Pilot Project Program

The Pilot Project Program will continue to be a critical component of the COBRE, ensuring the long-term sustainability of

both the Behavior Core and the Histology and Imaging Core. Sustainability of these Cores will require continued internal

use, but also a strong regional user base from academic institutions and industry partners. To accomplish this, the Pilot Project Program will solicit proposals from research faculty at both UNE and its Northern New England partner institutions (Maine Medical Center Research Institute, Maine INBRE institutions, and the University of New Hampshire),

increasing the external user base for the Cores. The Pilot Project Program will provide a maximum of 2-years of funding

for early-stage projects to generate preliminary data that have the best chance for obtaining extramural research dollars.

With the solicitation of proposals from outside of UNE, funding priorities for the Pilot Project Program will no longer be

restricted to pain research but will be expanded to include any projects that utilize the COBRE research cores. Awarding

of pilot project grants will be a competitive process, with new and early-stage investigators being given priority over more

senior faculty, and with project innovation and research core utilization being weighed heavily. The pilot project program from COBRE Phases 1 and 2 was highly successful, funding 14 pilot projects that have so far led to 8 new grant awards (three R15, one R01, two NIH sub-awards, and two foundation grants), with an additional five grant applications still

pending or in the process of revision. The Administrative Core will implement the Pilot Project Program through the

following Specific Aims. Aim 1 will solicit, review, and select highly meritorious proposals for funding. Proposals will be

evaluated for their scientific strength (Significance, Innovation, and Approach), as well as investigator and environment

strengths. The scientific review committee will be composed of both experienced and early-stage investigators, chaired by the COBRE Program Coordinator, mirroring NIH study section procedures. A secondary review of this committee’s recommendations will be completed by the External Advisory Committee (EAC) and COBRE Director before funding

decisions are made. In Aim 2, the Administrative Core will provide oversight and evaluate the progress of all pilot project

awardees. Pilot Project Leaders will receive a post-award orientation from the COBRE Director, as well as budget support from the COBRE Program Manager, with projects needing to be in full compliance with all applicable NIH policies.

Scientific progress will be evaluated quarterly by the mentor(s) of the Pilot Project Leader and the Administrative Core, and annually by the EAC. The Administrative Core in Aim 3 will provide Pilot Project Leaders with career and research guidance through a faculty development program that utilizes trained, formal mentor(s) for both research and career

guidance, in addition to formal in-person or asynchronous faculty development sessions. As Pilot Project Leaders may be

non-UNE faculty, the Administrative Core will work their home institutions to recruit mentors and ensure that our faculty development content is congruent with their home institutions.