MDI Biological Laboratory

COBRE Pilot Project Funding and Application

The MDI Biological Laboratory Center of Biomedical Research Excellence (COBRE) in Comparative Biology of Tissue Repair, Regeneration and Aging is pleased to offer a 2025 Pilot Project Grant Program.

Funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and its National Institute of General Medical Sciences (NIGMS) (COBRE grant P30GM154610), this program will provide support for pilot projects led by eligible scientists and clinician researchers working broadly in the fields of regenerative and aging biology and chronic degenerative diseases.

Scientists and clinicians working at Research & Development organizations and education institutions in the Northeast states of the NIGMS Institutional Development Award (IDeA) program — Delaware, Maine, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont — are encouraged to apply. Interdisciplinary and interinstitutional collaboration is encouraged, including collaboration between nonprofit and for-profit organizations.

COBRE Pilot Project Funding is Available

Funding up to $100,000 (total costs) is available for scientifically meritorious projects. For 2025-2026, Pilot Project grant applications should focus on a 12-month plan, with experiments feasibly conducted between July 1, 2025 and June 30, 2026.

Goals and objectives: The Davis Center for Regenerative Biology and Aging at MDI Bio Lab supports research in comparative animal models of regeneration and aging with NIH COBRE funding. The pilot project funding supports fundamental research in Northeast IDeA states on the topics of tissue repair, regeneration and aging as well as early-stage development of technologies that stimulate tissue repair and regeneration or improve the function of damaged tissues and organs. We aim to support investigators’ generation of preliminary data that will lead to competitive applications for external funding.

Eligibility: Eligible investigators must hold an academic faculty appointment in a Northeast IDeA state. Preference will be given to early-stage investigators who do not yet have a federal R01 grant or equivalent. Established investigators who plan to start new lines of research in aging and regeneration are also encouraged to apply. Pilot Project Leaders are not allowed to receive simultaneous research support from any other awards made through the NIGMS Institutional Development Award (IDeA) program.

Application dates: Proposals are due March 15, 2025, with a targeted start date of July 1, 2025, pending approval by NIGMS. The project end date will be June 30, 2026.

Interested investigators are encouraged to direct questions to COBRE Director Iain Drummond, Ph.D., at idrummond@mdibl.org.

 

COBRE Pilot Project Application Directions

The completed application should be submitted to Amy Ackerman, COBRE Administrator at aackerman@mdibl.org.  You will receive an email confirmation within five business days.  If you do not receive this confirmation, please email Ms. Ackerman to verify your submission was received.

Using PHS398 forms and instructions include a research plan in the format of a National Institutes of Health (NIH) R01 proposal, using single-spaced Arial 11-point typescript and 0.5-inch margins, which includes the following sections:

  1. Face Page (unsigned)
  2. Project Summary (Form Page 2)
  3. Specific Aims (1 page)
  4. Research Strategy (4 pages max), with the following subsections:
    – Significance (including background and any preliminary data)
    – Innovation
    – Approach (including plan for ensuring rigor and reproducibility)
  5. An NIH-style biosketch. Include relevant details of applicant’s career trajectory as related to this proposal. (Biosketch form template page instructions)
  6. IACUC approval for any research involving vertebrate animals, and a narrative that addresses the four points of use of vertebrate animals as required by NIH (if applicable).
  7. IRB approval, human subjects protection section, human subjects education certification, and Targeted/Planned Enrollment Table (if applicable).
  8. A letter from an appropriate institutional representative confirming that the institution will support the project leader’s commitment to the proposed research project. This letter should detail the percent effort that the applicant can commit to the project and indicate the applicant’s qualifications and support for the development of a biomedical research career.
  9. A draft budget that provides information on how the project will use the proposed funding during the 12-month project period. If your project is selected to go forward to NIH for approval, we will request a final budget that will need to be approved by the financial office at your institution. For this draft budget, we request that you use two NIH forms (Form Page 4 and Form Page 5, followed by budget justification on page 2 of the Form Page 5). Find NIH grant forms here. Funding may be used to support the following:
    – Research personnel
    – Supplies
    – Animal purchase and housing
    – Travel to one scientific meeting per year
    – Core services
    – Statistical consultation
    – Publication costs
    – Other justifiable direct research costs
  10. A plan for authentication of key biological and/or chemical resources (<1 page).
  11. Data Management and Sharing Plan
  12. Bibliography/References Cited

Selection Process and Requirements

All applications will be reviewed by members of the MDIBL COBRE Advisory Committee. Recipients are expected to participate in Davis Center activities and present their research to the COBRE Advisory Committee. If awarded, a Progress Report will be due by March 15, 2026.