Pilot Studies Program

The Rio Grande Valley Alzheimer's Disease Resource Center for Minority Aging Research's Research Education Component aims to increase the number of junior investigators conducting research on Hispanic American health and healthcare disparities in the Rio Grande Valley and Mexican American border region of South Texas. The Center's pilot studies that are proposed by junior investigators and deemed likely to contribute to our understanding of Alzheimer's disease and related disorders.

The Pilot Studies Program hopes to support innovative, high-impact multidisciplinary pilot projects to serve as an entry point of new investigators to the field, and lead to subsequent applications to the NIH for extramural support of research or further career development (e.g., R and K awards).

We are currently accepting Letters of Intent and proposal applications for the 2020-2021 cycle.

For submission requirements and guidelines, please go to the links below.

How to Apply (2021-2022 Funding Cycle)

  • Letters of Intent
    • Following the Calls-for-Proposals [see “Important Dates” below] Letters of Intent may be submitted via the REDCap portal.
    • Potential applicants are encouraged to familiarize themselves with the RGV AD-RCMAR’s mission, goals, and objectives before submitting Letters of Intent.
    • Guidelines for Letters of Intent can be found in the Guidelines for Proposals document for the 2021-2022 funding cycle.  
  • Full/Complete Proposals
    • Are accepted by invitation only following review of all Letters of Intent.
    • Invitations to submit a full proposal will be sent via email and include a link to a secure submission portal.
    • Note: Applicants who are not invited will be notified via email.

Important Dates (2021-2022 Funding Cycle)

  • July 5, 2020: Call for proposals period open
  • October 25, 2020: Letter of intent from junior faculty and Early Stage Investigators due
  • November 8, 2020: Investigators invited to submit Full Proposals
  • January 25, 2021: Completed Proposals due
  • March 28, 2021: Applicants notified of results of review
  • July 1, 2021 - June 30, 2022: Award period

Eligibility

Doctoral level, Junior faculty and other New and Early Stage Investigators as defined by the NIH Early Stage Investigator Policies at the UTRGV and UTRGV School of Medicine

Questions?

Please direct questions to Dr. Michael C. Mahaney, Pilot Studies Program Coordinator, and Ms. Rosa Pirela Mavarez, RGV AD-RCMAR Project Coordinator.