Pilot and Feasibility Grant Program

PROJECT SUMMARY (P&F PROGRAM) The goal of the Pilot and Feasibility (P&F) Program of the University of Pennsylvania DDRCC, the Center for Molecular Studies in Digestive and Liver Diseases (CMSDLD), is to foster the growth of innovative digestive and liver diseases and microbiome research throughout the university and its affiliates, leading to exciting and unexpected new research directions for both junior and experienced scientists and, in turn, bringing these new ideas to the existing Research Base. The P&F program provides seed funding, subsidized access to state-of- the art cores, and, when appropriate, mentorship, to enable investigators to pursue new ideas, testing their feasibility and generating sufficient preliminary data to obtain sustained grant funding by traditional mechanisms. Over the past 10 years, the CMSDLD has awarded $1,350,019 divided amongst 50 P&F awards. The total return on investment thus far is 1:15, representing the successful achievement of P&F Program goals. Notably, awardees have come from three schools at the University of Pennsylvania (Medicine, Veterinary Medicine, and Engineering and Applied Sciences) as well as the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia; within the School of Medicine, there are eight departments represented, including both clinical and basic science departments. The variety of investigator affiliations reflects the scientific diversity of the CMSDLD research base and the expansion of innovative digestive and liver diseases and microbiome research widely throughout the University. Building on this history, the overall goal of the P&F Program for the next project period remains to support growth and innovation in digestive and liver diseases research throughout the University of Pennsylvania community. We are requesting $120,000 per year, with the goal of annually funding three awards of $40,000. The Specific Aims for the next project period are: 1) To provide funding for Type 1, 2, and 3 investigators proposing meritorious and exciting new research in digestive disease, liver disease, and microbiome research, with a preference for Type 1; and 2) To provide support to awardees through access to core facilities, biostatistics support, inclusion in CMSDLD enrichment activities, and targeted mentorship and other interactions with CMSDLD members. The P&F program has had a marked impact on the development of a broad-based, multidisciplinary, and scientifically diverse community of digestive and liver disease and microbiome researchers at the University of Pennsylvania. The continuation of this program offers the potential to further develop this community, bringing in new faculty, ideas, and techniques to digestive and liver diseases and microbiome research on campus and ultimately having a marked and positive impact on this research nationally.