PILOT PROJECT

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This subproject is one of many research subprojects utilizing the resources provided by a Center grant funded by NIH/NCRR. The subproject and investigator (PI) may have received primary funding from another NIH source, and thus could be represented in other CRISP entries. The institution listed is for the Center, which is not necessarily the institution for the investigator. We will solicit projects on a yearly basis. The projects will be separately evaluated by the steering committee and voting will be done by secret ballot. We may award two $50,000 grants, four $25,000 grants, or any combination, depending on the quality and scientific vision of the individual proposal. A selective advantage will be given to projects that incorporate and unify two or more areas of research and/or bridge specific Programs within OMRF, and this will be announced at the time the projects are solicited. Specific attention will be given to projects that expand/enhance our goals of integrating Programs in Immunology at OMRF, and projects that further our developing Neuroscience Initiative. Priority must go to new investigators. It would require a very unusual set of extenuating circumstances for the COBRE steering committee to award such grants to anyone above the assistant member level. Projects would be further reviewed by our External Scientific Committee, followed by a request for approval from NCRR. This rigorous selection process will function to insure stringently that only research projects of the very highest scientific caliber are funded by this money. The steering committee will appoint mentors for the pilot projects according to the stratified mentoring process described in this COBRE application. It is critically important that the review committee be made aware that these projects will be awarded only to independent scientists, and will not be used to enhance the laboratories of any of our senior faculty. This would be a clear misuse of these funds, and represents the antithesis of the supportive research culture we are striving to create at OMRF. As we did in our first COBRE award, we objectively evaluate individual outcomes of the funded pilot projects, improving and extending the criteria for measurement during this process. Since the funded Pilot Project scientists will almost certainly be at the beginning of their careers, this process will be simplified. Each new grant application, every paper, meeting presentation and other measurable criteria such as citations of a given publication will be carefully monitored by the mentoring team, as we recognize that we have a great responsibility to make certain that we not only fund the most promising research, but also document for peer review the fact that these funds have been wisely expended. The PI of the COBRE has been reducing his personal research commitment each year and will take the evaluation of research progress resulting from this COBRE award as a personal mentoring responsibility. Each pilot project recipient will be required to report his/her progress six and twelve months after the receipt of funds. Except under very exceptional circumstances, we do not anticipate that anyone will receive these funds more than once. These funds are intended to provide the necessary support to young scientists that will allow them to produce the preliminary data necessary for strong and competitive NIH applications.