DoD Neurofibromatosis Synergistic Idea Award

The NFRP Synergistic Idea Award supports new ideas that represent synergistic approaches to NF research involving two or three Principal Investigators (PIs). These investigators should utilize their complementary and synergistic perspectives to address a central problem or question in NF research. This award is designed to support both new and pre-existing partnerships and encourages participation of PIs from other research fields. Applications must include preliminary and/or published data that are relevant to NF and the proposed research project.

Participants will share data following the FAIR (Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, and Reusable) Data Principles for reproducible science found in “The FAIR Guiding Principles for scientific data management and stewardship” (https://www.nature.com/articles/sdata201618). Refer to the Data and Research Resources Sharing Plan document in Attachment 7.

The NFRP seeks applications from investigators working in a wide spectrum of disciplines including, but not limited to, basic science, engineering, bioinformatics, population science, translational research, and clinical research.

Key Components of the Synergistic Idea Award:

• Requires that multiple investigators jointly design a single project, with comparable levels of intellectual input from each PI. However, each partner will be recognized as a PI, submit a separate application (even if the partners are at the same organization), and receive an individual award.

• The research project must be supported by the unique expertise, experience, and abilities of each PI, and it must clearly define the synergistic components that will facilitate and accelerate progress in a way that could not be accomplished through independent efforts.

• Multidisciplinary projects are encouraged, and multi-institutional projects are allowed.

• Each proposed study must include clearly stated plans for interactions among all PIs and organizations involved. The plans must include communication, coordination of research progress and results, and data sharing.

• Applications must include a description of milestones with respect to making the data or research resource(s) available and how they will be accessible after the period of performance expires.

• Additionally, multi-institutional applications must provide an intellectual property plan to resolve potential intellectual and material property issues and to remove institutional barriers that might interfere with achieving high levels of cooperation to ensure the successful completion of this award.

• One PI will be identified as the Initiating PI and will be responsible for the majority of the administrative tasks associated with application submission. The additional one or two PI(s) will be identified as a Partnering PI.

The Synergistic Idea Award is an award mechanism that requires more than one PI. One PI will be identified as the Initiating PI and will be responsible for the majority of the administrative tasks associated with application submission. The other PI(s) will be identified as a Partnering PI. The Initiating and each Partnering PI should contribute significantly to the development of the proposed research project, including the Project Narrative, Statement of Work (SOW), and other required components. If recommended for funding, each PI will be named to an individual award within the recipient organization. For individual submission requirements for the Initiating and Partnering PI, refer to Section II.D.2, Content and Form of the Application Submission.