Our COBRE has conducted a small but successful pilot project program. The program has been highly selective, funding only applicants with outstanding training, innovative ideas, and institutional support. In other words, we leveraged pilot funds to intramural resources to sustain junior investigators during the vulnerable period before extramural funding is achieved. Each of our pilot grant recipients became competitive for a full project in an Oklahoma COBRE, was awarded grants from state and private agencies, and is close to obtaining R01 funding. The momentum generated by the productivity of COBRE investigators (full and pilot projects) in Phases I and II provides the opportunity to widen the scope of the pilot program in Phase III. Oklahoma has many outstanding junior investigators with novel ideas in cardiovascular biology. Some have faculty-level appointments with institutional support. Many do not, but data generated from pilot grants increases their competitiveness for internal promotion. Furthermore, we continue to recruit promising new faculty members from outside Oklahoma. We will build on our success with two specific aims:
Aim 1, identify and fund innovative pilot projects from junior investigators, and Aim 2, evaluate progress of projects and effectiveness of mentors to ensure that pilot grants foster career development of investigators and strengthen the scientific infrastructure of the Center. Coupled to our strong mentoring program, the pilot projects will help outstanding junior investigators transition to independent research careers.
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