Funding opportunities from the Harvard Institute of Translational Immunology (HITI). HITI Funding

HITI/Helmsley Trust Pilot Grants in Type 1 Diabetes

At a glance
Funding level
  • $50,000 - $200,000 for one year
Project Requirements
  • Strong preference given to proposals that address one of five areas identified through the Harvard Catalyst/InnoCentive Type 1 Diabetes Ideation Challenge (see below)
Eligibility
  • All Harvard faculty, regardless of degree or institutional affiliation (Please see the RFA for detailed information on eligibility)
Deadline(s)
  • Application: January 26, 2011, 12:00 noon ET
  • Interviews of leading candidates: March 2-4, 2011 (see Timeline)
Apply
Note: The application process has closed.
Request for Applications

The Harvard Institute of Translational Immunology (HITI) and the Leona M. and Harry B. Helmsley Charitable Trust seek innovative applications that will advance our knowledge of type 1 diabetes (T1D), a progressively debilitating autoimmune disease whose sequelae lead to significant morbidity and mortality and whose prevalence has increased dramatically in the past few decades.

This grant program was inspired by the winners of the Harvard Catalyst/InnoCentive Ideation Challenge, "What do we not know about type 1 diabetes." The principal goal of this RFA is to support pilot studies that will lead to sustainable, innovative and, to the extent possible, collaborative projects that will impact the lives of T1D patients.

Key Elements of the HITI/Helmsley Trust Pilot Grants in Type 1 Diabetes:

Projects that address the five research areas identified through the Harvard Catalyst/InnoCentive Ideation Challenge will be given strong preference in the review process:

  1. Discovering inciting autoantigens in T1D and evaluating the local inflammatory response
  2. Creating novel approaches to therapeutics delivery for T1D
  3. Developing novel monitoring devices
  4. Identifying environmental and microbial contributions to T1D
  5. Detecting biomarkers that are predictive of diagnosis, prognosis, and response to therapy

Click here for more details on these five research areas.

While feasibility will be a key factor in review of submissions, novel approaches are encouraged. Thus, it is recognized that, in some cases, proposals may be limited to proof of principle. Please review the RFA for complete information.

Award Amount:

HITI/Helmsley Trust Pilot Grants will be awarded in amounts between $50,000 and $200,000, with an award period of one year.

Eligibility:

Any faculty member who holds a Harvard University faculty appointment, regardless of type of degree or institutional appointment, is eligible to be the Principal Investigator on a HITI/Helmsley Trust Pilot Grant application. Please call 617-432-7550 or e-mail if you have any questions.

Process:

Applicants are required to submit a six-page application and related administrative documentation. Strong candidates will be invited for interviews.

Timeline:

RFA announcementNovember 18, 2010
Applications dueJanuary 26, 2011, 12:00 noon ET
Interview invitationsFebruary 25, 2011
InterviewsMarch 2-4, 2011
Anticipated funding decisionsMarch 14, 2011
Anticipated project startMarch 23, 2011

Each proposal PI should insure her/his availability and/or the availability of another senior project member during the scheduled interview dates.