Pilot & Feasibility Program

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P&F PROGRAM: PROGRAM SUMMARY / ABSTRACT The Pilot and Feasibility (P&F) Program of the Georgia Center for Diabetes Translation Research (GCDTR) serves a pivotal role in catalyzing high-return investments by developing junior and underrepresented minority investigators, attracting transitioning investigators, and significantly adding to the breadth and depth of NIH- funded collaborative interdisciplinary diabetes translation research in the Southeastern U.S.. The P&F Program supports high impact studies to promote health equity for diverse populations with disproportionately high diabetes burdens. The P&F Program is a center-wide activity (situated in Core A) designed to support investigators in conducting studies that address the priority focal areas of GCDTR's Translation Research Cores: Design and Evaluation for Equity (Core B), Socio-ecological and Behavioral Science for Equity (Core C), and engage Technologies Advancing Translation and Equity (Regional Core) to extend GCDTR's reach to neighboring institutions in Florida and Tennessee. The GCDTR aims to promote equity by reducing race/ethnic, gender, age, socioeconomic, co-morbidity, and geographical disparities in our membership and our research. The integration of the P&F Program with GCDTR's Cores and Enrichment Program ensures that pilot study investigators will be supported by nationally-recognized Core Experts in conducting innovative studies using state-of-the-art technologies and engagement methodologies, innovative designs, and multi- disciplinary evaluation approaches. In grant years 1-4, the P&F Program funded 18 grants which have led to 13 federally-funded awards yielding a $23 return on every dollar granted. The P&F Program's main roles are to: serve as a funding catalyst (Aim 1); support high-quality health equity research through linking aspiring applicants with GCDTR's Core Experts (Aim 2); and grow the community of diverse and multidisciplinary investigators by enhancing the productivity, visibility, and impact of pilot studies/investigators through research career and dissemination skills training (Aim 3). These aims will be accomplished through innovations such as: matched resource commitments (totaling $857,500 over 5 years) from GCDTR institutions to co-support pilot studies; a Micro Grants program; a multi-disciplinary, multi-institutional review group to oversee P&F award selection; co-hosting skills development modules with the Enrichment Program for aspiring investigators; new processes to link P&F applicants with Core Experts prior to submitting their applications; an innovative mentee- to-mentor program that involves guiding pilot grant awardees to transition to mentoring others; and efficiently leveraging other NIH-funded programs. Based on GCDTR's broad research base, impactful science and pilot outcomes to date, and rich history of engagement with communities, clinical centers, and local and federal health agencies in the region, P&F investigators have access to some of the finest mentors in diabetes translation research, understudied vulnerable populations, and underused but robust datasets.