The main goal of the Pilot Projects Program is to provide a flexible and efficient means for initiating novel clinical research projects in a timely manner. The two main objectives are to encourage the development of smaller projects to the point where they can be published, or they can compete for independent funding. A third objective is to stimulate collaboration, both among investigators of the Dystonia Coalition, and outside investigators. Priority is given to projects that are short (<2 years), have modest budgets (usually less than $50,000/yr), have clear and direct relevance to dystonia, optimally leverage the resources of the Dystonia Coalition, and maximize the likelihood of development into larger independently-funded projects or publications with high impact. The process is initiated by a request for applications that is distributed to all members of the Dystonia Coalition at least yearly, and to each of our Patient Advocacy Groups (PAGs) for further distribution. Eligible projects may come from investigators both within and outside the Dystonia Coalition. All pilot projects must have a direct clinical or translational focus; purely basic science proposals are not accepted. All projects are reviewed by a committee that includes Dystonia Coalition investigators, representatives from at least one PAG, and the NIH. The program has a yearly budget of at least $50,000 to support 1-2 projects yearly. These funds are augmented by one or more Dystonia PAGs, depending on availability of funds and their special interests in the types of projects received. As an example of the operation of our Pilot Projects Program and its remarkable success, a list of previously supported Pilot Projects and their outcomes is provided, along with details regarding their co- sponsorship with one or more PAGs.
