Pilot and Feasibility Program

SUMMARY The mission of the Pilot and Feasibility (P&F) Program of the Penn DRC is to foster the development of new investigators and to provide seed support for innovative high-risk diabetes related projects, with an increasing emphasis on clinical and translational science. Over the past 2 funding periods (10 years), the Pilot and Feasibility Program has been highly successful in this regard. 36 investigators received P&F awards and, of these, 80% have garnered independent NIH support, the majority as R01s directly related to their P&F awards. During the previous funding period 23 traditional P&F grants were awarded among 74 applications submitted by investigators representing 11 Departments spanning multiple Schools and Institutes on the campus of the University of Pennsylvania as well as other Philadelphia Institutions. Of the funded grants, 70% were to new investigators and 22% were dedicated to clinical and translational projects. During the next funding period we propose to continue this core mission of the Pilot and Feasibility Program while also increasing our efforts to support underrepresented minority investigators and trainees engaged in diabetes research. Given the past successes of the program, the increasing cost of performing research in the setting of an ever more competitive funding environment, and the clear need based on the steady influx of applications, it is critical to continue the mission of the P&F Program.