Lily Drake Cancer Research Fund

• Principal investigators of this research must be full-time tenure track science faculty, administrators or retired faculty with academic rank in the sciences of USF. 
• Term faculty may only apply in conjunction with tenure track faculty.

• Grants will be of two types: seed grants and matching grants. 
• The former will be an original research proposal that has a clear relation to the purpose of the fund and may lead to the procurement of outside funding for further study in the proposed research. 
• The latter will be support for a project clearly identified with the purpose of the fund whose majority funding is from sources outside the University. 
• Further, Lily Drake matching funds must be solicited simultaneously with application for outside funding.

• Each proposal will be reviewed based on:
  • Relevance to the Lily Drake Cancer Research Fund 
  • Conceptual and technical merit 
  • Scholarly record of the applicant 
  • Recent research activities

• Funding may be requested for consumables, non-capital equipment, duplicating, publication costs, and student salaries. Capital equipment requests (over $1,000 USD) will be weighed in terms of the equipment’s direct relevance to the research proposal, the possible duplication of existing equipment, the opportunity for the equipment to be used by other faculty, maintenance costs, space, and potential matching support. 
• Special criteria may include consideration of provisions to involve and support USF students in the research or include a team of USF faculty.

In 5 pages or less, please address the following:

• Background: Provide a brief (one paragraph) overview of the current scientific knowledge on which your hypothesis is based, including relevant citations to the scientific literature showing the rationale for this hypothesis. 
• Specific Aims: List the hypothesis-directed specific aim or aims of the proposed research. What do you hope to accomplish during the funding period?
• Significance: Describe how this research will enhance our understanding or the causes, effects, or treatment of cancer. 
• Approach: Describe how the specific aim(s) will be accomplished, including sufficient experimental detail to allow evaluation of the appropriateness of the approach. 
• Detailed Budget: Provide an itemized list of expenses.
• For requests for continuing support only: List the specific aim(s) of the previous funding period, and the progress made in accomplishing them. 

A digital copy of the completed proposal should be submitted to the Associate Dean for Sciences and Engineering by completing this Application Form.

• The Associate Dean will appoint USF faculty referees from the appropriate disciplines or non-USF referees to review all proposals. 
• A current applicant may not serve as a referee in the year of application. 
• The Associate Dean will chair this review committee and make the final recommendations to the Dean for funding.

• The awardee will request through the Executive Director of Business Affairs expenditure of funds in accordance with the approved research project and University regulations. 
• Separate budget statements for the grant will be issued monthly to the awardee. It is the awardee’s responsibility to review these statements and report any errors. 
• Approved capital expenditures and the hiring of student assistants must be processed through normal University procedures. 
• Awards not fully expended in the time period projected will be returned to the fund unless the Associate Dean approves an extension.

• Three months following the termination of the funding, a final report shall be submitted to the Associate Dean, which shall outline the results and conclusions of the research project and any publications, presented papers or thesis either pending or completed. 
• Any publication, presentation or thesis should acknowledge the support of the Lily Drake Cancer Research Fund.