Shared Resource Projects

Funding opportunity title

Shared Resource Projects 

Funding opportunity number

PICR-SR-FY2027-01

Key dates	Cycle 1	Cycle 2
Announcement:	August 25, 2026	November 10, 2026
Due:	October 23, 2026	January 22, 2027

Administrative contact

Doug Cuttell (dcuttell@purdue.edu)

Funding opportunity description

The Executive Committee of the Purdue Institute for Cancer Research (PICR) will allocate funds to support cancer-focused projects that will utilize PICR-supported shared resources, including:

• Transgenic and Genome Editing Facility (TGEF-SR)
• Biological Evaluation (BE-SR)
• Flow Cytometry (FC-SR)
• Life Sciences Mass Spectrometry (LSMS-SR). For the LSMS-SR, projects supported should use Lipidomics/Metabolomics and Proteomics facilities. DESI-MS projects are encouraged.
• Biomolecular Structure (BS-SR). For the BS-SR, projects utilizing the campuswide NMR and Purdue Cryo-EM Facilities are encouraged. 
• Computational Genomics (CG-SR). Projects that require sequencing services, either commercial or Purdue, are expected to utilize and/or coordinate with the Computational Genomics shared resource. 

For meritorious projects, funds will be awarded to contribute to the costs of acquiring new and important data in support of grant or manuscript submission/revision. Funding for this opportunity is supported by generous donations by the Indiana Elks and other donor gifts and endowment funds to the PICR.

Follow the link below to submit your electronic application by 5 p.m. on the cycle due date. No exceptions. The electronic submission system will not allow applications beyond the deadline. Once there, you can enter your Purdue email and password. 

Qualifications/restrictions

Applicants must be members of the PICR. Only one application indicating the use of one shared resource per institute member is allowed. No exceptions.

Cost share

This announcement does not require cost sharing.

Funds available and anticipated number of awards

The number of awards is contingent upon PICR endowments, gifts and other funds and the submission of meritorious applications.

Award budget

See the individual descriptions that follow. Each shared resource has separate budget guidelines, and the suggested budget numbers are flexible if sufficient justification is provided. (Not included in two-page limit)

Award project period

See the individual descriptions that follow; however, it is expected that work will commence within less than one (1) month of the date of award. A project period of no more than six (6) months will be assigned to projects. Spending will be monitored. If the regulatory process approvals exceeds three (3) months, the award may be terminated and the applicant asked to reapply.

Award restrictions

This award may only be used to pay for services in the indicated facilities in this announcement.

Award setup

The PICR Business Office will set up one account per award under the lead PI. Account setup can take up to four (4) weeks to complete. 

Award requirements

Acceptance of an award will indicate your willingness to serve on the PICR’s Pilot Grants Review Committee for at least two consecutive cycles and to possibly represent the PICR at the annual Indiana Elks Convention or other philanthropic events.

The awardee MUST acknowledge the PICR. Suggested publication acknowledgement: “The authors gratefully acknowledge the <insert shared resource name> and support from the Purdue University Institute for Cancer Research, P30CA023168”

No cost extension (NCE)

Please note that while a one-time extension of up to six months may be requested after the award end date (for a maximum project period of 12 months), extensions are not automatic and require approval from PICR leadership. We encourage investigators to make reasonable progress toward utilizing the funds and advancing the proposed project within the original award period whenever possible. There will be no exceptions to this process.

Regulatory

Please note the award is contingent upon obtaining all of the necessary regulatory approvals (e.g., IRB, IACUC, PACUC) or a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) pertaining to the work that has pending approvals.

Reporting

Responding to periodic requests of progress is required. Triage of future applications may occur if reporting requests are ignored.

Proposal guidelines

1. Proposal length: The proposal should be single-spaced and a maximum of two pages in length (Arial, 11pt) with no less than 0.5 inch margins.
2. Required proposal structure:
   1. Title, applicant(s) name, applicant’s program and proposed facility
   2. Brief background and significance
   3. Cancer relevance: Please clearly describe the cancer relevance of your proposed project in the Background and Significance section.
   4. Approach: Please see the facility descriptions for specific information.
   5. Timeline and specific outcomes: Describe the expected outcomes and evidence that the project will be ready to start within one (1) month. The applicant must also specify the following:
      1. A peer-reviewed grant submission that will incorporate the data acquired from the shared resource, and/or
      2. Contributions of the shared resource data to a new or resubmitted peer-reviewed publication.
      3. For both of the above, the granting agency or journal should be clearly identified as well as the timeline for submission. Preference will be given to proposals that have been scored but not funded, or manuscripts reviewed and recommended for resubmission, that are in need of additional supporting data.
3. Interaction with the shared resource staff to plan the budget and design of experiments is required. A LOS from the SR director should be included with the proposal.
4. The electronic submission must include the following items, combined into one (1) file:
   1. Two-page proposal
   2. Cited literature (not in the page limit, NIPL)
   3. NIH biosketch (NIPL)
   4. Current and pending funding (NIPL)
   5. Letter of support from SR director (NIPL)

Review criteria

1. The scientific impact of the shared resources on the cancer-relevant project and the usage in securing additional funding of the project or in getting a manuscript accepted.
2. The feasibility of completing the project within six (6) months.
3. Cancer relevance
4. The appropriateness of the budget requested for supplies, where applicable.
5. Productivity from previous internal awards will be assessed and weighted appropriately.
6. Reviewers could consist of senior/program leaders, for scientific impact, and shared resource directors for project feasibility. Writing for a broad cancer-focused review panel is encouraged.

PICR Shared Resources

Transgenic and Genome Editing (TGEF-SR)

If producing a transgenic mouse: a description of the proposed transgene and evidence that the transgene is available or will be generated shortly.

1. A statement indicating how a new transgenic mouse model and/or other data produced will advance cancer research.
2. Up to $4,500 facility credit can be given. A budget of up to $500 may also be requested to prepare samples for analysis in addition to the facility credit. An explanation of the need for additional funds to prepare samples will be required.
3. CRISPR-Cas9 design and build
   1. Funds for projects will be used to support usage of the TGEF facility’s new and state-of-the-art CRISPR-Cas9 services, provided in conjunction with a vendor (or internally at Purdue), to build an organism (i.e. mouse) with the TGEF. The amount to support the project will not exceed $5,000 (Note: funds for invoices will be paid directly by the institute business office).
4. Applicants are encouraged to contact Judy Hallett, director of the TGEF (email: halletje@purdue.edu) to discuss technical aspects and feasibility of the potential projects or to help with CRISPR vendor selection, if applicable.

 Flow Cytometry (FC-SR)

1. Funds for projects will be used to support usage of the facility equipment and especially those projects that make use of the new and state-of-the-art flow cytometry/sequencing instruments located in this facility (i.e. Spectral Flow Cytometer).
2. A description of the proposed project.
3. A statement indicating how the data produced will advance cancer research and your project.
4. Up to $2,000 facility credit can be given. A budget of up to $250 in supplies may also be requested to prepare samples for analysis in addition to the facility credit. An explanation of the need for additional funds to prepare samples will be required.
5. Applicants are encouraged to contact Jill Hutchcroft, facility director of Flow Cytometry (email: hutchcroft@purdue.edu) to discuss technical aspects and feasibility of the potential projects.

Biological Evaluation (BE-SR)

1. A description of the proposed in vitro and/or in vivo project.
2. A statement indicating how the data produced will advance cancer research and your project.
3. Up to $6,000 in facility credit can be given. A budget of up to $500 may also be requested to prepare samples for analysis in addition to the facility credit. In addition, a budget up to $500 may also be requested for facility credit within the Purdue Bioscience Imaging Facility for use with the project described. An explanation of the need for additional funds to prepare or image samples will be required.
4. Applicants are encouraged to contact Bennett Elzey, scientific director of the BE (email: belzey@purdue.edu) to discuss technical aspects and feasibility of the potential projects.

Computational Genomics (CG-SR) C3B Analysis

1. Funds for projects will be used to support usage of the University sequencing facility equipment or other appropriate vendor in conjunction with bioinformatics analysis.
2. A description of the cancer-focused proposed project.
3. A statement indicating how the data produced will advance cancer research and your project.
4. Up to $6,000 in credit (in total) can be given for analyses and sequencing. In addition, a budget up to $250 can be used for supplies to prepare samples for analysis, etc. Please indicate whether this project will include data analysis by the Collaborative Core for Cancer Bioinformatics.
5. Applicants are encouraged to contact Nadia Atallah-Lanman (natallah@purdue.edu) to discuss design/technical aspects and feasibility of the potential projects for any sequencing needs.

Life Sciences Mass Spectrometry (LSMS-SR).

Lipidomics, Metabolomics and Proteomics (MPF and PPF in Bindley Bioscience Center) and DESI-MS

1. A description of the proposed project and expected outcomes.
2. Funds up to $3,500 in facility credit will be given.
3. Applicants are encouraged to contact Amber Jannasch (email: hopfas@purdue.edu)  to discuss facility use. Applicants should reach out to Bindley Bioscience Center to discuss technical aspects and feasibility of the potential projects. If the project is proteomics-focused, please contact Venkatesh Thirumalaikumar (email: vpthirum@purdue.edu).
4. Desorption Electrospray Ionization (DESI), developed by PICR member Graham Cooks, is now available for use and project development in the MPF. In addition, please connect with Nicolás M. Morato, research assistant professor with the Purdue Institute for Cancer Research (nmoratog@purdue.edu) for DESI-MS applications.

Biomolecular Structure (BS-SR) 

The Purdue Cryo-EM Facility (CEM)

1. Single-particle analysis on cancer-relevant targets are being sought to advance the scientific impact of structural biology in cancer at Purdue. Cancer-relevant targets would include proteins and enzymes and their complexes with other proteins, DNA/RNA and small-molecule drugs. Viruses are excluded.
2. A description of the proposed project and a statement indicating how the data produced will advance cancer research and your project.
3. Up to $5,000 in facility credit can be given, along with up to $250 in supplies for grid preparation.
4. Applicants are encouraged to contact Thomas Klose, technical director (email: tklose@purdue.edu) to discuss facility use, a budget and a plan for executing the project.

Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR)

Funds are available to support cancer-focused NMR use for structural biology and/or drug discovery. Up to $3,000 can be awarded in a given fiscal year. A strong cancer-focused rationale is required. Please include the following in the application:

1. A description of the project.
2. A statement indicating how the data produced will advance cancer research and the project.
3. Please include a statement on expected outcomes, as well as a description of past productivity from previous pilot grant awards (where applicable).

For any questions about this support, please contact Doug Cuttell (email: dcuttell@purdue.edu)

Announcement history and updates

Funding opportunity number	Summary of change
PICR-SR-FY2027-01	Initiation of announcement