P and F Program

PROJECT SUMMARY P/F PROGRAM The Pilot and Feasibility (P/F) Program aims to enhance collaborative, interdisciplinary research in digestive diseases, foster breadth in our research base and build a pipeline of DDRCC members. We aligned our process to select new, Track 1 investigators with the greatest potential for sustained impact in digestive disease research, while retaining rigorous and constructive peer review. We provide interactive feedback through meetings with all applicants before submission, written critiques and in-person discussion after review, independent of funding decision. We receive 10-20 applications each year, and support 4-5, with final priority assigned by our External Advisory Board. The P/F Program has two key objectives: AIM 1: Invest in creative proposals that help faculty launch independent, extramurally funded programs in digestive disease research, expand the research base, and make novel, impactful contributions to digestive diseases science, guided by our EAB and CAB. AIM 2: Catalyze the career development of new investigators, particularly junior faculty. In doing so, we will promote a pipeline of promising new investigators who will populate the digestive disease research workforce. Dr. Brian DeBosch directs the P/F Program, in coordination with Drs. Davidson, Tarr, and Randolph. We recruit candidates from basic and clinical Departments across Washington University, bringing a breadth of new investigators into GI research. Since 2019, P/F Awardees have come from Internal Medicine (GI, Hematology/Oncology), Pediatrics (Endocrinology, Rheumatology), Biochemistry & Molecular Biophysics, Molecular Microbiology, Radiology, and Pathology & Immunology. ACCOMPLISHMENTS AND HIGHLIGHTS: All 17 Awardees (2019-2024), and 36/37 (97%) total Awardees (2013-2024) were Track 1 candidates. Innovations to our Program include: (i) Increased P/F Awardee networking and mentorship, including an annual retreat that engages P/F Applicants and Awardees’ with highly successful scientists conducting digestive disease research that affects all populations; (ii) a streamlined application process that incorporates a letter of intent (LOI) to attract, screen, and provide rapid feedback, while reducing burden on our internal and external reviewers. From 2013-23 (10 P/F cycles), we funded 37 investigators (36 of 37 Track 1) with total investment of $1,334,763 (average: $36,075/award). These Awardees in turn garnered $49,447,585 in total direct costs (ROI of 36:1). 95% of Awardees remain actively engaged in full-time research, and 70.3% have obtained substantial NIH funding (R01/equivalent, R21 or K awards). P/F funding supported high-impact publications from awardees including: Cell (Liu, Muegge, White), Nature (Morris), PNAS (Baldridge, Ding), and Gastroenterology (Cifarelli, DeBosch, Jin, Rudnick), Sci Trans Med (Liu), Cell Host & Microbe (Liu).