Pilot & Feasibility Program

Eligible investigators should hold a PhD, MD or MD/PhD degree and have a full time appointment at a research university or medical center in the Chicagoland area.  Postdoctoral and MD Fellows are not eligible to apply, while faculty of parenthetical rank are eligible to apply.  Applicants include new investigators without current or past NIH support as principal investigators, established grant supported investigators who have not previously worked in diabetes related areas, or established investigators in diabetes related areas with a proposal for testing the feasibility of a new or innovative idea that is diabetes related and represents a clear and distinct departure from his/her ongoing research interests. We encourage applications from candidates from backgrounds that are under-represented in medicine.

DRTC Pilot & Feasibility studies are research projects aimed at: 1) attracting more junior members of the faculty into the area of diabetes-related research (basic, clinical, or translational); 2) allowing more established faculty members who are not currently engaged in diabetes research to extend their investigations into this important area; 3) permitting any faculty member to test a novel hypothesis of relevance to diabetes which might not yet meet NIH requirements for R01 funding; or 4) investigators proposing to develop innovative research techniques/technologies that could have relevance to diabetes research. It is strongly anticipated that the results of these pilot projects will eventually permit investigators to compete successfully for extramural sources of research support such as the NIH, American Diabetes Association, JDRF, etc. 

We and the NIH view diabetes as a multifaceted disease with broad biological aspects. Applications are acceptable from any member of the faculty who believes that he or she can make an important contribution in any of these areas within the framework of molecular understanding of diabetes and broader aspects of endocrinology using cellular, animal and/or clinical approaches.

Applications that propose to investigate social, behavioral and psychological aspects of diabetes, health outcomes or community outreach are not suitable for this funding mechanism.  Instead, applicants should consider applying for P&F funding through the Chicago Center for Diabetes Translational Research.

Pilot and Feasibility Studies will be funded for one year beginning April 1, 2025. Pilot and Feasibility Studies are funded up to $40,000/yr in direct costs. Funds may be requested for personnel, supplies, service and other costs, as for any NIH grant application. There is no support for PI salary or indirect costs so they should not be included in the budget. First year grant recipients are eligible to apply for second year funding.

P&F awardees are required to attend the Annual Diabetes Day held each May at the University of Chicago campus as a requirement for a second year of support. Awardees are encouraged to present a poster at this meeting.