Pilot Project Program

All Harvard NIEHS Center members are eligible to apply for pilot project funds. Other faculty or research scientist level researchers may apply in collaboration with a Center member co-investigator. Applications are accepted from Harvard Research Associates or Fellows working under the supervision of Center faculty, but the role of the sponsoring faculty member must be specified. Doctoral students are not eligible for pilot project support.

Requests for Pilot Project applications are announced twice a year via postings at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, email, and on our website. Due dates are usually the first Friday of March and September (can vary). The next round of pilot applications are due August 14, 2026, at 11:59 pm ET.

Funding decisions are typically announced within 6-8 weeks from the application deadline.

Applications follow an abbreviated NIH structure, including a narrative section (2-3 single-spaced pages) with background, specific aims, experimental protocols; a brief budget and justification; a PDF of the IRB Decision Tool; and an NIH SciENcv biosketch for the principal investigator and co-investigators.

Email completed application form with IRB Decision Tool PDF and biosketch(es) to niehsctr@hsph.harvard.edu (cc sunninayar@hsph.harvard.edu) and fill out the Qualtrics form.

• Total requested costs for a one-year project period may not exceed $30,000 total costs.
  • Subcontracts are allowed, however, if the sub-institution requires indirect costs, it will be included in the $30K total.
• The PI is required to have a minimum of 1% effort devoted to project.
  • PI Salary between 1-3% commensurate with effort is allowable.
  • The NIH Salary cap should be applied if faculty salary is over the cap.
• In some cases, postdoc salary or technical support salary may be appropriate (e.g., biostatistical support).
• The budget may include funds for supplies and other appropriate costs directly related to the project.
• Travel costs are not supported except those essential to carry out the project.
• Unallowable costs include: graduate student stipends, publication costs/page fees, food, conference registration fees/travel, and costs usually allocated to overhead (e.g., data storage).

No, clinical trials are not allowed.

No. We are only able to fund domestic pilot projects.

If you plan to use samples previously collected outside of the US, please reach out to niehsctr@hsph.harvard.edu for further guidance about allowability.

Funds are awarded for a period of one year. A one-year extension may be requested but carry forward is not guaranteed.  To request carry forward, fill out this Pilot Project No Cost Extension Request form.

Each application is reviewed by three or more reviewers, at least one of whom is not a Harvard Chan NIEHS Center member. Evaluation criteria include:

1. Innovation
2. Study Design
3. Project team
4. Potential for future funding
5. Relevance to the Harvard NIEHS Center mission
6. Potential for stimulating collaborative research

The Pilot Project Review Committee meets to consider the reviews, rank the proposals and make funding decisions.

Funding is determined by the Review Committee ratings, and the availability of funds in a particular cycle. Funding decisions are provided to the applicants along with a summary of comments from the internal and external reviewers. Applicants may be asked to address critical issues before final approval. Unfunded applicants are encouraged to consider reviewer feedback and re-apply during the following funding cycle. Unfunded projects are allowed one resubmission.

Funding success rate can vary with the quality of the proposals and the availability of funds. Over the past several years, the funding rate has been approximately 30% with the average award around $24,000. Click here to see a list of previously funded Pilot Projects.

Funding recipients will be contacted periodically by the Center Administrator to monitor progress. At the completion of the project, the investigator will submit to the Center Director a short summary of the project and its findings, publications, and applications for independent funding that have resulted from the pilot project. Investigators will be asked to present their work at a Center-sponsored event, such as at an External Advisory Board meeting or the annual retreat. Recipients will be expected to notify Sarah Unninayar of any publications, press, grant applications or other outcomes related to the pilot funding, and to be responsive to requests for such information annually for Center progress reports.

Investigators must acknowledge support Center support with a statement that the study “was supported in part by a Pilot Project grant from the Harvard Chan NIEHS Center for Environmental Health (P30 ES000002).”