Overview

Note: Applications closed on December 1, 2022. Please watch for future calls for applications.

The Innovative Genomics Institute (IGI) and Apple Tree Partners (ATP) invite principal investigators affiliated with UC Berkeley or UC San Francisco to apply for an exciting opportunity to collaborate with the new Center for CRISPR Target Discovery and accelerate the treatment and prevention of human disease through interrogation and validation of novel drug targets and platforms.

The Center for CRISPR Target Discovery (CCTD) is a state-of-the-art functional genomics laboratory created by IGI and the life sciences venture capital firm ATP to use the power of CRISPR-based technologies to accelerate the exploration and validation of new biological targets that can be translated into novel therapeutics to answer unmet needs. Since the CCTD was initiated in the fall of 2021, six projects have been selected for funding.

The 2022 Request for Applications is extended to members of the UCB and UCSF research community who have an interest in potentially creating a company based on project outcomes in collaboration with ATP. Projects accepted to the Center for CRISPR Target Discovery are envisaged to be 1 to 2 years long and will include comprehensive project support for experiments within PI laboratories as well as at the CCTD at IGI as needed.

Eligibility and Award Details

PIs must hold their primary or adjunct appointment at UC Berkeley or UC San Francisco.

The Center for CRISPR Target Discovery anticipates funding 2–4 projects within this cycle. The budget allowance is $250,000 per project in total costs for the first year, with funding to begin March 1, 2023. The allowance of Year 2 funding will depend on progress during Year 1.

Proposal Format

Applications should use the following format:

• Margins must be at least one inch on all sides
• Recommended fonts are Arial, Helvetica, Palatino Linotype, or Georgia, and must be size 11 or larger

Candidates are asked to include the following in their application, submitted as one single PDF file, in the following order:

1) A 3-page project description (including figures and references) with:

• A concise, descriptive title
• A summary of the scientific objectives, approaches, and expected outcomes for 1 year of project funding
• A brief but explicit explanation of the relevance of the proposed research, the novelty of the approach, the therapeutic potential and proposed future directions

2) An NIH biographical sketch/CV

3) A concise proposed budget

• The total award (up to $250K) can be used for PI, postdoc, and/or graduate student salaries, supplies, minor equipment, or other related research expenses, and should include indirect costs based on the PI’s institution rates. All expenditures must be allowable under, and comply with, applicable University of California policies.

Application and Review Process

Applications are closed for the Fall 2022 cycle.

Proposals will be reviewed by a CCTD Review Board. External experts, selected by the Review Board, will be called upon if necessary.

The peer-review process will be completed and applicants notified of funding decisions by Spring 2023.

Terms of the Award

Award conditions:

• Prior to receiving funds and commencing research, PIs must agree with the terms and conditions of the award and sign an informed participation form acknowledging that ATP will receive a non-exclusive research-only right to any new IP developed by the PI during the performance of the funded research project, and that ATP will receive a time-limited exclusive option to negotiate a commercial license to that IP.
• PIs are required to acknowledge and include the IGI and the CCTD as an affiliation in presentations and publications resulting from research conducted with CCTD funds.
• PIs are expected to remain within the institution (e.g., UC Berkeley) in which they receive the award for the duration of the award period (i.e., the award cannot be transferred to other institutions).
• The Committee will evaluate Year 1 progress and budget allowance for Year 2 funding for projects longer than one year.
• PIs will be required to submit a one-page quarterly project report to the Joint Steering Committee, meet regularly with the technical working group, and participate in IGI-sponsored meetings and retreats.
• PIs will be required to hold approval documentation for use of biological material and/or animals (if applicable) and agree to adhere to specified safety standards.

Questions?

Please email Zilose Lyons at zilose@berkeley.edu