Pilot Grants Program

Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation, Oklahoma City OK

Investigators

Linked publications & trials

Abstract

This COBRE has a nearly decade history of successfully identifying and supporting Pilot Projects which have lead to additional funding and scientific success for our recipients. In many ways of all the positives that have flowed from our COBRE, the success of our pilot programs is probably one of the best examples. We have used our Pilot Projects during Phase II to in many cases introduce young senior post docs or young faculty to genetics. Often their focus was in other arenas but they were chosen as they needed access to the resources our COBRE can provide. These attempts at attracting new investigators to our Center have paid off as many are now fully integrated into genetic projects as their main focus. Oklahoma continues to have many outstanding junior investigators with novel project ideas, which are ripe for minimal investments with large potential returns. Two years ago, with just one e-mail announcement in the middle of summer, we had responses within two weeks for 14 potential pilot projects, 12 from junior COBRE-eligible investigators with 10 of these never having previously received COBRE funds. Most of these projects proposed to use the Genomics or the Quantitative Analysis Core in this application. To build on the prior success of our COBRE Pilot Projects Core has the following specific aims: 1) identify and fund highly innovative, COBRE Pilot Projects from junior COBRE investigators or established investigators with novel ideas in a new field of investigation and 2) evaluate progress of projects and effectiveness of mentors and ensure that this Pilot Project program continues to provide key resources for outstanding scientific opportunities. We anticipate that the mechanism we have laid out in the Pilot Project Core for identifying talent, evaluating progress and cultivating indepence will result in continued successful faculty independence and National funding success.