NEW YORK REGIONAL CENTER FOR DIABETES TRANSLATION RESEARCH
PILOT AND FEASIBILITY PROGRAM FUNDING ANNOUNCEMENT: 2024
The New York Regional
Center for Diabetes Translation Research (NY-CDTR)
announces the availability of Pilot and Feasibility (P&F) funding for preliminary studies to support planned future extramural funding applications (NIH preferred) for diabetes-related T2-T4 translational research.
Budget requests
can be up to $50,000/year for one year, or up to $25,000/year for 2 years. Meritorious
proposals for $50,000/year for 2 years will also be considered, with a maximum of one such award granted.
A 2nd year of funding is contingenton progress and available program funding.
Content areas of interest include diabetes/obesity across the life span, population health and health
systems, nutritional science, or behavioral science and technology. Translation research focused on Latinos
and social determinants of health is of particular interest.
All proposals are expected to address health equity.
P&F funds may supplement ongoing funded research projects (e.g., K-awards), but non-overlap must be
clearly demonstrated in the proposal.
Proposals should use translationalresearch methods such as: implementation/dissemination science, natural
experiments, quantitative, qualitative, or mixed methods. Secondary analyses of pertinent data sets,
observational studies, or clinical trials are acceptable, and should remain within the scope of the budget and
timeline of the award. Community and other stakeholder engagement in the development or ongoing work of
the project is encouraged. This award does not cover pre-clinical projects.
ELIGIBILITY: Must hold a faculty appointment at the time of award (postdoctoral fellows are not eligible).
This program is designed to support (in order of priority):
- New investigators and early-stage investigators (ESIs). In this category are investigators shifting from
mentor-based research to an independent career.
Meritorious proposals from these investigators receive
the highest priority for funding.
- Established investigators, in other research areas or cross-disciplinary research, who wish to apply their
expertise to diabetes or obesity.
High-risk, high-reward proposals receive priority.
- NY-CDTR members who wish to explore a new area of innovative research that constitutes a substantive
departure from their previous or ongoing externally funded diabetes research.
APPLICATION PROCESS: Letter of Intent is optional, consisting of a one-paragraph overview of your
primary research question and study design to confirm programmatic fit, and should be emailed to the program
director no later than January 22nd, 2024. Consultations from the directors and NY-CDTR Core Faculty are
available to you as you develop your application (Email us!).
Full applications should be emailed to the program director by February 19th, 2023 and must:
- clearly
delineate the rationale and aims of the research, including how the project addresses health equity;
- describe rigorous study procedures;
-
include sample size justification and a data analysis plan;
-
describe use of NY-CDTR Core resources; and
-
discuss how the proposed research will support a future application for external funding (NIH preferred).
In-kind ongoing consultation and mentorship are available to awardees. Pilot funding may be used to support PI effort at a minimal level (<10%).
INDIRECT COSTS ARE NOT ALLOWED. We encourage you to utilize the NY-CDTR core resources and services available to awardees. More information can be found on our website (
http://www.nycdtr.org).
No internal grant forms or approval signatures are needed to submit an application. However, IRB approval is
needed for protection of human subjects if the proposal is selected for funding. Required application
components are detailed in #9 on the following FAQ page. You are encouraged to identify appropriate
reviewers and submit their names and email addresses with your application. Submit the application
components as a single Word or PDF document. Please use relevant NIH PHS 398 grant application forms,
which can be downloaded from the NIH website: http://grants.nih.gov/grants/funding/phs398/phs398.html
Email the P&F Program Director: Dr. Shivani Agarwal (shivani.agarwal@einsteinmed.edu)
Earliest start date for successful applications: August 1st
,2024
Frequently Asked Questions
-
Do I have to be a current NY-CDTR member to apply?
No, but P&F awardees are generally NY Regional CDTR members or are from institutions at which a NY-
CDTR member is based (see: http://www.nycdtr.org) when they are proposing to work in collaboration with
or mentored by NY-CDTR members. Thus, proposals will be considered from non-members who apply for
membership at the time of submitting their application.
-
What NY-CDTR core services are available to support my proposal preparation and research?
You can find the NY-CDTR Core services on our website: http://www.nycdtr.org. These in-kind resources
and services can supplement your award.
-
What other institutional resources may be available?
Institutional resources for facilitating research vary by institution. At Einstein-Montefiore, relevant resources
and services for clinical and translational research are described here:
https://einsteinmed.edu/intranet/research/ictr/services/
-
May I budget some of the funding for biostatistical services?
Yes, but in-kind limited consultative biostatistical services are available, as feasible, from the NY-CDTR. At
Einstein-Montefiore, consultation is also available from the ICTR’s Biostatistics, Epidemiology & Research
Design Core: https://www.einsteinmed.edu/centers/ictr/biostatistics-epidemiology-research-design-core/.
Limited funds may also be included for publication fees or travel for a conference presentation.
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What about patient care and lab test costs?
Budgets should be developed in accordance with NIH policy regarding patient care costs. See:
https://grants.nih.gov/grants/policy/nihgps/html5/section_19/19_research_patient_care_costs.htm
-
May I include indirect costs (IDC) for institutional overhead?
NO. Per NY-CDTR policy, indirect costs (IDC) are not allowable for these pilot funds. If your administrator has
IDC questions, please refer them to Jennifer.Renta-Barca@einsteinmed.edu. No exceptions will be made.
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Is it OK for there to be multiple PIs for pilot funding?
Yes, if an early-stage or mid-career investigator is working with another investigator, e.g., in a team science
model, then an MPI situation may be acceptable. Please query the P&F program director to check on
appropriate PI models. Please keep in mind the limited funding for investigator salary support.
-
What if I have a K-award on a similar topic?
Your proposal should include a clear explanation of how the pilot funding supports a different aspect not covered by your K-award. There must be NO overlap.
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What format should I use for my P&F proposal?
The proposal should be on the NIH 398 template and include: 1) Abstract; 2) Specific Aims (1 page max); 3) Research Approach (5 pages max) should address Significance (rationale and health equity), Innovation,
Study Procedures, Sample Size Justification and Data Analysis Plan, Planned Use of NY-CDTR Core Resources,
Study Timeline, and How Proposed Research Will Support Future Funding Application (NIH preferred); 4) Literature Cited; 5) Detailed Budget; 6) Budget Justification; 7) NIH Biosketches and Other Support for
all key personnel; 8) Brief Status Statement on whether you qualify for any of the following designations: a)
new investigator status in diabetes translation research or, b) early stage investigator status, c)
underrepresented in diabetes translation research
(See: https://grants.nih.gov/policy/early-investigators/index.htm and https://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/notice-files/NOT-OD-20-031.html).
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What else is required of me if my proposal is selected for NY-CDTR P&F grant funding?
The NIH requires IRB approval for human subjects research or noted exemption prior to receiving funding
(See: https://grants.nih.gov/policy/humansubjects.htm). If applicable, Data Use Agreements must also be in
place prior to the award. PHS Human Subjects and Clinical Trials information is required for yearly progress reporting: Data and Safety Monitoring Plan (if applicable, model will be provided); Dissemination
Plan (model will be provided); Statistical Design and Power (model will be provided); Narrative on
activities, progress, milestones, and outcomes (model will be provided); Registering the study on
clinicaltrials.gov, if applicable; and Planned and Actual enrollment and inclusion data. You will also be
asked to participate in yearly workshops and seminars for NY-CDTR P&F awardees.
More questions? Contact the Program Directors. We look forward to hearing from you!
Shivani.Agarwal@einsteinmed.edu (P&F Director)
Jeffrey.Gonzalez@yu.edu (NY-CDTR Director)
