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Applications due June 5

This is a joint competition for VU and VUMC investigators. All investigators should follow these instructions.

������Ƶ (VU + VUMC, collaboratively) may nominate up to two candidates (one per project type) for the Gabrielle’s Angel Foundation for Cancer ������Ƶ opportunity.

Overview

Gabrielle’s Angel Foundation remains committed to funding innovative, translational proposals and to supporting promising independent early-career investigators, rather than well-established, senior scientists. Projects will be funded for a three-year period at $75,000.00 per year (contingent on the submission of acceptable annual progress reports.) As of 2019, applications will also be accepted from both assistant professors and associate professors for *integrative applications only.*

Project Types

It is requested that the foundation identify two outstanding junior faculty members at your institution – one who is conducting mainstream or conventional research and one who is conducting complementary or integrative research.

Integrative ������Ƶ Projects

• The foundation seeks to support integrative research projects that explore evidence-based complementary interventions, optimize the manner in which mainstream care is delivered and improve the lives of those living with cancer, specifically the hematologic malignancies.
  • Such integrative (complementary) therapies may include:
  • Acupuncture
  • Integrative mind-body interventions
  • Manipulative and body-based therapies
  • Meditation
  • Music therapy
  • Nutrition
  • Physical fitness
  • Use of biologically-based agents (but not in “conventional” ways)
  • Yoga
• The foundation seeks to support clinical trials and/or pre-clinical research which address reducing patients’ physical and emotional distress during or after cancer therapy.
  • Examples include:
    • Neurophysiologic, neuroendocrine and biochemical pathways triggered by massage therapy, including animal studies or instrument-based approaches such as imaging techniques
    • Mechanistic studies of herbs, nutritional supplements or natural products to enhance cognitive function or treat depression or anxiety
    • Herb-drug interactions
    • Basic biological mechanisms and processes that underlie acupuncture, meditation or yoga including studies in man or animal models or those employing imaging
  • ������Ƶ must be compelling with firmly grounded scientific rationale and high-quality relevant methodology.
  • Proposals must reflect a solid grasp of the field and employ pragmatic research methodology and design.
  • Proposals will be evaluated for creativity, originality and scientific rigor.
  • Proposals based on promising preliminary data will be favored

Eligibility

Applicants must:

• Have an MD or PhD
• Hold a junior faculty position at a 501(c)(3) teaching research institution
• Hold the designation of assistant professor (associate professors may apply for *integrative* projects only)
• Have institutional support in form of tenure track OR be an independent junior faculty member
• Have held their current position for no longer than five years (for conventional projects only)
• Clearly state that they have both independent research projects and independent resources
• Have preliminary results and/or publications from their independent laboratory

Budget Information

• The total award shall not exceed $225,000 total ($75,000.00 per year over three years.)
• Overhead costs cannot exceed 10 percent ($22,500 total or $7,500 per year). This amount is to be included in the $75,000 per year award.

View FAQs for the Gabrielle’s Angel Foundation for Cancer ������Ƶ opportunity .

Internal Selection Process

Anyone interested in being considered as ������Ƶ’s nominee this opportunity must submit the following (in PDF format) to LSO@vanderbilt.edu  by 5 p.m. on June 5, 2025.

1. Brief (two-page maximum) research plan including summary budget;
2. Statement of support from department chair/center director;
3. NIH Biosketch or five-page CV

Submissions should reference “Gabrielle’s Angel Foundation” in the subject line of the email. Email LSO@vanderbilt.edu with any questions.