These awards provide up to $10,000 for a period of one year to support senior fellowship and post-doc research trainees as they build a solid research foundation to help them obtain a career development award following the project. The pilot project should be part of a long-term plan to become an independent investigator. This award requires support from an externally funded mentor to enhance the likelihood of progression toward a career development award.

Applicant Eligibility

  • All Senior Fellow/Post Doc trainees with a primary appointment in DOM or who have a mentor with a primary appointment in DOM are eligible.
  • All trainees must be eligible to submit an extramural career development award (K award, etc.) as a PI at the start of the grant period.
  • Applications are welcomed from basic, clinical, health services and translational investigators.
  • The Research Executive Committee and Study Section follow the NIH proposal model where an initial application and one resubmission are allowed for funding consideration. Previously submitted but unfunded proposals found to have merit may be revised and resubmitted one time.
  • A no-cost extension (second year) is possible with demonstrated productivity. Such continuation requests need to be carefully justified and will be considered as a competing renewal application (see below). Support for a second year is not allowed if the applicant has received external funding for the same project.

Proposal Requirements

Proposals should consist of the following (in order):

  • NIH-style Biographical sketch for trainee and mentor (5 page max for each)
  • Budget (use the linked template)
  • Budget justification
  • Abstract / Scientific Aims (1 page max)
    • Applicants should briefly describe the aims they will use to test their hypothesis. Aims should be related but not dependent upon each other (i.e., a failure or unexpected results of one aim will not prevent the completion of another). 
  • References cited
  • Career development goals (1 page max)
  • Project milestones and future funding plans (1-page max with a Gantt chart describing the timeline to external proposal submission)
  • Mentoring plan (1 page max)
  • Letter confirming provision of matching/support funds, if applicable

Review Criteria

Awards will be based on a general assessment of the overall strength of the science, career development goals, and mentoring plan. The Study Section Sub-Committee will recommend funding proposals with a clear path to the submission of a K-type career development award proposal.