Pilot and Feasibility Program
Purpose
The COBRE Metabolic Basis of Disease Center (MBDC) functions to expand intellectual, scientific, and technical infrastructure to promote biomedical research that enhances the study of metabolic components of disease states.
Approximately $150,000/year is available to fund 2-4 Pilot and Feasibility (P&F) awards each year. The P&F program will support innovative research on the metabolic basis of disease, focusing on projects expected to be competitive for further extramural funding.
Funding will prioritize one or more of the following categories:
- Proposals from senior postdoctoral researchers or junior faculty without extramural funding;
- Proposals from junior and senior faculty aimed at testing an innovative hypothesis that is a clear departure from currently funded research in their laboratories;
- Collaborative proposals from research teams that take advantage of diverse strengths of different team members; and
- Proposals that have translational potential.
In each category, priority will be given to applicants who emphasize innovation in concept, experimental approach, technology or intervention. Applicants proposing to conduct studies that specifically address critiques from a recent manuscript review or grant submission are also encouraged.
Who is Eligible?
- Applicants must be senior postdoctoral fellows or full-time faculty at Pennington Biomedical Research Center.
- Postdoctoral researchers with at least 2 years of experience to explore a topic unrelated to their mentor’s ongoing research.
- Young investigators who do not have current or previous NIH research support and who wish to establish their own independent research program are particularly encouraged to apply.
- Established investigators who wish to initiate a new research direction in the metabolic diseases field covered by the COBRE in preparation for a planned R01 submission. Applicants should clearly delineate how their proposed research differs from their current research.
- Junior or senior investigators responding to critiques from a manuscript or grant review.
- Teams of junior and senior faculty working together to develop a new experimental approach to tackle a question of high priority to the COBRE.
- Teams of basic and clinical/population biology faculty working together to develop translational studies that pursue questions of high priority to the COBRE.
There is no citizenship requirement for Pilot and Feasibility recipients, but applicants must hold a PhD, MD, or equivalent degree.
Faculty members currently supported by COBRE funding are ineligible.
Timeline/Important Dates
| Program Step | Date |
|---|---|
| Announcement of Opening Submissions | September 26, 2025 |
| Letter of Intent Due | October 31, 2025 |
| Invitation to Present | First week of November, In-person presentation on November 14 |
| Full Application Due | December 12, 2025 |
Letter of Intent Guidelines
A letter of intent and NIH Biosketch are required initially to ensure eligibility and appropriateness of the research topic.
Letter of intent should be one-page maximum including the following:
- Project title, Principal Investigator, and inter-institutional collaborations
- Abstract of intended work including a statement of intended COBRE-PBRC scientific core usage
- Estimated budget
- Statement that the applicant’s Sponsored Projects Office was notified of LOI submission
Only investigators who submitted a Letter of Intent, along wtih an NIH Biosketch, and subsequently received approval will be asked to present their proposal to the COBRE Steering Committee.
Please submit the Letter of Intent with NIH Biosketch as one document electronically (PDF format in color) to Alexis Turner, coordinator in Basic Science, to alexis.turner@pbrc.edu or clink the button below:
