This subproject is one of many research subprojects utilizing the resources provided by a Center grant funded by NIH/NCRR. Primary support for the subproject and the subproject's principal investigator may have been provided by other sources, including other NIH sources. The Total Cost listed for the subproject likely represents the estimated amount of Center infrastructure utilized by the subproject, not direct funding provided by the NCRR grant to the subproject or subproject staff. This Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation (OMRF) COBRE has a nearly ten year history of successfully identifying and supporting Pilot Projects which lead to additional federal funding and scientific success of our recipients. Indeed, our first five Pilot Projects led to independent, R01 funding of 4 investigators, and all five have vibrant research careers now nearly 9 years later (four in Oklahoma and one leading an Immunology program in Germany). Additional support of Pilot Projects has led to (on average) 4 manuscripts per project, with many high impact papers and invitations to present their work at national/international meetings. In addition, many of our prior COBRE Pilot Projects have led to new collaborations between COBRE investigators within and outside Oklahoma. These interactions have led to collaborative manuscripts in high-impact journals, new scientific directions and transfer of technology across laboratories. A very recent successful collaboration partnered two OMRF COBRE investigators, which led to a co-PI R21 NIAID funded grant. Oklahoma continues to have many outstanding junior investigators with novel project ideas which are ripe for minimal investments with large potential returns. With just one e-mail announcement, we had responses for 17 potential Pilot Projects, twelve from junior COBRE-eligible investigators with ten of these never having received COBRE funds previously. All of these projects proposed to use at least 2 (and many 4) of the proposed scientific cores in this application. Our Pilot Project selection process entails an open competition (with notifications to junior scientists, mentors, section chiefs and program heads), with applications reviewed by our experienced Internal Advisory Committee (collectively with over 100 years of NIH funding) to rank applications. Ranked applications are then reviewed by our External Advisory Committee, and the top projects are funded as resources allow. All applicants (whether or not they receive funding) receive written comments about the application and have a post-review mentoring session with at least one member of the IAC to help improve the applications for future submissions and to suggest alternative funding opportunities. All Pilot Project recipients will present and discuss their progress with an assigned mentoring team, as well as present and discuss results/future directions with the IAC and at the annual EAC review. The Pilot Project Core is also evaluated and improved through a formal evaluation plan outlined in the Administrative Core.
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