Funding: Request for application from the Harvard Digestive Diseases Center (HDDC) due February 1, 2013

The Harvard Digestive Diseases Center (HDDC) is accepting applications for new pilot and feasibility projects as well as continuations of current one-year projects July 1, 2013-June 30, 2014.

Pilot and Feasibility (P/F) Awards Program
The Harvard Digestive Disease Center promotes research aimed at understanding how gastrointestinal epithelial cells interact with the diverse cell types and bioactive molecules in the mucosal environment, and how these process affect intestinal function, adaptive mucosal immunity, allergy, innate host defense, acute and chronic inflammation, and microbial pathogenesis.

Another focus is to understand how epithelial and stem cells, in the intestine, liver, and pancreas function in organ physiology, organogenesis, injury, and repair.Pilot and feasibility projects will be considered for support if they relate to this mission.

Eligible projects may be in areas such as:

  • cell and molecular biology that relate to epithelial structure and function in the alimentary tract, liver, and pancreas;
  • epithelial-microbe interactions;
  • pathogenesis of enteric infectious diseases;
  • host defense and vaccine development;
  • epithelial cell growth and differentiation;
  • stem cell biology;
  • carcinogenesis; and
  • smooth muscle motility, and biology of the enteric nervous system.

Please note that utilization of the HDDC Core Facilities is strongly encouraged.

Continuations of current one-year awards
Please be certain to include in the research plan a description of the progress you have made in the first year, as well as your plans for the proposed second year. Also include a paragraph summarizing your past and planned use of HDDC cores and describe any collaboration with Center investigators.

The application deadline is February 1, 2013, 5:00pm.  All applications must be complied and submitted in a single PDF to joanne.mccarthy@childrens.harvard.edu. Signed originals of the face page, budget page, IACUC and/or IRB approvals will be requested if the project is approved.For more information and to apply, please visit the HDDC website.