The Pilot and Feasibility (P&F) program has funded 85 projects (including 2006) since it inception in 1978.This program has been extremely valuable and effective by providing funds for the support of diabetesrelatedprojects. The goal of the program is to support small research projects by new investigators (whohave little or no independent research support) or established investigators who are turning to diabetesresearch for the first time. The vast majority of the proposals are in the former category. Three new projectsare normally initiated each year. After a university-wide solicitation of proposals, four individuals (twointernal and two external to the institution) review each grant. The critiques of the proposal are evaluated bythe P&F Review Committee (equivalent to an NIH study section), and each proposal is assigned a priorityscore. The proposals and priority scores are then presented to the DRTC Executive Committee (equivalentto the NIH Council) for a funding decision. Support for a second year of research is awarded whensatisfactory work is completed in year one and if support for the projects has not been obtained in theinterim.The success rate of this program, measured either by the number of investigators who remain involved indiabetes research, or who convert their P&F into a nationally awarded, peer-reviewed grant, is high (75% ofgrants funded from 1996-2000). In addition, this program funds applications from a wide variety ofdepartments within the institution. For example, faculty members from Departments of Medicine, MolecularPhysiology and Biophysics, Biochemistry, Biomedical Engineering, Anesthesia, Pediatrics, Cell andDevelopmental Biology, Chemistry, Nursing, and Pathology were funded over the past five years. The P&Fprogram also provides visibility for the DRTC within the Vanderbilt scientific community and thus makes thescientific community more aware of the DRTC, its research efforts, and its core facilities. The importanceand effectiveness of the DRTC P&F program is underscored by the decision of the VUMC leadership toprovide additional funds ($100K) for this program in the next funding cycle.
Showing the most recent 10 out of 1487 publications
