Center for Advanced Molecular Imaging Pilot Funding - 2025

Northwestern University’s Center for Advanced Molecular Imaging (CAMI) is offering pilot project funding for researchers with nascent imaging projects that will benefit from CAMI expertise in in vivo imaging. In preparation for an NIH S10 grant proposal to upgrade CAMI's 9.4T MRI, projects using MRI will be prioritized for funding. CAMI installed a Bruker SkyScan 1276 microCT in May 2024; therefore, proposals centered around x-ray microCT will also be considered. All other CAMI imaging modalities will have lower priority for this round. 
 
Selected projects will be funded for up to $5,000 direct costs for one year, in very special circumstances up to $7,500, for CAMI imaging studies. 
 
CAMI offers researchers a wide range of imaging instrumentation, knowledgeable staff, and support facilities uniquely configured to make preclinical research efficient and productive. CAMI has its own vivarium and support space for cell culture and simple radiochemistry. The CAMI website provides a detailed description of instruments, services, and support facilities for in vitro and in vivo studies.
 
Eligibility:
  • Applicant must be an independent investigator who is tenured, tenure track, a clinician investigator track, or research-track faculty with committed laboratory space.
  • Previous recipients of CAMI pilot funding will have a two-year hiatus of eligibility. 
  • Proposals must represent projects that are not currently funded by external grants. Currently funded projects lacking an in vivo imaging component may be considered. These pilot projects are expected to set the stage for more comprehensive imaging studies.
  • Expected outcomes include initiation of new research projects that will likely lead to submission of new grant applications. Thus, the applicant’s track record of independent funding will be considered in the review process.
Application Components: The body of the proposal may not exceed 3 pages and must include: 1) Title Page with Project Title and names/titles of PIs, Co-PIs and co-investigators; 2) One Paragraph Abstract; 3) Statement of Need; and 4) Project Plan consisting of background, specific aims, research design and timeline. Not part of the 2-page research description, investigators should provide biosketches and a tentative budget.
 
Budgets are restricted to imaging services in CAMI and must allocate funding for method development and data analysis. These funds cannot be used to purchase drugs, animals, or supplies. Funds can only be used for CAMI services. These internal awards do not include F&A.
 
Evaluation: All projects will be reviewed by the CAMI Advisory Board based on the following criteria: 1) scientific merit, 2) innovation, 3) feasibility, and 4) potential for larger scale studies based on the preliminary data provided by the pilot project.