Pilot Project Funding

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The Pilot and Feasibility Project Program (P/F) is designed to provide Vanderbilt investigators the opportunity to explore nascent, meritorious hypotheses related to digestive diseases with the goal of acquiring external funding. The Vanderbilt Digestive Disease Research Center plans to fund pilot projects annually.  

Awards will be made for one year for approximately $40,000. There will also be the opportunity next year to apply for a competitive renewal for a second year of funding for an additional $40,000. However, the proposal should be for only one year.

Type I 

Young investigators without current or past NIH support as the PI of an R01 or P01-based  project. Trainees in their last year of fellowship who are recipients of a National Research  Service Award (NRSA), individual award (F32), or an institutional training grant (T32) are eligible for P/F Funds if they have had at least two years of research experience, have the  expertise and to carry out the project, and have a clear path to career independence. 

(Most applicants will fall into this category).

Type II

Established, funded investigators with no previously funded work in the field of digestive  diseases, who wish to test the applicability of their expertise to a digestive disease-related  problem. 

Type III

Established investigators in digestive diseases who will not have R01-level funding at the  time that a pilot would start. How the pilot would enhance extramural grant applications should be emphasized in the pilot proposal application. 

Prior recipients of a Digestive Disease Research Center Pilot and Feasibility award are eligible if the grant application is a collaborative effort with current VDDRC members. 

In addition, a Young Investigator award will be made on the basis of priority score, potential of the investigator for independent career development in digestive disease research, and letters of support. The Young Investigator will be awarded $25,000 annual salary support for a 12- to 24- month period. 

Letter of Intent (LOI)

  • The letter should explain the investigator's eligibility and fit within one of the three research base categories of the VDDRC and planned usage of VDDRC core laboratories.  
  • The LOI should be no more than one page and should briefly detail the background/rationale, aims and approach of the proposed application.   
  • Include your current updated NIH biosketch.
  • All interested applicants are strongly encouraged to submit a Letter of Intent by December 19, 2024.

The Letter of Intent (LOI) and application should be addressed to:

Keith T. Wilson, MD
Director of the VDDRC Pilot & Feasibility Program
Room 1030-C MRB-IV
Nashville, TN 37232-0252

Applications

Applications are due February 28, 2025 and reviews are performed in February/March for a June start date.

Applicants selected for consideration of funding will then be required to be available for an oral presentation of their project to the selection committee on April 15, 2025. The start date of the awards will be June 1, 2025.

Detailed guidelines for submission are available here. 

For additional information please email Maria Eckhardt or Keith Wilson.