SDDRC 2025–2026 Pilot/Feasibility Grants

The SDDRC is pleased to announce a new round of Pilot and Feasibility (P&F) grants for the 2025–26 academic year. We anticipate making three to four awards of $40,000 each to support research in digestive diseases.

Digestive Diseases Research Awards

The awards are intended to support innovative research in digestive diseases that addresses significant challenges in the field and has strong potential to generate novel hypotheses and feasibility data to support future external funding.

Particular emphasis is placed on promising projects from early-career investigators, generally at the assistant professor or equivalent level. However, applications from senior postdoctoral fellows will also be considered if they are candidates for a faculty appointment during the award period.

In addition, proposals from established investigators pursuing new topics or directions will be considered, provided a strong case is made for the novelty of the proposed work relative to prior studies. Investigators at risk of losing funding in the near future are also encouraged to apply, as these awards may help strengthen their prospects for continued external support.

Projects may focus on basic science, translational research, or clinical studies. All projects must align with the mission of the Division of Digestive Diseases and Nutrition (DDN) of the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK), which supports research on digestive diseases, including those affecting the alimentary tract, liver, pancreas, nutrition, and obesity.

Studies focused on established cancers (e.g., metastases or treatment regimens) are not eligible for support; however, studies on precancerous conditions are acceptable.

In all cases, applications must justify how the available funds and timeframe are sufficient to achieve the project goals.

Eligibility

Investigators must hold a faculty position (including adjunct, project, or research scientist appointments) during the award period at one of the academic institutions currently participating in the SDDRC.

Applications may be submitted prior to a faculty appointment; however, the award will only be granted if the appointment is actively in process. 

Current membership in the SDDRC is not required. Investigators who are not affiliated with the SDDRC will be designated as associate members upon receiving an award.

Proposal Guidelines

The following information must be included in the application. Application materials should follow standard NIH formatting requirements: Arial, minimum 11-point font, single-spaced, with 0.5-inch page margins.

1. Completed application form.
2. Abstract (maximum 250 words) with a brief description of the project, including hypothesis, description of the aims, conceptual and/or technical innovation, and relationship to the overall SDDRC theme of inflammation in the digestive tract.
3. Lay language summary (100 words): The applications will also be reviewed and evaluated by members of the SDDRC Community Advisory Board (CAB), so a knowledgeable layperson should be able to understand the overall purpose of the proposed studies.
4. Research Plan: NIH format following the current NIH Instructions with two main sections on Significance/Innovation and Approach; 4 pages maximum, including any preliminary studies but excluding references.
5. References (no page limit).
6. Plan for future funding (1-page maximum): Explain plans for future extramural funding, including agencies and mechanisms, and discuss why and how the studies supported by the current award will be critical for facilitating such funding (e.g., critical preliminary data to address novel hypotheses or other bottlenecks to overcome).
7. Biographical sketch(es) of key personnel (NIH format; 5 pages maximum) with information on current funding support (project titles, periods, and approximate annual direct costs), which will be important to evaluate how the pilot/feasibility award fits into the overall research portfolio of the applicant.
8. Simplified budget description (1/2 page maximum, no particular form needed) to allow assessment of how funds will be used for advancing the proposed research. 

If potential applicants are interested in receiving early feedback to ensure eligibility and proper scientific focus for improving their chances of success, they are encouraged to submit a letter of intent (LOI) with a brief summary (250 words) of the project at any time before submission of a full application. An LOI is not required before submission of a full application.

Before final selection, the top-scoring applicants will be invited to present a brief oral summary of their project and address questions from the selection committee at the next SDDRC Symposium on Friday, February 06, 2026.

Post-Award Selection Requirements

Upon selection of a project, additional requirements must be met before final awards can be made:

• Budget and budget justification (NIH format, 1 page). Funds up to $40,000 can be requested for any legitimate expense of the project proposed, including salary support for the principal investigator (PI) and/or laboratory personnel, supplies, equipment, and travel to professional meetings relevant to the proposal. Indirect costs are not payable on the awards.
• Evidence of institutional approval for any animal and/or human studies, if proposed.
• Commitment to sharing and preserving the data generated before acceptance of the grant and the commencement of experiments.
• After the 1-year award period, awardees are required to orally present their project and progress during the annual SDDRC symposium (which will be in February 2027 for the awards in the current 2025/26 cycle).