Pilot and Feasibility Program

University Of Iowa, Iowa City IA

Investigators

Linked publications & trials

Abstract

Historically, this Center's Pilot and Feasibility Project Grants have been divided into two groups: 1) grants involving research relevant to gene therapy of CF, and 2) grants involving research relevant to gene therapy of other genetic diseases. Between 1998-2003, the Center's Pilot and Feasibility Grant Program functioned through two sources of funding: 1) $80,000 of annual NIDDK funding for two non-CF-related pilots per year and 2) $500,000 of annual funding through a Cystic Fibrosis Foundation (CFF) supplement to the P30 center that funded 10 pilots per year. For the second cycle of funding (2003-2008), the CFF pilot-funding source was discontinued for all P30 centers. To make up for this this change, we moved money from the Cores to the pilots during the second cycle of funding for the Center, to fund an average of three pilots per year. We felt that this was justified given the success of the pilot program during its first five years. The duration of pilot grants has remained capped at 2 years, with maximal annual direct costs of $50,000. Over the past ten years, the Center has awarded 21 NIDDK-funded pilots and 29 CFF-funded pilots. Ten percent of these pilots have been placed at consortium institutions involved in the CF Lung Tissue Acquisition Program.