Pilot Project Core

The Pilot Project Program (PPP) is important for fostering the development of clinical, translational, and community-engaged researchers and for increasing the number of underrepresented minorities (URM) in research. Promoting the development of independent URM investigators in translational research will help improve the health of underserved populations since these investigators will have the sensitivity and empathy for understanding their needs and cultural perspectives.

The PPP will facilitate the URM investigators’ access to resources, mentorship, and technology to help them transition successfully into independent researchers. The Core promotes clinical and translational research in selected high impact research areas in consultation with the Alliance Steering Committee and the Community Engagement and Outreach Core (CoE), and the Community Health & Research Council. PPP Core collaborates with the Professional Development Core (PDC) to provide support and training in the development and submission of scientific proposals, including the design of career development plans and mentorship schemes for early career investigators.

• Specific Aim 1. Advance the development of innovative and interdisciplinary collaborative clinical and translational research on health conditions affecting the Hispanic population through the support of junior faculty (early stage and new investigators) and established investigators via pilot projects.
• Specific Aim 2. Promote community engagement translational research pilot projects for the studies of community health.
• Specific Aim 3. Foster the development of competitive researchers in clinical and translational research by providing, with the PDC, the needed skills through a tailor-made career development plan.

PPP has supported pilot projects for the last 8 years as part of the Puerto Rico Clinical Translational Research Consortium (PR-CTRC), predecessor of the Alliance.  The most important accomplishments of the PPP during this period include:

By promoting the development of new knowledge and methodologies the Clinical and Translational PPP supports the development of underrepresented minority scientists conducting translational and clinical research. The PPP promotes the translation of basic science knowledge to the bedside or the community and supports the investigators’ efforts to gain a better understanding of the health disparities that are present in the Puerto Rican and Latino populations. Please see the Alliance Translational Research Approach.

EARLY INVESTIGATOR

A Program Director / Principal Investigator (PD/PI) who has completed their terminal research degree or post-graduate clinical training, whichever date is later, within the past 10 years and who has not previously competed successfully as PD/PI for a substantial NIH independent research award.

NEW INVESTIGATOR

An investigator who has not previously competed successfully for substantial, independent funding from NIH.

Exclusions: all Fellowships (F awards), all individual and institutional career awards (K awards), G07, G08, G11, G13, G20, L30, L32, L40, L50, L60, R00, R03, R13, R15, R21, R25, R34, R36, R41, R43, R55, R56, R90, RL5, RL9, S10, S15, S21, S22, SC2, SC3, T32, T34, T35, T90, D43, and X01. For more information regarding these definitions please click here.

The PPP of the Alliance provides the infrastructure, collaborations, and technology for clinical and translational research in health diseases affecting the Puerto Rican (PR) Hispanic.

The PPP provides:

• Pilot project funding for one or up to two years
• Participation at the Scientific Annual Conference and opportunity to compete for the Productivity Award
• Discussions for mentors regarding mentoring styles and problems
• Town Hall Meetings for the dissemination of scientific information to the community
• Support for Community Engagement Research
• Support to unfunded pilot project proposals to improve their competitiveness during resubmission
• Mock study review sessions
• Let Me Help your Project

The PPP addresses the objectives of the IDeA-CTR in sustaining the collaboration and coordination of clinical and translational research and addressing health conditions prevalently affecting the medically underserved Hispanic population in Puerto Rico (PR).

The PPP helps implement the Alliance objective to integrate basic, clinical, and translational research among the Alliance partners, collaborating partners, and IDeA state organizations.

The Let Me Help Your Project Program was established to offer support to ongoing IRB/IACUC approved projects that have encountered unexpected difficulties or need further experiments for competitiveness in submitting an R award.

The purpose of this activity is to provide support for limited additional expenses to investigators that are currently funded and active in an area with potential application to the study of health disparities. By providing this additional mechanism we are aiming to help active and productive investigators in more advanced stages of their careers than those supported by the pilot project program, and in that way promote and facilitate the study of health disparities.

The requirements for this supplement program are as follows:

• The principal Investigator must have an active and funded research project
• The funded project must be in area of emphasis of the health disparities or with potential applicability to the study of health disparities
• Funds should be requested for expenses not contemplated in the original budget of their funded study
• The PI must be a faculty member of one of the three consortium institutions
• Funds will be limited to research expenses and cannot be used to support travel, salary or administrative costs

Request “Let me Help your Project” Here

In order to process your request, we need:

• Letter of request, budget, and budget justification
• NOA of active funded research project
• Bio sketch – PI (if we have yours on our database, no need to re-send)

If you need additional information, please contact Ms. Antonia L Ortiz, Program Coordinator antonia.ortiz@upr.edu.