Center for Diabetes and Endocrine Research (CeDER)

Call for Proposals

CeDER Request for Applications (FY 2026)

Title: An impact of endocrine metabolic diseases and development of comorbidities that may impact clinical management.

Purpose: The Center for Diabetes and Endocrine Research (CeDER) is pleased to announce a new initiative supporting basic, translational, and clinical research on complications associated with metabolic diseases including diabetes and disorders related to obesity. The purpose of this program is to invigorate research collaboration between basic and clinical faculty which will benefit COMLS and the UToledo imprint in the field of metabolic research.

The Jacobson Center for Clinical and Translational Research in collaboration with CeDER will provide office space, technical support, and a collaborative environment to assist with the successful completion of this awards program.

Background: Diabetes and obesity are the most common diseases in the US including Northwest Ohio, comprising of 14% and 42% of adult population, respectively. Besides renal and cardiovascular complications, these metabolic diseases are often accompanied with conditions that affect other organs and systems compromising their function as well as therapeutic treatment. The examples include but are not limited to the skeletal, reproductive, neurologic, dental or cancer comorbidities which are much less understood, and their pathology and treatment in context of metabolic diseases are often at the early stages of recognition.

The Center for Diabetes and Endocrine Research at the University of Toledo was established with a mission to foster interdepartmental translational research on metabolic disorders. CeDER receives a philanthropic support for research from the two Toledo community foundations: The Wolfe Family Foundation and The Dr. Frederick Hiss Foundation.

Awards:

For the 2026 fiscal year, CeDER has assigned $50,000 to offer two types of awards:

1. Up to two $15,000 awards to support novel, currently unfunded research projects opening new fields of investigation into characterization and understanding the role of impaired metabolism on development of complications in organs other than those directly involved in the maintenance of energy metabolism. It is expected that this type of award will lead to the development of new research focus and will result in manuscript publication, as well as extramural grant submission.

2. Four or more small awards (up to $5,000) to support exploratory research using existing databases and/or collected specimens, preferably patients’ residing in Northwest Ohio, to perform an analysis for aforementioned complications with a premise to identify novel therapeutic targets. This type of award is preferred for junior faculty, fellows and residents and it is expected to include medical and graduate students. The award will be paid upon request to cover the costs of additional expertise (e.g. diagnostic analysis, statistical analysis, etc.) and/or to cover the costs of publication or presentation at the professional meeting.

Dates:

• October 1, 2025 – application submission
• November 1, 2025 – funding decision
• December 1 or a date of IRB protocol approval – starting date
• Duration – 1 year followed with a final report from awardee

Eligibility, Submission, and Review Process:

UToledo and COMLS faculty (research and clinical, tenure and non-tenure tracks), fellows, and residents are eligible to apply. Applications should consist of Cover Page, Proposed Research including expected outcome (1 page), Bibliography (1 page), and Budget (1 page). Applications should be sent to the CeDER Director Dr. Lecka-Czernik (beata.leckaczernik@utoledo.edu) and will be reviewed by the CeDER Scientific Board.

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