Research Consortia for MRC Mouse Network - Expressions of Interest guidance and evaluation notes
1. Process for submission of Expressions of Interest
Your Expression of Interest must be submitted as PDF via email to: MRCEventsandcommitteesteam@headoffice.mrc.ac.uk by 4pm on 31st August 2011.
2. How to apply
An Expression of Interest should structure their proposal under each of the following headings, using the descriptions as guidance. The Expression of Interest may be up to six A4 pages in length, including references, using Verdana 10pt typeface with margins of 2cms on the left hand side and 1.5cms on other edges. In addition, please attach a one page CV for each of the key Investigators, compiled into a single annex. No other annexes are allowed.
Headings
Title of the Research Consortia
Details of Principal and Co-Investigators
Name + Affiliation + contact details
What are the principal aims and objectives of Research Consortia?
- the overall aims and objectives of the Research Consortia.
Nominate high priority genes
Nominate a set of candidate genes for priority targeting and phenotyping, briefly explaining the scientific rationale for these nominations. Up to a maximum of 50 mutant strains will be phenotyped from any given set of nominated genes. However, as only approximately 50% of genes can be successfully targeted because of operational efficiency in creating knockouts and mice breeding, you should nominate at least 100 genes.
A list of all genes for which a successful targeted allele exists in ES cells, but for which a mouse knockout does not yet exist, is available at http://www.mrcmousenetwork.org. PLEASE USE THIS LIST WHEN CHOOSING CANDIDATE GENES FOR THE MRC MOUSE NETWORK. For a full list of all available alleles in ES cells and mice (i.e. not filtering out those for which mouse knockout already exist), which is updated regularly, please refer to the IKMC web portal where gene symbol search tools are available: http://www.knockoutmouse.org/browse/symbol/A.
Scientific plan and importance of the potential research
- Broadly describe your research plan to utilise the phenotypic information and knockout mice available through IMPC.
- Outline the research questions that you would like to address using the IMPC resources.
- Explain what advantages the proposed mouse models offer in addressing these questions, compared to using other models and/or approaches.
- Explain the need for the research and the rationale for the particular lines of research you plan to pursue.
- Explain how the research will further our understanding of an important health problem.
- Describe how your research plan integrates with, and capitalise upon, human and clinical genetics knowledge and research activities.
- Briefly describe the study design(s) and experimental approach(s) and techniques that would be used.
Research Consortia team
- Name individual co-investigators and collaborators and outline the role they will play in the Research Consortia. There is an expectation that Research Consortia will include researchers working in murine pathophysiology, human genetics and clinical communities.
- Explain how the applicants and collaborators are well qualified to carry out the proposed research.
- Describe the research environment(s) in which the research would take place and how it is suited to supporting the proposed work.
- What capacity does the Research Consortia have to start research work on any knockout mice made available through the IMPC? Explain how you propose to pursue the research proposals and what funding source there might be, for example existing resources, grant funding.
3. Evaluation notes
Applications will be evaluated against the following criteria:
- Importance of the research questions and the strength of the overarching scientific plan.
- Capability of the Research Consortia to capitalise on their nominated mouse models and associated phenotypic data, and deliver important research findings in the area.
- The strength of the Research Consortium, including breadth and balance of murine pathophysiology, human genetics and clinical research expertise
- Package of nominated genes: how compelling is the scientific case for prioritising the nominated genes for generation of mice models and phenotyping?
4. Funding
No funding will be provided as part of this call. Research Consortia will be able to apply to the MRC for future research funding using our standard grant schemes, and according to usual eligibility criteria.
See MRC’s website for further information: http://www.mrc.ac.uk/Fundingopportunities/Grants/index.htm
5. Assessment process and timetable
The deadline for submitting Expressions of Interest is 31 August 2011. Proposals will be assessed by a Cross-Board Advisory Group. Applicants will be notified of decisions in early October 2011.
Up to 5 Research Consortia are expected to be chosen to prioritise KO mouse production and phenotyping, by the MRC Mary Lyon Centre, as part of MRC’s partnership in IMPC. These Consortia will also be invited to participate in the MRC Mouse Network. The purpose of the MRC Mouse Network is to ensure that the MRC IMPC programme fully engages with the UK research community, and help ensure that MRC’s investment into the IMPC initiative is being fully utilized by the UK research community and propagated into follow-on blue skies or translational research programmes.
It is anticipated that the Research Consortia selected will encompass different disease areas. If there is more than one high quality Expression of Interest in any given disease area, the Advisory Group may recommend partnership between Research Consortia.