Pilot Project Core

PROJECT SUMMARY PILOT PROJECT CORE The Developmental Exposure Alcohol Research Center (DEARC) includes a Pilot Project Core (PPC). The goals of the PPC are to (i) provide a structured funding mechanism to seed the development of new ideas, collaborative teams or technical approaches relevant to the central themes of the DEARC; (ii) support career growth for both young and seasoned investigators, particularly those from historically under-represented groups, through mentoring and facilitated collaboration; and (iii) capitalize on unique and timely opportunities that may arise from the rapidly changing, dynamic field of research on alcohol and development. The PPC will achieve these goals through administration of a Pilot Project program that solicits Pilot Project Proposals from eligible investigators, coordinates the review process for proposals received, and ultimately oversees the award and reporting functions for all supported Pilot Projects. In addition, the PPC will help promote scientific connections among new members of the DEARC, and between these new members and established DEARC investigators to further increase scientific synergy and promote both peer-based and mentor-mentee relationships within the Center. Pilot Projects will be supported for 1-2 years each and will be funded at $45K (direct costs) per year. Using this approach, we will support at least 6 funded pilot projects during the proposed 5-year funding period. Two highly innovative Pilot Project proposals are proposed to begin in the first budget year of this Center. The first pilot project (PI: A. Gano) seeks to examine the transcriptomic effects of a unique and innovative “double hit” model that examines the additive or interactive effects of prenatal and/or adolescent ethanol exposure. It will use RNAseq and rtPCR to determine genes and gene networks that are differentially expressed as a function of ethanol exposure during these two key developmental stages. The second pilot project (PI: E. Galaj) will test the hypothesis that adolescent intermittent ethanol exposure leads to impaired conditioned reinforcement learning by dysregulating activity of brainstem cholinergic inputs to the ventral tegmental area; it will use a combination of optogenetic, fiber photometry and behavioral methods. Future projects will similarly promote the scientific objectives of the DEARC through novel technical and conceptual advances. Through support of exciting new projects and investigators, novel collaborative ventures and technology development efforts, the PPC will serve as an incubator of great new ideas and teams that will positively contribute to the mission of the DEARC.