East Carolina Diabetes and Obesity Institute
Pilot Project Fund Application
Information: The PILOT PROJECT Program will provide up to $20,000 to assist faculty in
generating preliminary data for extramural funding applications. Faculty must be affiliated with
ECDOI and/or ECHI to apply. PIs with start-up funds are ineligible. Applications may be
submitted at any time. Specific justification as to how data generated by the project will support
and enhance key factors (e.g., specific aims, significance, innovation, etc.) of a future
extramural application is expected. Applications will be evaluated by the ECDOI Leadership
Team on the likelihood that the project will contribute to a competitive extramural grant
application (see instructions). Awards will be placed in individual PI Research Support
Accounts managed through ECDOI. Depending on the circumstances, matching support from
the appropriate Departmental Chair/Dean may be required, the nature of which (additional
funds, buy-out of teaching, etc.) will be negotiated at the time of award. Funds may only be
used to cover patient/subject costs, student summer stipends, laboratory supplies, animal
purchase/care, and/or core laboratory fees directly associated with the pilot project. PIs will
have up to 24 months to use the funds. For proposals with Co-PIs, funds will be divided
equally. As a stipulation of the program, all awardees must agree to develop extramural grant
proposals through a Grant Advisory Panel. IACUC and/or IRB approval(s) must be in place at
the time of award.
Instructions: Submit pdf of application by email to Darrell Neufer, Ph.D., Director ECDOI
(neuferp@ecu.edu). Follow page limitations as indicated. Duplicate this page as needed to
accommodate co-investigators. Electronic signatures are acceptable.
NAME of PI: Click here to enter text.
TITLE: Click here to enter text.
DEPARTMENT: Click here to enter text.
EMAIL: Click here to enter text.
OFFICE PHONE: Click here to enter text.
NAME of co-PI (if applicable): Click here to enter text.
TITLE: Click here to enter text.
DEPARTMENT: Click here to enter text.
EMAIL: Click here to enter text.
OFFICE PHONE: Click here to enter text.
PROJECT TITLE: Click here to enter text.
REQUESTED AMOUNT: Click here to enter text.
Submitted by
__________________________________________
Signature and printed name: Faculty Member
Approved by
_________________________________________________________
Signature and printed name: Department Chair
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PROPOSAL DESCRIPTION
Please confine your proposal to no more than 2 pages (excluding the cover page and
references) and do not alter the order of the form. Additional material or pages will not be
circulated to the committee. Use Arial 11 font with 1 inch margins.
1. SUMMARY. Provide a concise (2-4 sentences) summary of the proposed project in
language appropriate for the educated lay person.
2. BACKGROUND/RATIONALE. Provide a concise summary of relevant background to your
topic highlighting the controversy and/or important problem that your project will address.
3. PURPOSE/SPECIFIC AIMS. Briefly state purpose/specific aims of your project.
4. METHODS. Provide a concise summary of the experimental approach/design, methods/
techniques (highlighting core equipment use), potential pitfalls and, when appropriate,
alternative approaches.
5. JUSTIFICATION. Provide justification as to how preliminary data generated by the project
will support and/or enhance key factor(s) of a planned extramural application (e.g.,
significance, innovation, approach, etc.)
(# 1 – 5, no more than two pages)
6. TIMELINE. Provide timeline for pilot project, grant advisory panel and extramural grant
submission
7. BUDGET. Provide budget table and brief justification
8. REFERENCES.
9. NIH BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHE(S) (do not exceed 4 page NIH limit)
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