Pilot & Feasibility

DRC P&F 2025 Grant Announcement

2025 Pilot and Feasibility Projects in Endocrinology & Diabetes

Pilot & Feasibility Program Director: Peter Tontonoz

As part of the mission of our UCSD/UCLA Diabetes Research Center (DRC) grant, the Pilot and Feasibility grant program will support grantees at approximately $40,000-50,000 direct costs (with additional ~55% indirect costs) in 2025. The maximum number of P&F awards an investigator may receive is two. Successful applicants can apply to have their first year of funding renewed for a second year by re-applying the following year, or may submit a second application in a subsequent year.

Applications Due: May 1, 2025 via email to Dr. Peter Tontonoz at ptontonoz@mednet.ucla.edu

The DRC P&F mechanism will fund innovative new projects that will explore the feasibility of novel testable concepts and enhance the endocrine/diabetes research scope within the institutions. A special emphasis on promoting promising junior faculty involved with diabetes research is key to the UCSD/UCLA P&F mission. The DRC is also pleased to support clinical and/or translational research relevant to diabetes. The DRC strongly encourages submission of pilot and feasibility proposals in this area. It is expected that P&F studies will generate preliminary data that will be used by these investigators in diabetes/endocrinology-related R01 applications in the years following their award.

Application Process

Eligible investigators must have faculty appointments at UCLA, Salk, Cedars, UCSD, City of Hope, UCI, USC or Charles Drew University and be independent investigators. To be eligible for a P&F grant you need to be eligible to submit an R01 as a PI at the end of the one-year grant period. A joint appointment at an affiliated institution is allowed. Post-doctoral fellows may submit a grant if they provide a letter from their Chair stating that they are about to be appointed to the faculty. Be sure to follow the formatting requirements for the administrative qualification for the proposal. 

How to Apply