Expansion Award Program

The Expansion Awards enable 'piggyback' funding for teams to add new directions or approaches to their currently funded work. This one-time grant supports researchers by expanding the scope of an existing project, expediting time to completion, or otherwise increasing the scientific interest or impact of existing studies already underway.

Award Details

• Award Amount: $50,000 (one-time grant)
• Award Duration: 12 months
• Recurrence: Annual
• Investment Impact: Supports next-generation equipment and technology housed in single ventricle research labs

Focus Areas

Proposals must include at least one of the following:

• Expansion of existing funded studies within the single ventricle research community; OR
• Addition of single-ventricle-directed aims to ongoing studies within the cardiovascular development field

Eligibility

• PI Requirements: Principal Investigator(s) must hold doctoral degrees
• Funding Status: PIs must be listed as PI on a single ventricle- or cardiovascular development-related grant funded through December 31, 2022
• Project Relevance: Proposed expansion plans must have demonstrated relevance to single ventricle heart disease or its associated sequelae

Application Scope

Proposals may showcase:

• Microscopy techniques
• Computational approaches
• Molecular techniques
• Validation of new sequencing approaches
• Movement from in vitro models to proof-of-concept in human tissue
• Pharmacological treatment development
• Project acceleration

Previous Cycles

• 2022 Expansion Award Recipients: 10 research teams selected, $490K+ investment
  • Teams from institutions including Cornell University, Boston Children's Hospital, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, University of Texas Medical Branch, Seattle Children's Hospital, University of California San Diego, Massachusetts General Hospital, University of Oxford, Medical College of Wisconsin, and Texas Children's Hospital

Application Process

1. Submit Proposal - Complete proposal submission
   • 2022 cycle deadline: May 2, 2022
   • Subsequent cycles: Check website for updated deadlines
2. Proposal Review - Applications reviewed for scientific merit and expansion impact
3. Selection and Notification - Successful proposals notified and funded

Required Materials

• Proposal describing expansion of existing funded work
• Description of how expansion adds new directions or approaches
• Documentation of current funding status (PI listed on active grant)
• Demonstration of relevance to single ventricle disease or sequelae

Proposal Considerations

• How expansion will increase scientific interest or impact
• Timeline and feasibility of 12-month project
• Relevance to single ventricle research community
• Ability to move research forward (e.g., from in vitro to human tissue testing)