities with the goal of generating a Development Grant proposal.

Development Grants: Development Grants will support more firmly grounded projects at higher amounts, typically $100,000 to $200,000 (direct costs) over a period of up to 2 years.

Development Grants might be extensions of successful Pilot Grants, or new projects with great potential. Grants will have the near-term goal of moving a project toward filing of intellectual property, with thelonger-term goal for out-licensing and/or partnership with pharmaceutical or biotech industry. Development Grants will include progress review toward the end of the first year of support.

Selected grant applicants may be requested to provide an oral presentation (guidelines for presentation to be provided beforehand) to the Advisory Committee before final funding decisions are made.

The Advisory Committee may adjust requested funding levels and duration of grants.

Guidelines for Proposals

1. Each investigator may submit only one proposal in each category per grant cycle.
2. A separate proposal is required for each type of grant application.
3. The proposal should include:
   1. Cover page with Name, Faculty Title, Department (Section or Division, if applicable), Title ofProposal, Type of Grant, and a non-confidential Description of the Project (limit to 3 lines)
   2. Specific Aims
   3. Background and Relevance to Autoimmune or Allergic Disease(s)
   4. Innovation
   5. Research Strategy
   6. Milestones
   7. Plan for Translational Development
   8. Items b-g should be limited to 2 pages, inclusive (single spaced, 11-point font, 0.5-inch margins)
   9. Figures (limit to one page, with margins as in h above, not included in page limit)
   10. References (not included in page limit)
4. On a separate page, please provide a budget, including allocation for salaries, supplies, and other necessary items, with budget justification. PI salaries are restricted to 5% of total costs requested. Salaries for other personnel are permitted.
5. Append NIH biosketch (5-page) of PI and other key personnel.
6. Prepare as one (1) .pdf document containing 3-5 above.

Terms and Conditions

Grant Term: July 1 – June 30

Time and Effort: All personnel must commit time and effort appropriate to their roles on the project. Funding will not be subject to Yale indirect expense charges. Funding may only be used for researchapproved by the Colton Center and may not be used for any other purpose. Budget items may not include equipment, computers, or travel, with PI salary limited to 5% effort at NIH cap.

Research Plan and Milestones: Colton Center awards are made upon approval of research plan and research milestones. The achievement of milestones will be important in assessment of progress, and continuation of funding, if requested. Projects may be terminated if agreed upon research goals andmilestones are not met. It may be possible to revise the research plan and/or budget upon request during the project period, subject to approval from the Colton Center.

Research Compliance: Colton Center grants are internal funding and will not require approval of YaleOffice of Sponsored Projects (OSP). The PI and department are responsible for meeting all compliance requirements with the award, including approval for animal and/or human subjects research, if applicable.

Overlapping Funding: Awardees must inform the Colton Center if internal or external funding is obtained to support any of the specific aims of the Colton Center proposal. Overlapping funds 

provided by the Center may be reallocated provided those activities are directly related to the funded project and approved in writing by the Center.