These awards support OHSU faculty and USR cores by providing pilot funding for principal investigators, especially for supporting generation of data for new grant applications and development of new workflows, assays, or technologies within the cores. 

Applicants must collaborate with one or more USR core directors in developing the project. Applicants must be OHSU faculty members; however, projects that support a trainee’s work are eligible. The competition is open to all OHSU faculty in all schools, institutes, and centers. Previous awardees are eligible to apply with a new project, but new applicants may be given priority. 

Individual award amounts will vary depending on projected expenses in the proposed core and will be based on need. The upper limit for pilot awards is $10,000, although applications of lower amounts may receive priority. The full award must be used in the core(s) specified in the grant application and only for the services described. There is a combined total of $100,000 reserved for this funding mechanism in FY 2020. 

•   PIs must contact USR core director(s) to assess feasibility and discuss budgets prior to applying.  (A single award may be used to support a project that involves more than one USR core.) 

• All funds must be spent in one or more USR cores. No FTE, supplies, or other expenses outside the USR core will be allowed. Funds can be used for data generation, consultations, or other technical services provided by the cores. 

• Funds are to be spent on services associated with the project described in the pilot grant application only.

• Funds should be spent within 12 months of announcement of the award, but consideration for longer term projects will be considered on a case by case basis. 

• Applicants must cite this support and core contributions in relevant publications. 

• Applicants must acknowledge specific USR cores in relevant publications. 

• The USR will follow up directly with each grant recipient multiple times over time to assess the pilot programs level of success. By accepting this award, the applicant agrees to provide feedback to the USR on the results of the awards given.

Applicants must contact the USR core director(s) of the proposed core(s) to discuss the proposal. The core director will provide a feasibility assessment and a technical review, which will be submitted along with the proposal. Proposals that meet the goals of the program—to support pilot data for grant applications—will be deemed competitive. Proposals will also undergo an administrative review. 

Applications are due November 13, 2019 and must be completed online at OHSU’s Competitive Application Portal (CAP). Log in using your OHSU credentials and click on “University Shared Resources Pilot Funding ” under Open Internal Funding Opportunities. You must fill out a form that includes several acknowledgements that must be read and accepted before the application can be submitted.

The following supporting documents must also be uploaded as a single PDF. Use 11-pt font and margins of 0.5” on each side:

1. A 1-page application that includes the following information:
   1. Description of the project and the need for pilot data. Explain the goal of the project and how the data generated from the pilot project will be used to support it. Specifically, will funds be used to generate data for future grant funding, the development of new technology, new methods, other?
2. Supporting documents:
   1. Project budget and justification. Include information about the financial status of the project—for example, is the PI on bridge funding? Is this project needed for a new grant that currently has no source of funding? This information will help us determine the return on investment in the future, but it will not necessarily affect the funding decision.
   2. References
   3. Project timeline (to demonstrate that funds will be spent within 12 months). If more than one core is used, outline timeline for each core.
   4. PI’s NIH-formatted biosketch

• Massively Parallel Sequencing Shared Resource
  • 10x Genomics Chromium RNA-Seq system
  • Please contact Robert Searles in the Massively Parallel Sequencing Shared Resource
• Flow Cytometry
  • In support of single cell studies, the Flow Cytometry Shared Resource has the capability of sorting discrete populations of cells as well as individual cells into tubes and/or plates. These cell sorts can be performed on the basis of up to 18 fluorescent parameters.
  • Please contact Philip Streeter in the Flow Cytometry Shared Resource
• Histopathology
  • Nanostring Digital Spatial Platform
  • Please contactTodd Camp in the Histopathology Shared Resource
• Mass Spectrometry
  • Stay tuned for future single cell proteomics and single particle elemental analysis

If you have questions, would like to request additional services, or see information missing from this page, please contact Aaron Larson in the University Shared Resources office.

• Waterfront (KCRB) single cell user group (primarily cancer focused)
  • Please contact Hisham Mohammed, Paul Spellman, and Laura Heiser
• West campus (ONPRC) single cell user group
  • Please contact Rebecca Skalsky  or Suzi Fei
• Single cell analysis student interest group
  • Please contact Nick Calistri and Benjamin Weeder
• Single cell analysis courses and advanced analysis techniques
  • Please contact Andrew Adey
• 2018 OHSU Single Cell Analysis Forum
  • Recording available here
  • Survey available here