Notice to applicants to the 2008-2009 CRCC Grant Program

READ THIS FIRST

It is expected that applicants will read and adhere to the instructions on the following pages in the preparation and submission of their grant proposals.

In the past the CRCC Secretariat has been relatively lenient in permitting applicants to correct errors or omissions in their grant applications to the program. However, a number of applications received by the CRCC are submitted either incomplete or in a manner that disregards the requirements and limits set forth in the instructions.

The CRCC is administered entirely by two individuals: an Executive Secretary and a part-time Program Representative. In this manner it is able to limit the cost to administer the program to approximately 3% of its budget, leaving 97% of its funds for grants to UC faculty. The amount of time spent by the CRCC Secretariat to deal with incorrectly prepared applications interferes with the efficient administration of the program.

In addition, all grant reviewing is done on an entirely volunteer basis by a Committee of UC faculty, your colleagues. Improperly prepared applications add to the reviewing burden placed on these individuals, and this, too, is completely unacceptable, especially in view of the fact that the size of the committee is limited logistically, while the number of applications received, and therefore the reviewing burden, has doubled over the past five years.

As a result, the Committee has formally requested that the Secretariat resume enforcement of its policy of administrative rejection of improperly prepared proposals. Examples of errors in proposal preparation that may result in immediate administrative rejection include but are not limited to

• use of font size smaller than 12 points
• side page margins smaller than 0.75”
• exceeding stated page limitations in any section
• failure to sign application and failure to collect other specified signatures
• failure to provide complete biographical and financial information for both the PI and for all Professional Personnel involved in the proposed project
• failure to give complete author lists and titles for cited literature

It will be regrettable if it becomes necessary to reject proposals to the unit. We hope instead that applicants to the program will be mindful of the effort that everybody involved in the CRCC program is making. Your care in the preparation of your proposal will help the CRCC to continue to serve the UC cancer research community as well in the future as it has in the past. Thank you for your consideration.

Sincerely,

Neil Schore,
Executive Secretary, UC CRCC

Carrie Erickson,
Program Representative, UC CRCC