WaNBRC Ignition Pilot Award: Request for Applications
The Washington National Biomedical Research Center (WaNBRC) is pleased to sponsor the Ignition Award pilot study program, focusing on the use of nonhuman primate (NHP) models of human disease. The purpose of this award is to explore innovative areas of NHP research and generate preliminary data to serve as a basis for submission of new research grant applications (e.g., R01-type grant to NIH or other funding agency) and/or subsequent clinical studies. We anticipate funding two awards. Proposals should focus on translational applications or development or enhancement of the use of NHPs as animal models.
All pilot research projects must be planned, conducted, and carried out under the supervision of at least one Core or Affiliate Scientist at WaNBRC. A list of scientific units, including Core Scientists and their expertise, can be found on the WaNBRC website here. The Project Coordination Unit can help identify a Core or Affiliate Scientist to take on this role. If assistance is needed in identifying a Core or Affiliate Scientist, please contact u_wanprc_pcprojects@uw.edu as early as possible.
Role of the Sponsoring Core or Affiliate Scientist: Each pilot project must be sponsored by a WaNBRC Core or Affiliate Scientist who agrees to supervise its scientific planning and conduct and provide financial oversight of the award. The sponsoring scientist serves as the applicant’s mentor and scientific point of contact at the Center. In this role, the sponsoring scientist advises on experimental design, rigor, and feasibility in the nonhuman primate model; facilitates access to the appropriate WaNBRC scientific units, resources, and services; and works with the applicant and WaNBRC Administration to develop a complete and accurate budget which is then adhered to. This mentorship is particularly important for external applicants and investigators new to NHP research.
Key Dates:
- September 25, 2026: Letter of Intent (LOI) due to the WaNBRC
- October 5, 2026: Notice of LOI move forward
- December 11, 2026: Application due to the WaNBRC (email to u_wanprc_pcprojects@uw.edu) No applications time stamped after 12/11/26, 5:00 PM PST will be considered.
- February 1, 2027 Notice to awardees and other applicants
- May 1, 2027: Budget initiation
- April 30, 2028: End of budget period
NOTE: There is no option for no-cost extensions or carry-forward.
The WaNBRC intends to award two grants of up to $75,000 each. The awards will be administered by the Center and must be used for Center study costs, including animal costs, per diem, procedures, supplies and salaries. Although this award is not intended to support outgoing subcontracts or subawards, exceptions could be considered on a case-by-case basis with collaborating institutions.
Purpose
This program is designed to support innovative studies utilizing resources within the WaNBRC. This award program will facilitate the use of NHP models and services of the WaNBRC. This program will provide an opportunity to advance research programs developing and expanding the use of NHPs in research of human diseases, or to advance the translational process of development and use of therapeutics, diagnostics, or devices. The Center particularly encourages applications from new and early-stage investigators, including post-doctoral fellows and junior faculty. The Center also encourages applications from faculty or senior scientists from external institutes and/or collaborations with external investigators. Applications from established investigators pursuing a new area or direction in their research or those who have not worked with NHPs before are also encouraged.
Examples of potential projects include, but are not limited to
Development of clinical tests/diagnostics/therapeutics that have the potential to
- Accelerate translational research
- Improve clinical treatments (i.e., new therapeutics or new indications for approved drugs)
- Studies that Advance neuroscience applications or surgical techniques
- Development and/or validation of a new disease model using nonhuman primates
- Reproductive and/or developmental studies that may have direct clinical applications
- Cellular and humoral immunotherapies for which nonhuman primate studies chart a path to the clinic.
- Studies that increase/promote our understanding of the natural environment of NHPs, potential zoonotic concerns and how this is being impacted by human-animal interactions.
- Studies enhancing the care, welfare, surgical techniques, or husbandry of NHPs.
Application process details: The LOI should be submitted using the online form here. The application form can be requested by emailing u_wanprc_pcprojects@uw.edu or downloaded from the WaNBRC website.
Eligibility: Research faculty and early-stage investigators (ESI), including post-doctoral fellows and junior faculty who are eligible to apply for independent external funding or career transition award (e.g. R01, K01 or similar) from NIH or similar funding agencies. An ESI is a Program Director/Principal Investigator who has completed their terminal research degree or end of post-graduate clinical training, whichever is later, within the past 10 years and who has not previously competed successfully as a PD/PI for a substantial “like an R01” NIH independent research award. Applicants affiliated within an academic or nonprofit institute can apply except for those who have received a WaNBRC Ignition Award within the previous three (3) years.
The Center particularly encourages applications from new and early-stage investigators, including post-doctoral fellows and junior faculty. The Center also encourages applications from faculty or senior scientists from external institutes and/or collaborations with external investigators. Applications from established investigators pursuing a new area or direction in their research or those who have not worked with NHPs before are also encouraged. This is an opportunity to pursue innovative research projects or collect preliminary data that can provide proof of concept and lead to future funding. Please see https://grants.nih.gov/policy/early-investigators/index.htm for more information as to the definition of early-stage investigators.
Budget: Up to $75,000 per selected applicant will be directly applied to the costs incurred at WaNBRC. No additional funds are necessary for indirect costs at UW. If a subaward is part of a pilot award, the recipient institution’s indirect cost must be included in the $75,000 direct costs of the award. No UW eGC1 is required. Applicants are required to contact the WaNBRC to discuss the scientific components of their projects, WaNBRC resources that are available, pricing of the services to be provided, and to identify an appropriate and willing Core Scientist. Applicants are required to develop a complete and accurate budget for their applications in collaboration with the WaNBRC. We encourage starting on this key step as early as possible. Budgets for the NHP studies will be administered by WaNBRC. All financial activity will be supervised by WaNBRC Finance.
Applications with budget requests, which are insufficient to complete the Specific Aims, or budgets that were not developed with assistance from the WaNBRC will not be advanced to scientific review. Applications from PIs that do not meet the criteria for eligibility will not be forwarded for review.
Application process:
Step 1 – Submit a Letter of Intent to WaNBRC by September 25, 2026. 2027 Y66 WaNPRC Ignition Pilot Program LOI – Fill out form. Please include proposal title, abstract (250-word max), key personnel, WaNBRC Core or Affiliate Scientists involved, WaNBRC Core Scientist who serve as mentor, and at least 4 potential reviewers (one UW reviewer and 3 external to UW). Letters of Intent will be used to identify potential non-conflicted reviewers and the competitiveness of projects. Only Letters of Intent with projects deemed to be competitive for funding will be invited to submit full proposals.
Applicants should refrain from identifying close collaborators as potential reviewers. It is strongly recommended that applicants identify at least 3 reviewers who are external to UW/WaNBRC.
Step 2 – Notification of accepted LOI invitation to submit a full application will be sent October 5, 2026
Step 3 – Submit the application by email to WaNBRC by December 11, 2026, by 5:00 PM PST (u_wanprc_pcprojects@uw.edu).
Step 4 – Review of Applications
The WaNBRC Research Advisory Committee (RAC) will review and score the applications. The applicants will be notified of their status by February 1, 2027. All applicants will receive reviewers’ comments. Scoring is not provided. Detailed review criteria are listed below.
NOTE: The PIs receiving awards are responsible for securing approval from the UW Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee before a new project can begin. The Core/Affiliate sponsoring scientist is expected to provide advice and assistance to facilitate IACUC submission for external applicants new to the UW IACUC system.
Step 5 – 2027 Award recipients
Budget period is anticipated to begin May 1, 2027, and must be spent by April 30, 2028.
Please note that records produced at the University of Washington are subject to the Washington State Public Records Act, Chapter 42.56 RCW.
2026 Ignition Awardees
The ignition pilot awards program funds the generation of preliminary data or results necessary to apply for support from funding sources such as NIH R01 grants. Pilot projects are aimed at helping solve problems related to human health and should lead to independent grant support related to the disease or health problem being studied. At least one-half of funded pilot projects over the award period must involve the active participation of investigators external to the WaNBRC. A part of the funded pilot projects also involves non-tenured early-stage investigators. Projects from early-stage scientists are given priority in the selection process.
Nardhy Gomez-Lopez, PhD., Professor of Ob & Gyn, Professor of Pathology & Immunology and Associate Director, Center for Reproductive Health Sciences, Washington University of St, Louis.
2025 Ignition Awardees
Rafaela da Silva, PhD, a postdoctoral researcher in Dr Jon P. Boyle’s laboratory at the University of Pittsburgh, has been selected to receive a 2025 Ignition Pilot Award.
Dr da Silva is an early-stage investigator whose pilot project will explore congenital toxoplasmosis, caused by a parasite called Toxoplasma gondii, which can cause serious problems for unborn babies. Studying how this infection is passed from mother to baby in humans is difficult due to ethical and scientific challenges. However, researchers can use nonhuman primates to study this, since their placentas are similar to those of humans. In this study, pregnant pigtail macaques will be used to model the disease. Researchers will monitor the animals’ infections through blood tests and amniocentesis (taking fluid from around the fetus) and will collect tissue from the babies and placentas. The researchers will then examine tissues to study how the parasite affects the baby and the immune system. This model will help researchers better understand congenital toxoplasmosis and could lead to new ways to prevent and treat this parasitic infection in the future.
Hans-Peter Kiem, MD, PhD, is a principal investigator at Fred Hutch and is chief of WaNPRC’s Gene Therapy and Regenerative Medicine unit. He and his graduate student, Nick Petty, were selected to receive a 2025 Ignition Pilot Award to examine the use of stem cells as a treatment for Alzheimer’s Disease.
Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a devastating brain disorder marked by the buildup of harmful proteins called amyloid beta (Aβ) plaques and Tau clusters. Although many clinical trials have tested treatments targeting these proteins, none have significantly slowed the disease. Some researchers have explored a new approach: replacing damaged brain cells called microglia with healthy ones from blood stem cells. In mouse models, this has helped reduce symptoms and brain damage. One team developed a method that uses stem cell transplant to almost completely replace the microglia, which has shown great promise. While this approach has worked in humans and primates, the replacement rate has been much lower. Dr Kiem’s lab hopes that using a specific drug to deplete microglia before the transplant might result in better success in nonhuman primates. This pilot study will test whether this method is safe and effective in monkeys, helping to decide if it could be a potential treatment for Alzheimer’s and other human brain diseases.