Pilot Projects

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The Pilot Project program of the Center for Biomolecular Structure and Dynamics (CBSD) COBRE is designed to seed the research programs of junior investigators and to provide established investigators with funding to move their research programs in new directions. This program builds on the success of a similar program implemented during phases I and II of the CBSD COBRE. The 28 Pilot Projects funded during previous phases of COBRE support led to 32 grant awards that brought in a total of $15.5 million of funding to CBSD investigators. The Pilot Project program also led to a large increase in the use of the four COBRE-supported research cores and an associated increase in recharge income. We will continue to stimulate the growth of CBSD research funding and the use of our research cores by allocating COBRE and institutional funds to sustain this valuable program. As in phases I and II of COBRE support, we will use the Pilot Project program to seed the careers of junior investigators (specific aim 1) and to assist established investigators in pursuing new research directions (specific aim 2). To expand the impact of this program on the growth of our research enterprise and to enhance the capabilities of our research cores during phase III, we also will prioritize Pilot Projects that involve multi-PI collaborations (specific aim 3) or drive the development of new core technologies (specific aim 4). The former will allow for the development of grant submissions with a strong competitive edge and the latter will help to keep our research cores at the technological forefront. Critical to the success of our Pilot Project program will be effective mentoring programs (specific aim 5), such as the Hot Water grant writing workshop. We will continue to improve the Pilot Project program by evaluating its effectiveness with annual input from our External Advisory Committee so that we can maximize its impact on our research endeavors. The proven track-record of the Pilot Project program to increase the research funding and productivity of CBSD investigators and to drive technological development in our research cores is a key element of our strategic plan to sustain the CBSD after phase III COBRE funding.