Pilot Project Program

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Abstract The Pilot Project Program (PPP) is a high impact activity of the Center for Environmental Health and Susceptibility (UNC-CEHS). It provides seed money to support preliminary data collection or feasibility studies, critical to the success of new proposals for external funding in environmental health. The program prioritizes support for junior investigators and for interdisciplinary teams conducting translational environmental health research. The PPP specific aims are to: provide support to junior investigators interested in developing a research program in environmental health; foster the advancement of interdisciplinary teams exploring innovative ideas in translational environmental health research, specifically in Environmental Cancer, Cardiopulmonary Disease, Developmental Disease and Community Outreach and Engagement; and stimulate experienced investigators from other areas to apply their expertise to environmental health problems. Funding availability for Pilot Projects is announced annually, in December, to timely complete the selection process so that PP awardees can start their projects April 1. RFA and Guidelines for Applicants are disseminated by campus e-mail sent to all UNC-CEHS members and affiliated departments; flyers posted throughout the UNC Health Sciences schools (Public Health, Medicine, Dentistry, Nursing, and Pharmacy), main UNC campus (particularly Departments of Biology and Chemistry), and Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, NCTraCS (CTSA) and other biomedical research buildings. The information is also on the UNC-CEHS's website. UNC-CEHS members and non-members with member-collaborators are eligible to apply, and for the first time, Pilot Project proposals submitted by the Community Outreach and Engagement Core are eligible. There are two types of pilot projects: Standard PP Award, targeted mainly to junior faculty or experienced faculty in a new area of research (five awards of $30,000 each), and Interdisciplinary PP Award, targeted to teams of experienced investigators interested in translational environmental health research (three awards of $50,000 each). Each application is reviewed by two experts: applications for Standard PP are reviewed by scientists from UNC or other institutions; applications for Interdisciplinary PP reviewed by two members of the CEHS External Advisory Committee. Our award recipients have been very successful in obtaining funding for applications subsequently submitted to external agencies, usually utilizing data generated as part of the PPP.