The Pilot and Feasibility Program (P&F) is a key component of the UC Denver DRC that will allow DRC leadership to: 1) recruit new talent into diabetes research, 2) attract established investigators from other disciplines into diabetes-related scientific pursuits, and 3) support innovative/high-risk diabetes research projects. Our priority is the support of young, newly independent investigators at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus (UC AMC), and its affiliated institutions, who are embarking on diabetes research careers, but have yet to attain substantial funding. In addition, the UC Denver DRC P&F Program is an important means of promoting interdisciplinary diabetes research by fostering collaboration between DRC members and improving university-wide interactions between DRC members and other UC Denver NIH Centers or Dean?s Initiatives. The P&F program will also serve as a mechanism to increase the diversity of the UC AMC diabetes research community and its research portfolio. We will achieve these goals through the following specific aims:
AIM 1 : To establish a transparent and streamlined process for grant solicitation, scientific review, funding, project guidance/management, and progress assessment.
AIM 2 : To enhance the UC AMC diabetes research community and diversify its innovative research portfolio by providing funding to: a) early career diabetes investigators who lack substantial research funding; b) established investigators from other fields that intend to apply their knowledge and expertise to investigation of diabetes- related topic(s); c) established diabetes investigators who propose innovative, high-risk projects that deviate from their current funded research programs, and that would be unlikely to be funded through the usual granting agencies without compelling preliminary data; d) develop novel models (i.e. organoids) to examine unique physiological targets such as sex as a biological variable and immunomodulation.
AIM 3 : To provide career guidance and a scientific home for P&F funded investigators.
AIM 4 : To formally evaluate the impact of the UC Denver DRC P&F Program on individual grant recipients, as well as on the UC AMC diabetes research community as a whole.
