CMCR Funding Opportunities

We are excited to announce the release of the annual CMCR seed grant competition. The CMCR will be awarding three pilot grants up to $50,000 to PIs interested in medical cannabis research.

We welcome eligible tenure and career-track clinical or research faculty from all Utah institutions to participate in submitting applications.

Preliminary applications due by 11:59pm (MST) on Friday, December 27, 2024. Full proposals due by 11:59pm (MST) on Friday, February 28, 2025. Click here to apply!

Please refer to the information listed below, on the InfoReady page, or on the downloadable RFA. Questions regarding this program can be directed to Valerie Ahanonu. 

Eligible Applicants:

• Only one research proposal per principal investigator (PI) will be reviewed.
• All PIs must be tenure or career-track clinical or research faculty. 
• Any Utah-based research institution may apply.
• PIs must be affiliated faculty of the CMCR. If you are not already affiliated faculty, you may join by contacting valerie.ahanonu@hsc.utah.edu.

As more people adopt medical cannabis as a viable source for potential treatments, there is a need for in-depth quality research studies that promote translational understanding of cannabis and its risks and benefits. The CMCR seed grant encourages researchers to take a multidimensional approach to discover collaborative partnerships that support piloting innovative study ideas addressing the many areas of cannabis research still outstanding. 

Areas of interest include (but are not limited to): 

• Clinical, public health, medical cannabis program related, and impact of medical cannabis research and discoveries.
• Development of innovative approaches to addressing medical cannabis’ therapeutic risks and/or benefits. 
• Exploring the analgesic properties of cannabinoids and its constituents. 
• Contraindications, drug-drug interactions, adverse effects, risk of cannabis use disorder, or driving impairment related to medical cannabis. 
• Research related to the potential health effects of various cannabis delivery methods, including vaporizing, ingesting, topical application, and combustion.
• Promote translational understanding of medical cannabis. 
• Investigating the whole or parts of the Cannabis sativa plant, cannabis extracts or enriched extracts, cannabinoid compounds extracted and derived from cannabis extracts, non-cannabinoid constituents of cannabis, synthetic cannabinoids, and the components of the endocannabinoid system (the signaling pathways in the body activated by cannabinoids). 
• Novel cultivation, synthesis, and production techniques or frameworks to support research, regulation, and standardization.
• Addressing social, healthcare systems, policy and economic aspects related to medical cannabis access, use and regulations. 

Preference will be given to projects that include any of the following features:

• Have significant scientific merit.
• Demonstrate innovative advancements in medical cannabis research.
• Have a high potential for future extramural funding from entities like the National Institutes of Health, the National Institute on Drug Abuse, the Department of Defense, the Department of Health and Human Services, or foundations dedicated to research.
• Are not currently supported by extramural funding in the seed grant topic area.
• Represent work from new collaborative teams or that support partnerships with researchers from other Utah institutions.