Center for Environmental Health Sciences announces 2017 call for pilot project proposals

The MIT Center for Environmental Health Sciences (CEHS), an interdisciplinary research center, funded by the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS), invites MIT junior faculty and research staff with principal investigator privileges to submit applications for funding of pilot projects related to environmental health, to support either basic or translational research. Please see the NIEHS strategic plan to gain understanding of the types of projects center plans to fund.

Preference is given to projects that address the NIEHS Strategic Goals. The center anticipates funding of $25,000 (direct costs) for each project. The center encourages junior faculty to apply, especially those who are involved in interdisciplinary environmental health collaborations, for example between engineers and scientists. Projects can be anywhere on the spectrum between basic sciences and clinical translation. In all cases, the trajectory to human application must be clear and feasible.

Translational Pilot Projects will be evaluated separately from those in the basic sciences. These projects are funded through the generosity of Vilma and Lionel Kinney, and are named in honor of Theron G. Randolph, a pioneer in the fields of environmental and natural products medicine. 

The pilot project program seeks to:

• provide initial support for new investigators to establish research in the area of environmental health;
• stimulate investigators from diverse fields of endeavor to apply their expertise to environmental health research;
• encourage and foster multi-disciplinary research collaborations; and
• provide an opportunity for investigators to move their basic research to the translational level.

Proposal guidelines

Applicants should submit a four-page research plan that outlines the specific aims and research strategy (i.e. significant, innovation, and approach). In the project title, please add a parenthesis indicating (Basic Research) or (Translational Research).

Applications should also include a detailed budget form (Form Page 4), budget justification, and a biographical sketch using the NIH PHS398 forms. Please note that travel for scientific conferences/meetings are not allowed with these funds.

Questions regarding the application process or proposal ideas should be directed to Professor Bevin P. Engelward, deputy director.

Deadline for this call is May 31 with an anticipated start date of July 1. Completed applications should be submitted via email to: Amanda Tat, administrative officer of the CEHS.

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