CEET Pilot Project Program

Please stay tuned for our next call for applications!

The Pilot Project Program is a key component of the CEET and aims to fund new directions in Environmental Health Science (EHS), with the goal of advancing research of center members, supporting the careers of junior faculty, attracting new investigators into the field, and promoting community-engaged research.

There are three anticipated pilot project deadlines per year (spring, summer, and fall) based on availability of funding.

The Pilot Projects fall into four categories:

Focused Research Award
Applications related to the following CEET Thematic Areas:
• Air Pollution and Lung Health
• Environmental Exposures and Cancer
• Windows-of-Susceptibility
• Environmental Neuroscience
Applicants can request up to $50,000 for one year. No salary support for the faculty member is
allowable. Any standing or research faculty from any Penn School may apply.

Mentored Scientist Transition Award
Provides up to $50,000 per year in salary support to allow a senior postdoctoral researcher or clinical fellow establish independence in environmental health sciences.

Opportunity Award
Applications proposing innovative environmental health or toxicology research projects or innovative technologies are encouraged.
Applicants can request up to $50,000 for one year. No salary support for the faculty member is
allowable. Any standing or research faculty from any Penn School may apply.

Rapid Response Award:
Promotes community engaged research OR provides funds to a faculty member to generate preliminary data for an EHS relevant grant application.
Applicants can request up to $10,000.

Please contact Jennifer Kuklinski with any questions: jkuklins@pennmedicine.upenn.edu

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See Previous Pilot Project Award Recipients

There are three anticipated competition deadlines per year, based on availability of funding: 

Application Process

All applicants are asked to submit a 10-page proposal irrespective of the type of award sought. The application must include: (a) Title of the Application; (b) personal information (name, position, title, affiliation, and contact information); (c) NIH biosketch; (d) list of current and pending grant support; (e) an abstract: (f) a statement on how this project may lead to extramural funding in Environmental Health Sciences (EHS); (g) specific aims; (h) significance which must state the relevance to environmental health or toxicological research; (i) preliminary studies; (j) methods; (k) references; and (l) justified budget. The references and budget are not counted towards the page limitation. In addition, each award category has its own additional application requirements that do not count towards the page limitation.

Mentored Scientist Transition Award– The application must contain a letter from a faculty sponsor describing the mentorship plan and time-line to seek independent grant funding. If the junior investigator works in the faculty sponsor’s laboratory, the applicant must provide a copy of the mentor’s Other Support page and NIH biosketch to show that the proposal does not overlap with the sponsor’s funded research and is independent.

Opportunity Award in Environmental Health Sciences– No additional information is required. Applications that use the CEET Facility Cores: Integrative Health Sciences Facility Core, Translational Biomarker Core, or the Exposure Biology Informatics Core will be given strong consideration. In addition proposals that seek to answer an environmental health research question identified by the Community Outreach Core are encouraged.

Focused Research Award– The application must contain a paragraph indicating why it is responsive to the focus award area. Focused areas change based on intramural support from partner Departments, Centers and Institutes. Applicants should contact the Center Administrator to determine which focused areas are being considered for funding in any given cycle.

Rapid Response Pilot Projects– These applications are for any investigator in the Standing Faculty at the University of Pennsylvania who seeks an investment of 5-10K to obtain urgent preliminary data for a EHS grant application or who wish to respond to a community-based environmental health problem.  The application must include a  Letter of Support from the Director of the CEET Community Engagement Core and the community partner/organization.