The University of Louisville Center for Integrated Environmental Health Science (CIEHS) will promote research toward understanding how lifestyle factors interact with exposure to environmental toxicants in human health and disease. The CIEHS Pilot Project Program will further this overall goal by providing support for short-term projects leading to data collection enabling new external grant applications. In this way, the Pilot Project Program will enhance capacity for novel research in environmental health science at the University of Louisville. The Program will publicize the availability of pilot project funds, solicit and coordinate the review of pilot project applications, make funding recommendations, monitor the progress of research projects, assess usage of center cores by pilot projects, and track deliverables. A mix of investigators will be targeted, including new early stage investigators, community partners, and established researchers who can apply their expertise in novel ways relevant to environmental health. Results obtained through pilot projects will be disseminated via the annual Research!Louisville event that showcases research to the university, local, and regional communities. Because the ultimate goal is to develop new, self-sustaining research projects, an emphasis will be placed on facilitating and improving the quality of new grant applications pertaining to environmental exposures/lifestyle factors. Strategies for this include obtaining feedback from CIEHS members regarding pilot project findings and experimental design as well as performing rigorous internal review of grant proposals. Thus, the Program will assist investigators throughout the pilot project life cycle from initial idea to extramurally funded project and is expected to generate significant new research funding and enhance the capacity for research in the environmental health sciences at the University of Louisville.
