Pilot and Feasibility

PROJECT SUMMARY – PILOT AND FEASIBLITY One of the most important programs of our Houston—Nutrition and Obesity Research Center (H-NORC) is the Pilot and Feasibility (P/F) Program. P/F awards will 1) provide support for new investigators seeking to test a new hypothesis or idea related to nutrition and obesity; 2) stimulate investigators from other areas to participate in nutrition and obesity research; 3) allow exploration of possible innovative directions for established investigators already working in the nutrition and obesity field. Approaches to studying nutrition and obesity research that complement the scope of our Center and leverage Biomedical Cores are encouraged. With organizational support, we conducted two pilot P/F RFAs, one in 2019 and one in 2023, and received in aggregate ~ 50 applications representing both basic and clinical disciplines. We organized formal processes for soliciting and reviewing P/F Proposals. The P/F program has a Director and a Scientific Review Committee comprised of the H-NORC Executive Committee. Awards of 1-2 years are made following a rigorous peer- review system that involves an initial evaluation for scientific merit by a Scientific Review Committee, which includes the H-NORC Internal Advisory Committee members, and ad hoc scientists in the Texas Medical Center and, if necessary, around the US. All P/F applications approved for funding receive priority access to our Cores for up to the two-year duration of their award. Considerations for review, ranking, and funding of P/F proposals include project novelty, feasibility, relationship to nutrition and obesity research, use of H-NORC Cores, and the likelihood that the project will lead to external funding. Importantly, the availability of additional organizational funds to reinforce our P/F program adds flexibility to the funding mechanisms. The scores and the written reviews are then considered by the P&F Program directors and the senior NORC leadership. P&F Program awardees not only receive funding, but also mentoring, administrative support, and grantsmanship advice to maximize the possibility of subsequent extramural funding of the projects. In doing so, the P/F program provides oversight and monitoring to ensure that any administrative or science-related obstacles are overcome. Ultimately, the H-NORC P/F Program is focused on enabling paradigm shifts in the field of nutrition and obesity research leading to new and more effective strategies for the prevention and/or treatment of nutrition-related disorders, most especially obesity.