Pediatric Fungal Network Study of Rare Invasive Fungal DisEases in Immunocompromised Pediatric Patients (PFN-STRIDE) Pilot Grant-Full Application

Application Details
This is the submission portal for the PFN-STRIDE pilot grant full application. As highlighted in the pre-application phase, only applicants invited to apply will be considered.
 
Applicants should submit their project proposal along with other requested materials here by 5 pm EST, March 20 2026. The Pilot/Feasibility Review Committee will follow the 2025 NIH simplified review framework for grant applications with the addition of a fourth criterion on advancing the goals of the PFN-STRIDE mission and investigator qualifications. The lay summary will be reviewed by the PFN-STRIDE Patient and Public Advisory Group (PPAG). Please review the full RFA for further details.

Application Materials:

Project Proposal (single PDF, 6-page limit, file size 15mb MAX) 
  • Cover Page including PI name, project title, lay summary (350-word limit) 
    • Lay Summary (350-word limit): explain the purpose and relevance of the proposed study in plain language. 
  • Research proposal (5-page limit) 
    • Specific Aims page 
    • Research Strategy (see below).  
    • Resources: describe availability of local resources and expertise to support the activities and identification of necessary PFN-STRIDE resources 
    • Planned milestones and timeline to demonstrate feasibility of completing the project within 12 months. 
Research Strategy 
The Research Strategy should be organized as follows:  
SIGNIFICANCE 
  • Explain the importance of the problem or critical barrier to progress that the proposed project addresses. 
  • Briefly outline the most relevant existing literature and highlight key knowledge gaps that justify the proposed study 
  • Provide a clear and concise description of the central goals of the project.  
  • Explain how the proposed project will improve scientific knowledge, technical capability, and/or clinical practice.  
  • Describe how the concepts, methods, technologies, treatments, services, or preventative interventions will be changed if the proposed aims are achieved.  
INNOVATION 
  • Explain how the project challenges and seeks to shift current research or clinical practice paradigms. 
  • Describe any refinements to or novel theoretical concepts, approaches or methodologies, instrumentation or interventions to be developed or used, and any advantage over existing methodologies, instrumentation, or interventions. 
APPROACH 
  • Include explicit statements of aims and corresponding hypotheses. 
  • Describe the overall strategy, methodology, and analysis to be used to accomplish the specific aims of the project. Include how the data will be collected, analyzed, and interpreted.  
  • Describe any strategy to establish feasibility and address the management of any high-risk aspects of the proposed work (pitfalls and alternative approaches).  Please comment on how this work will set the stage for future extramural support.  
  • Rigor, Reproducibility & Transparency: Emphasize how the experimental design and methods proposed will achieve robust and unbiased results.  Also, explain how relevant biological variables are factored into research designs, analyses, and reporting.  
  • Describe progress toward applicable regulatory approvals (IRB, IBC).  
REFERENCES CITED (NOTE: References do not count toward the page limit.) 
Provide a bibliography of all references cited.  Each reference must include the names of all authors, the article and journal title, book title, volume number, page numbers, and year of publication. 

Additional materials (Submit on grant portal separately) 
  • Budget 
  • Budget justification 
  • Letter of recommendation(s) 
    • Letter from the sponsoring site director describing the support of the environment to pediatric rare fungal infection research and confirmation of continued or new participation in the PFN-STRIDE. 
    • Letter from the mentor, if applicable, describing mentorship qualifications, role in the project, and mentoring plan.  
    • Letter from the PFN-STRIDE collaborator, if applicable, describing previous PFN-STRIDE involvement, role in the project, and collaboration plan. 
  • NIH biosketch of the applicant 
  • Other Support of the applicant (electronically signed) 
As with the pre-application, full applications must use a font size no smaller than 11 point and spacing of no more than 6 lines per vertical inch.  Figures can be smaller but must be legible at 100%.  Margins should be no smaller than one-half inch.   

Budget and Justification 
Applicants may request up to $30,000 in direct costs for a 12-month period and should utilize the PHS398 Form Page 4: Detailed Budget for Initial Budget Period to submit their budget.  Allowable expenses may include personnel, supplies, inpatient/outpatient care costs, and other expenses.  Alteration and renovation expenses are not permitted under this mechanism. All expenses should be well justified.  

The Budget Justification should be organized as follows:   
  • PERSONNEL  
  • EQUIPMENT  
  • TRAVEL  
  • OTHER DIRECT COSTS (e.g., supplies, publication costs, consultants) 
Please see the NIH Guidelines for more information on what should be included in a detailed budget justification.  If funding is not requested in any category, please indicate “Not Applicable.”   


For any inquiries, please contact:
Program Lead: Anna Huppler, MD| ahuppler@mcw.edu
Program Manager: Subhi Karthikeyan| karthikeys@chop.edu
This Grant is Not Currently Accepting Submissions