SUBJECT:

Funding Opportunity – Seed Grants in Microbiome Sciences

We are delighted to announce the Center for Microbiome Innovation is working in concert with UC San Diego's Department of Pediatrics, Skaggs School of Pharmacy & Pharmaceutical Sciences, Microbiome and Microbial Sciences Initiative and Collaborative Center for Mass Spectrometry to support rounds of seed grants for microbiome science, with three years of funding available to jump start microbiome research in San Diego. We are especially interested in sparking new research collaborations with a microbiome focus that will lead to exciting new science and extramural funding. Strong applications from the community are important.

GOALS OF THE SEED GRANT PROGRAM ARE:
(i) Generate large datasets that span many sample types, and different clinical or environmental conditions, with paired metagenomic and microbiome data,
(ii) Support external grant applications on such topics,
(iii) Give many investigators on campus hands-on experience with such data relevant to their own projects,
(iv) Establish precedent that we can create massive and unprecedented cross-campus dataset with standard protocols that new studies including those from companies can integrate into.

In-kind support is available for reagents and data analysis for microbiome sequencing and mass spectrometry on matched samples that are suitable for both techniques. Research will be performed collaboratively with Rob Knight's lab, Pieter Dorrestein's lab or other labs as appropriate depending on details of the analysis. Because microbiome science is generally a new area in San Diego, proposals will be reviewed based on potential, and the review panel will work with you to improve the science. Free analysis workshops will be set up moving forward in groups to assist in analysis of data.

Please apply online via the Center for Microbiome Innovation website
http://jacobsschool.ucsd.edu/microbiome/grant_form.sfe

Please submit questions and comments to Lisa Cassidy, Lcassidy@ucsd.edu.

Rob Knight Director, Center for Microbiome Innovation Professor, Departments of Pediatrics and Computer Science & Engineering Sandra Brown Vice Chancellor, Research Affairs