UAB CFRC Pilot and Feasibility Program

PROJECT SUMMARY / ABSTRACT Pilot projects within the UAB P30 Center contribute to multidisciplinary research on our campus, enhance faculty development, extensively utilize Scientific Cores, and integrate well with the global research themes of the UAB Center. A strong and well-supported Pilot and Feasibility mechanism has allowed the Center to address new research priorities and expand its scientific purview. The goals of the P30 Pilot and Feasibility Component are delineated through four Specific Aims. First, the Pilot Program identifies and supports new research projects of outstanding quality and innovation. Projects typically last one to two years each, are concordant with the overall objectives of the UAB P30 and are intended to result in further grant support from NIH, Cystic Fibrosis (CF) Foundation, or other funding agencies. Second, the Pilot Program supports promising junior faculty in career development through funding of outstanding pilot research. The Center Enrichment Program, strong mentoring within the CF Center, a robust Enrichment program, and extensive training resources available at UAB through the Center for Clinical and Translational Science (UAB’s NIH- funded CTSA research program) are also employed toward this end. Third, the Pilot Program augments the breadth and quality of CF research by funding innovative projects from established researchers with valuable expertise who are new to CF research, or alternatively from established CF investigators who want to test new high-impact hypotheses. And fourth, the Pilot Program provides an administrative framework for review and oversight of Pilot and Feasibility Studies. This includes broad solicitation and rigorous peer review of Pilot applications, recommendations regarding 2nd-year funding of Pilots to the Internal Advisory Committee, assistance and mentoring to pilot PIs, and record-keeping regarding publication and grant outcomes that result from pilot funding to provide evidence for continuous process improvement. Overall, the Pilot Program has had an important impact on CF research at UAB, has been very successful in assisting multiple faculty early in their careers to successfully obtain extramural funding for CF research, and has enlarged our Research Base in new innovative directions.