Pilot and Collaborative Studies Funding Program

The mission of the Frontiers Pilot and Collaborative Studies Funding Program is to provide both junior and established Frontiers investigators research funds to support the development of clinical or translational pilot/feasibility studies and novel methods development that will ultimately lead to the submission of peer-reviewed grants. The program is directed by Gregory S. Kopf, Ph.D., Associate Vice Chancellor for Research Administration at KUMC and the Executive Director of the KUMC Research Institute (KUMC RI).  The Program encourages the development of proposals that promote collaboration between Frontiers investigators.  Requests for Proposals (RFPs) are circulated to all Frontiers members twice a year during the Spring and Fall for funding in the late Fall and early Spring, respectively.  Applications are submitted on line and review of the applications will be carried out by the Frontiers Pilots/Collaborative Studies Review Committee that is staffed by a core membership of representatives with scientific expertise across disciplines that encompasses the Frontiers mission.  Ad hoc committee members are enlisted for specific expertise as needed.  Grant reviews follow the NIH Study Section model and written reviews are provided to all applicants.  All accounts are set up and managed by the KUMC RI; for Frontiers members who are not members of the KUMC faculty, this will be accomplished through a subcontract between the KUMC RI and the applicants' affiliated institution.  All reporting will be coordinated through the KUMC RI.

Administration of the Program will be coordinated through the Frontiers Pilots/Collaborative Studies Steering Committee.  The Steering Committee assesses the overall needs of the Program.  It will work with the Review Committee and the IAMI leadership to identify projects across the entire program and to identify preclinical projects that could be fast tracked to the translational stage.  The Steering Committee will make the final funding decisions based on the recommendations from the Review Committee and will be responsible for the tracking and evaluation of the Program, working with the Frontiers evaluator and for coordinating efforts to raise additional funds to support the program.  The Steering Committee is composed of the Director of the Frontiers Pilot and Collaborative Studies Funding Program, the Frontiers Deputy Director, Director of the IAMI, the Chair of the KUMC RI Research Committee, the Associate Dean for Research at KUMC-Wichita and representatives from several Frontiers affiliates.

Pilot Studies Grant Awards 2013
Pilot Studies Grant Awards 2012
Pilot Studies Grant Awards 2011