Mission and Background:

The new Henry and Marilyn Taub Foundation (HMTF) Pilot award will provide seed money to pursue transformative ideas that can forge new scientific directions and strategies in MDS research. The one-year award provides $100,000 for proof-of-concept studies addressing critical roadblocks to understanding MDS and its treatment. Successful projects will generate preliminary data needed to support their extension and expansion through other funding mechanisms. The research must be non-incremental and may include high-risk/high-reward or collaborative efforts to incorporate new technologies and approaches from other fields.

The Henry and Marilyn Taub Foundation (HMTF) is a family foundation located in Bergen County, New Jersey.  For over 50 years, HMTF has been making grants to advance its philanthropic interests in the areas of medical research, education, strengthening local communities and Jewish life. The HMTF Grants Program for Myelodysplastic Syndromes (MDS) Research ran from 2014-2023, supporting high-impact translational research to understand the underlying causes of MDS and to advance its treatment and prevention. The new HMTF Pilot Awards provides a grant mechanism to specifically explore new and big ideas in MDS research that have break-through potential but are at early stages of development and are unlikely to receive support from conventional funding sources due to the lack preliminary data.

Program Overview:

While relatively short in duration, pilot awards represent a class of grants providing seed money to test novel, ground-breaking ideas and generate preliminary data typically needed for support through conventional grant mechanisms. The new 2024 HMTF Pilot Award provides $100,000.00 over one-year with the goal of exploring untested strategies and disruptive new ideas. These one-year proof-of-concept studies represent new and conceptually innovative ideas that can include high-risk/high-reward projects and encourage collaborative efforts that bring in new concepts, technologies and strategies from other fields. Research must be non-incremental and not extensions of current lines of study. If successful, the data from these pilot studies will generate critical preliminary data and serve as an onramp for their continued pursuit through more conventional grant opportunities.

Grant Cycle and Fund Use:

One-year, $100,000 (2 x $50K) awards will run between December 1, 2024 – November 30, 2025. Indirect costs will NOT be covered by this award.

Funds may be used for personnel salaries, supplies, small equipment, and/or research-related services only. Funds may not be applied to research costs covered by other sources. Funds up to $2500 may be allocated to attend and present results at relevant in-person scientific meetings.

Applicant and Institution Eligibility:

The award supports diversity and is dedicated to promoting independent early-career investigators. To foster innovation and the expansion of MDS research, collaborative efforts with those from non-MDS fields are encouraged. Do NOT apply unless you meet ALL of the Requirements and Research Criteria presented below.

1. An MD, PhD, MD/PhD or equivalent degree is required.
2. At the time of funding applicants must have a faculty appointment in the United States (instructor, assistant professor and above) with institution-designated laboratory space.
3. Eligible organizations include non-profit public or private institutions, such as universities, colleges, hospitals, and laboratories in the United States.
4. Neither United States citizenship or visa documentation is required.
5. Applications from biotech, pharmaceutical and other for-profit industries are NOT eligible.
6. Applicants must have the skills, knowledge, resources and infrastructure necessary to carry out the proposed research at their institution.
7. Only one application per Principal Investigator is allowed.

Research Criteria:

1. The HMTF Pilot Award focuses specifically on non-incremental lines of inquiry based on novel and conceptually innovative ideas.
2. This program supports transformative basic and translational research focused specifically on MDS, exclusive of AML and MPN.
3. Clinical studies are outside of the program scope and timeframe.
4. MDS as defined by the World Health Organization (WHO), including CMML and JMML, are considered within the scope of research supported by the Taub Foundation.
5. Proposals studying the progression of MDS to AML may be within the scope of this funding, however, research primarily focused on AML, MPN or other malignancies is discouraged and all projects must be clearly relevant to MDS.

Key Application Features:

Letter of Intent (LOI)

The LOI application is designed to maximize the pursuit of new and conceptionally innovative ideas by minimizing applicant/reviewer administrative time. The single-page Letter of Intent (LOI) requires no preliminary data. The proposal must include:

1. An idea impact statement
2. A brief (1-2 paragraphs) description of the project. A schematic providing an overview of the project is encouraged (within the 1-page LOI).
3. Specific, well-defined outcome goals.
The purpose of the LOI is to identify conceptionally innovative projects offering the greatest scientific potential to advance MDS understanding or treatment. LOI applications will undergo blind peer-review by the HMTF Scientific Advisory Board. References may be provided separately.

Full Application (FA)

The FA is longer (3 pages) and provides more detail than the LOI both conceptually and experimentally. Nonetheless, it remains shorter than most grant applications as preliminary data is not required. Importantly, the FA will include the project’s projected budget and a detailed milestone/benchmark timetable that will be used to evaluate the progress of the project and whether it successfully meets its projected goals and expected outcomes. A lay summary is required at this stage.

Program Administration:

Key Documents:

FAQs:

Mission and Background:

The new Henry and Marilyn Taub Foundation (HMTF) Pilot award will provide seed money to pursue transformative ideas that can forge new scientific directions and strategies in MDS research. The one-year award provides $100,000 for proof-of-concept studies addressing critical roadblocks to understanding MDS and its treatment. Successful projects will generate preliminary data needed to support their extension and expansion through other funding mechanisms. The research must be non-incremental and may include high-risk/high-reward or collaborative efforts to incorporate new technologies and approaches from other fields.

The Henry and Marilyn Taub Foundation (HMTF) is a family foundation located in Bergen County, New Jersey.  For over 50 years, HMTF has been making grants to advance its philanthropic interests in the areas of medical research, education, strengthening local communities and Jewish life. The HMTF Grants Program for Myelodysplastic Syndromes (MDS) Research ran from 2014-2023, supporting high-impact translational research to understand the underlying causes of MDS and to advance its treatment and prevention. The new HMTF Pilot Awards provides a grant mechanism to specifically explore new and big ideas in MDS research that have break-through potential but are at early stages of development and are unlikely to receive support from conventional funding sources due to the lack preliminary data.

Program Overview:

While relatively short in duration, pilot awards represent a class of grants providing seed money to test novel, ground-breaking ideas and generate preliminary data typically needed for support through conventional grant mechanisms. The new 2024 HMTF Pilot Award provides $100,000.00 over one-year with the goal of exploring untested strategies and disruptive new ideas. These one-year proof-of-concept studies represent new and conceptually innovative ideas that can include high-risk/high-reward projects and encourage collaborative efforts that bring in new concepts, technologies and strategies from other fields. Research must be non-incremental and not extensions of current lines of study. If successful, the data from these pilot studies will generate critical preliminary data and serve as an onramp for their continued pursuit through more conventional grant opportunities.

Grant Cycle and Fund Use:

One-year, $100,000 (2 x $50K) awards will run between December 1, 2024 – November 30, 2025. Indirect costs will NOT be covered by this award.

Funds may be used for personnel salaries, supplies, small equipment, and/or research-related services only. Funds may not be applied to research costs covered by other sources. Funds up to $2500 may be allocated to attend and present results at relevant in-person scientific meetings.

Applicant and Institution Eligibility:

The award supports diversity and is dedicated to promoting independent early-career investigators. To foster innovation and the expansion of MDS research, collaborative efforts with those from non-MDS fields are encouraged. Do NOT apply unless you meet ALL of the Requirements and Research Criteria presented below.

1. An MD, PhD, MD/PhD or equivalent degree is required.
2. At the time of funding applicants must have a faculty appointment in the United States (instructor, assistant professor and above) with institution-designated laboratory space.
3. Eligible organizations include non-profit public or private institutions, such as universities, colleges, hospitals, and laboratories in the United States.
4. Neither United States citizenship or visa documentation is required.
5. Applications from biotech, pharmaceutical and other for-profit industries are NOT eligible.
6. Applicants must have the skills, knowledge, resources and infrastructure necessary to carry out the proposed research at their institution.
7. Only one application per Principal Investigator is allowed.

Research Criteria:

1. The HMTF Pilot Award focuses specifically on non-incremental lines of inquiry based on novel and conceptually innovative ideas.
2. This program supports transformative basic and translational research focused specifically on MDS, exclusive of AML and MPN.
3. Clinical studies are outside of the program scope and timeframe.
4. MDS as defined by the World Health Organization (WHO), including CMML and JMML, are considered within the scope of research supported by the Taub Foundation.
5. Proposals studying the progression of MDS to AML may be within the scope of this funding, however, research primarily focused on AML, MPN or other malignancies is discouraged and all projects must be clearly relevant to MDS.

Key Application Features:

Letter of Intent (LOI)

The LOI application is designed to maximize the pursuit of new and conceptionally innovative ideas by minimizing applicant/reviewer administrative time. The single-page Letter of Intent (LOI) requires no preliminary data. The proposal must include:

1. An idea impact statement
2. A brief (1-2 paragraphs) description of the project. A schematic providing an overview of the project is encouraged (within the 1-page LOI).
3. Specific, well-defined outcome goals.
The purpose of the LOI is to identify conceptionally innovative projects offering the greatest scientific potential to advance MDS understanding or treatment. LOI applications will undergo blind peer-review by the HMTF Scientific Advisory Board. References may be provided separately.

Full Application (FA)

The FA is longer (3 pages) and provides more detail than the LOI both conceptually and experimentally. Nonetheless, it remains shorter than most grant applications as preliminary data is not required. Importantly, the FA will include the project’s projected budget and a detailed milestone/benchmark timetable that will be used to evaluate the progress of the project and whether it successfully meets its projected goals and expected outcomes. A lay summary is required at this stage.

Program Administration:

Key Documents:

FAQs: