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Pilot Project Grant Program – Supplemental Instructions for Budget and Research Plan

Instructions for Proposed Budget

Expense categories may include personnel such as technician salary, supplies, small equipment, and other costs. No awards will be made for faculty salary, conference travel expenses (travel is allowable to reach community groups or etc.), graduate student stipends, or consultant expenses (subawards to businesses or institutions within IDeA states are allowable on a case-by-case basis). Up to $40,000 direct costs may be requested.

Instructions for the Research Plan

The Research Plan consists of the following items, as applicable. Begin each section of the Research Plan with a section header (e.g., Introduction, Specific Aims, Research Strategy, etc.).

1.  Introduction (Included in Resubmission or Revision Applications only)

An Introduction must be included to respond to the issues and criticisms raised in the Reviewers’ Summary Statement, and describing the relevant additions, deletions, and changes to the application. (1/2 - 1 page)

2.  Specific Aims

Provide a statement of the problem and your hypotheses. List the key objectives of your work. (1 page)

3.  Research Strategy (6 pages total)

Organize the Research Strategy in the specified order, using the instructions provided below. Start each section with the appropriate section heading (e.g. Significance, Innovation, Approach). Cite published experimental details in the Research Strategy section and provide the full reference in the References Cited section (item 6).

Significance (~2 pages)

Briefly describe the background of the proposed work and indicate how it will fill gaps in the existing knowledge. Present any preliminary work that is pertinent to the project.

Innovation (~1 page)

• Explain how the application challenges and may shift current research or clinical practice paradigms.
• Describe any novel theoretical concepts, approaches, methods, instrumentation, or intervention(s) to be developed or used, and any advantage over existing methods, instrumentation or intervention(s).
• Explain any refinements, improvements, or new applications of theoretical concepts, approaches or methods, instrumentation, or interventions.

Approach(~3 pages)

Describe the research design and methods that will be used to accomplish the specific aims.

4.  Bibliography and References Cited

Provide a bibliography of references cited in the Research Plan. Each reference must include names of all authors (in the sequence in which they appear in the publication), the article and journal title, book title, volume number, page numbers, and year of publication. Include only bibliographic citations. Follow scholarly practices in citing source materials used in preparing any section of the application.

The references should be limited to relevant and current literature. While there is not a page limitation, it is important to be concise and to select only those literature references pertinent to the proposed research.

5. Protection of Human Subjects (if applicable)

Information related to Human Subjects will be collected using the PHS Human Subjects and Clinical Trails Information form. Instructions for completing the form can be found here (see section G.500).