Pilot Grant

Applications for the next cohort of One Health Pilot Grants will open in early August and are due by mid-October.

Fish Lab Pilot Grant

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Title of the competition: One Health Fish Lab Pilot Grants, sponsored by UA's One Health Research Initiative 

Deadline: 5 pm on August 5, 2024 

Description: A new fish research laboratory funded by the UA One Health Research Initiative is ready to support pilot research projects using the threespine stickleback (Gasterosteus aculeatus). Stickleback are commonly used for diverse projects in biology, such as studies of developmental genetics, endocrine disruption, and behavior. Stickleback have a wellcharacterized genome and molecular tools similar to those used in the study of zebrafish. Unlike zebrafish, stickleback have XY sex determination, making them a good model for studies of human sexual development. Also unlike zebrafish, stickleback are found throughout much of the northern hemisphere in marine, brackish and fresh waters, providing the opportunity to couple studies of fish in the wild with investigations in the laboratory (they are, perhaps, the best studied of all fishes in the wild). Like other fish species, stickleback produce the estrogenmediated protein vitellogenin, providing a protein biomarker of estrogenic and anti-estrogenic chemicals. Stickleback are the only fish ever discovered to also produce an androgen-mediated protein (spiggin), so they also have a protein biomarker of androgenic and anti-androgenic chemicals. Additionally, fish have transparent embryos, allowing the imaging of development in live animals, which is not feasible in the same way in mammals. For selected pilot projects, the One Health research initiative will provide: a) embryos and care of fish through early development (fish care only, not experimental work) b) access to controlled lighting and temperature conditions in an incubator c) high throughput behavioral analysis in the Noldus DanioVision Observation Chamber, which includes temperature and lighting control, EthoVision XT software, a tapping device, and other features (equipment will be operated by One Health staff). d) up to $50,000 to support other research costs. One Health research staff may be available to help with experimental procedures, depending on required expertise and staff time available. 

Application criteria: Awards will be for University of Arizona research teams to generate preliminary data that will make the teams competitive for major external awards, such as grants from the NIH, NSF, USDA, EPA, DoD, foundations, etc. Application criteria include: a) Projects must demonstrate that the proposed fish research will generate data that will meaningfully help with future One Health grant applications. Applications will be judged primarily by the likelihood that the support will lead to a successful external award. b) A project description is limited to two pages (at least 0.5 inch margins, 11 pt font minimum) and should include Specific Aims, Background and Significance, and Approach, or similar categories that clearly state the research objectives and approach. References and budget details should be provided as supplementary documents. c) NSF or NIH style biosketch for investigators; do not exceed 5 pages per investigator. 

Constraints on funding: No international travel. 

For questions about the fish lab, use of fish in research, or to request a tour, please contact Professor Frank von Hippel, frankvonhippel@arizona.edu For questions about the grant process, please contact our One Health program manager Griselda Ruiz-Braun, grm1@arizona.edu.

Please submit your application as a single PDF to our One Health program manager Griselda Ruiz-Braun, grm1@arizona.edu.