Pilot and Feasibility Program

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Project Summary The principal objective of the UAB-UCSD O'Brien Center Pilot and Feasibility (PAF) Grants Program is to provide seed funds for new, outstanding, and innovative research proposals related to AKI. These pilot funds will provide eligible investigators with one to two years of support along with the resources necessary to explore investigator-initiated projects related to AKI. The UAB-UCSD O'Brien Center PAF Program will have a tri-partite focus with a mission 1) to attract junior faculty to AKI-related research; 2) enable established investigators in other fields to explore the feasibility of new, innovative concepts in AKI-related research; and 3) entice investigators with research expertise in the Core Center's thematic areas to apply their expertise to AKI-related questions. The PAF Program has been successful in this mission. There is a high level of recurring interest, with an average of 19 applications/year in response to our RFAs. All funded applications were judged to be highly meritorious by our study section, which consists of our intramural experts. The Program has recruited 12 physician-scientists and 11 Ph.D. scientists, including promising faculty from institutions outside UAB and UCSD. Eighteen of the 23 investigators funded by this program were new to the AKI field, and about 83% have remained in kidney-related research. These investigators have demonstrated significant productivity, including 39 peer-reviewed papers published by pilot recipients funded during this cycle. At present, collectively the 23 recipients have a 66.7% success rate in obtaining subsequent extramural funding. The UAB-UCSD O'Brien Center PAF Program will continue to leverage institutional resources ($335,000 during the present cycle) at both UAB and UCSD, which will permit an increase in the total investment for our Pilot Program recipients. Three to four awards per year will continue to be supported by this program, with two supported by O'Brien Center funds and the additional 1-2 from institutional funds. The ultimate goal of the UAB-UCSD O'Brien Center PAF program is to provide sufficient resources and training for pilot investigators to pursue research that advances the treatment of AKI.