Pilot and Feasibility Program

PROJECT SUMMARY: PILOT AND FEASIBILITY PROGRAM The C-SiG Pilot and Feasibility (P/F) Program is vital for helping us attract new investigators to digestive disease research. The P/F Program provides investigators with sufficient funds to obtain robust preliminary data to be used in research grant applications awarded by external agencies, especially NIDDK. In addition to research funding, P/F awardees are mentored by the C-SiG Leadership and are provided career development opportunities through the C-SiG Enrichment Program. Awardees receive feedback on their work through the internal review process and when presenting to the External Advisory Committee. Thus, the P/F program allows C-SiG to foster and strengthen the pipeline of new investigators engaging in digestive disease research. The primary goal of the C-SiG P/F Program is to support new investigators (Type N) just beginning their careers in digestive diseases research. Proposals are also accepted from established, funded investigators who are new to digestive disease research (Type EN) who wish to test the applicability of their expertise to a digestive disease-related problem. The P/F Program typically funds 3 outstanding proposals each year for a total of $100,000 per year. Since its inception in 2009, the P/F Program has received an average of 9 applications each year, and funded 42 investigators (41 Type N ,1 Type EN, 0 Type E) with first year awards ranging from $25,000-$40,000 (average award $33,000) in direct annual costs. Additionally, P/F recipients are eligible to compete for a New Supported Investigator Award funded by Mayo that provides a second year of funding (up to $50,000) to one P/F Award recipient who has made exceptional progress during their first year. Since 2009, 10 Named Supported Investigator Awards have been given to meritorious P/F projects to provide a second year of funding (average award $37,000 per year [range $20,000-50,000; total $370,000] provided by Mayo). As of Jan 2023, 30/42 (71%) of P/F award recipients have achieved independent Federal funding. A detailed and rigorous multi-tiered peer review process has been developed to select projects of the highest quality. Built in this process is a mechanism to provide detailed constructive criticism to all eligible applicants, including the unfunded ones. The following sections detail the eligibility requirements, the mechanisms used to announce program funds, the application process and mechanisms for scientific review, and the mechanisms for program oversight and review.