Pilot-Studies

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To maximize the impact of simulations on rehabilitation research, the National Center for Simulation in Rehabilitation Research (NCSRR) will attract and engage researchers from multiple areas and accelerate the research of early-career scientists. Our Pilot Studies program will initiate and sustain research projects in complementary rehabilitation areas with scientists from a wide range of institutions. We will build on our success so far in using the Pilot Studies to seed larger proposals (e.g., NIH R01s, NSF CAREER Awards), attract new researchers to rehabilitation science, and support ongoing collaborations. Our specific aims are as follows: 1. Award seed grants to innovative and meritorious Pilot Studies to accelerate the use of simulations in rehabilitation research and to advance medical rehabilitation. 2. Mentor and support Pilot Project winners during and after the one-year term of their award. 3. Support high caliber applicants with Outstanding Researcher and Travel Awards. 4. Evaluate the impact of the Pilot Projects and Outstanding Researcher and Travel Awards. Through the Pilot Studies and the Outstanding Researcher and Travel Awards, we anticipate that over the next five years we will be able to initiate and advance at least 65 new rehabilitation research projects that benefit from biomechanical modeling and simulation. These projects will serve as examples of what is possible to achieve with biomechanical simulations and provide a foundation for the use of simulations in future research in those areas, while simultaneously fostering ideas for successful future NIH grant applications. Our program is designed to be much more than just a distribution of seed funds to investigators. It is an integral component for building a sustainable network of experts across all of rehabilitation medicine. Through mentoring and on-going interactions with our awardees, we will continue to develop their expertise and encourage them to share their knowledge to produce a national network of experts that supports the mission of NCSRR.