Harvard Digestive Diseases Center
Pilot & Feasibility Awards Program

REQUEST FOR APPLICATIONS
and
PROGRAM GUIDELINES

SCIENTIFIC SCOPE of the Pilot and Feasibility (P/F) Awards Program
The scientific focus of the Harvard Digestive Diseases Center (HDDC) is broad, and projects will be considered for support if they relate directly or indirectly to the digestive tract. 

For example, eligible projects may be in areas such as epithelial structure and function, cell and molecular biology that relates to epithelial cells, immunology relevant to mucosal systems, epithelial-microbial interactions, pathogenesis of enteric infectious diseases, host defense and vaccine development, epithelial cell growth, differentiation, carcinogenesis, smooth muscle motility, and biology of the enteric nervous system.

PURPOSE of P/F Program
For new applications and continuations of current 1-year awards
Support young investigators who have not previously held independent awards (RO1, R29, PO1) in carrying out independent and promising research that tests novel research direction or hypothesis.  This program particularly favors focused projects that will help young scientists and/or clinicians toward development as independent investigators with the express purpose of ultimately achieving independent support.
Enable young, developing, funded investigators in pursuing innovative and promising pilot projects which might otherwise not have support, and which ultimately might lead to independent support.
Enable established investigators already working in digestive disease-related research to make a substantial change in the direction of their research, relevant to the digestive diseases field.
Entice investigators who have left the field of digestive diseases, or who have never worked in the field, to become involved in research related to digestive diseases.

ELIGIBILITY
New investigators, as well as established investigators, are encouraged to apply.  Young investigators are particularly encouraged to use pilot/feasibility funding to gather the data needed for subsequent NIH or other applications. Funded Investigators requesting pilot/feasibility funds must show how this project is a departure from ongoing work.  Pilot/feasibility (P/F) projects may be related to ongoing or previous work, but cannot overlap any funded project.  P/F grants are not intended to be used as bridging support for projects not funded by the NIH. A person can be funded only once in every five-year cycle for a maximum of two consecutive years, provided that performance in the first year is satisfactory.

EXPENSES FOR WHICH FUNDS MAY BE USED
Funds may be used for technical support and supplies.  Equipment is funded only in very rare instances where it is vital to the particular project and is so unique that it is not available in any of the Center's core facilities.  Such equipment requests must be well justified in the budget and approved by the HDDC Executive Committee. Investigator or postdoctoral salaries and travel are not funded.

MAXIMUM AWARD
The amount of the award varies with the availability of funds.  In the recent years, project budgets have ranged from $15,000-$25,000. The period of funding is for one year, beginning on July 1st.  Investigators must reapply for a second year of funding.
**Facilities and Administrative (F&A) costs will be awarded at the rate of 25%**

APPLICATION PROCEDURE

All interested applicants must complete and submit the Letter of Intent Form by March 15, 2007.

Applications should be in the format of an NIH RO1 application, using the PHS 398 forms. The “research plan” portion of the grant should be limited to approximately 3-5 pages single-spaced and should include the following form pages:

1. Form Page 1 (Face Page)
2. Form Page 2 (Description, Performance Sites, Key Personnel)
3. Form Page 4 (Detailed Budget for Initial Budget Period) Budget Justification
4. Biographical Sketch
5. Other Support; *Please give an explanation as to how this research proposal is a departure from your ongoing work, and from the work of your previous or current mentors or collaborators.
6. Resources.  Please list the HDDC Core Facilities that you plan to use in this project (see descriptions below).

Additionally:

1. On a separate page, list four names of those who could be called upon to review your application. These names can be, but are not limited to, members of the Harvard Digestive Diseases Center and the Harvard Medical Area. Please include their full names, postal and email addresses, and telephone and fax numbers.

All applications must be submittedelectronically in PDF format by email attachment to hddc@childrens.harvard.edu by 5:00 p.m. on May 1, 2007.  Signed originals of the face page, budget page, IACUC and/or IRB approvals will be requested if the project is approved.

For applications for continuations of current 1-year awards
Please be certain to include in the Research Plan, a description of the progress you have made in the first year, as well as your plans for the proposed second year.  Also include a paragraph summarizing your past and planned use of HDDC cores (see descriptions below), and describe any collaboration with Center investigators.

EVALUATION OF APPLICATIONS
The Executive Committee of the HDDC serves as the central review committee for P/F studies. The members of the Executive Committee review each application and assign a priority rating to each project.  In addition, each P/F application is sent to two outside expert reviewers.  The Executive Committee considers these ratings and ultimately decides upon the awarding of these grants, based upon scientific merit and also upon the appropriateness of the project to the goals of the P/F program (see Purpose above).

RESPONSIBILITIES OF AWARDEES
Awardees will be required to submit a written progress report by March 14, 2008 for our annual Advisory Board meeting. You will be asked to submit an updated version of this progress report by May 16, 2008 for inclusion in the HDDC non-competing renewal application to the NIH.
Awardees are expected to participate in HDDC activities by attending research conferences and generally becoming involved in scientific exchange within the program.
You may be invited to present your work at our annual Advisory Board meeting.  This usually takes place at the end of March or beginning of April.
Harvard Digestive Diseases Center support must be acknowledged on all publications of the research. This may take the form of "Supported in part by the Harvard Digestive Diseases Center, NIH Grant P30 DK34845."

SUBMISSION DEADLINES
Letters of Intent are due by 5:00 p.m. on MARCH 15, 2007.
Applications are due by 5:00 p.m. on MAY 1, 2007.

CONTACTS
Rick Blumberg, Co-Director                 (617) 732-5824
Wayne Lencer, Co-Director                 (617) 919-2573
Josh Rosenfeld, Administrator   (617) 919-4516

Click here for the LETTER OF INTENT FORM