Pilot Project Leaders

Project funding for April 2026 to March 2028 will be dependent on successful renewal of the next five years of the Nevada INBRE grant from the National Institute of General Medical Sciences (NIGMS).

Submit pre-proposal materials – due Friday, Oct. 3, 2025

Letter of intent, abstract, and letter of support due Friday, Oct. 3, 2025.

The Pilot Project Leader (PPL) award allows faculty members in the Nevada INBRE network to facilitate creative activity in the biomedical sciences, increase the culture of research, and provide research opportunities for undergraduate students at these institutions (see the eligible institutions).

Project duration and commitment

One (1) year, April 2026-March 2027, with 25% effort towards career development and research activities.

Pilot Project Leader pre-proposal materials

  • A letter of intent and abstract describing the proposed project and its goals to establish eligibility and programmatic responsiveness. This letter should not exceed one (1) page.
  • A letter of support completed by the applicant’s supervisor approving at least 25% effort (three person months) to career development and research activities if awarded.

Funding level and allowable expenses

Direct costs up to $50,000 per year may be requested for small research projects. A mentor must be identified, and a detailed mentoring plan must be included in the proposal. The Nevada INBRE administrative core will assist in identifying a mentor, if needed. The mentor must be an established scientist with expertise relevant to the proposed research, who is willing to meet face-to-face or by teleconference at least once a quarter during the duration of the project. Permitted expenses include salaries for the awardee and research personnel, as well as research supplies that are allowable NIH expenses. Travel expenses are allowed if necessary for conducting fieldwork as part of the project, accessing experts or other resources, or for giving invited presentations on INBRE-related research at a national, regional, or international meeting. mentors will be compensated $1,000 by the Nevada INBRE administrative core outside of PPL funds.

Eligibility

Awardees must devote at least 25% effort (3 person months) to career development and research activities related to the PPL award. Applicants must have a full-time appointment in the Nevada INBRE network. The PPL may not be the PI or Co-PI of an NIH research grant or have research funding from another IDeA program (COBRE, CTR-IN) at the time of an award. The PPL may not be awarded more than one PPL award at a time. Priority will be given to first time Nevada INBRE PPL applicants and to primary undergraduate institution (PUI) faculty.

Applicants must have a full-time academic faculty appointment.

Research institutions

  • University of Nevada, Las Vegas
  • University of Nevada, Reno
  • Desert Research Institute

Primary undergraduate institutions

  • College of Southern Nevada
  • Great Basin College
  • Nevada State University
  • Truckee Meadows Community College
  • Western Nevada College

Mentors

PPL awards are mentored career development awards. Each awardee will identify a research mentor as part of the application process. The research mentor must be an established scientist with expertise relevant to the proposed research and willing to commit substantial time and effort as described in a formal memo of understanding. The research mentor will receive a consulting fee upon completion of the following milestones.

Milestones and progress

Funding of subsequent PPL applications will not be considered until these requirements are met.

PPL milestones and progress checklist (required and optional items that Nevada INBRE may assist with):

  • Enroll in SuRE mentoring network and sign up for the SuRE newsletter
  • Participate in SuRE mentoring activities (required)
  • Work with your research mentor to generate a one-page report on progress and long-term plans for the project and data dissemination (required)
  • Report to Nevada INBRE via the Piestar tracking database upon request (required)
  • Present research at the Nevada INBRE Network-Wide Annual Research Conference (required, applicant must budget travel funds accordingly)
  • Present progress and research results to the External Advisory Committee (EAC) (required)
  • Submit a pre-print manuscript to an archive/server (e.g. bioRxiv, medRxiv) or a manuscript to a peer-reviewed journal that is based on the pilot project (required)
  • Participate in debriefing with NV-INBRE evaluator (required)
  • Build a research project for an R-type proposal (required)
  • Attend a grant writing workshop (optional)
  • Submit a grant proposal (optional)

PPL notes and key dates

Applicants must submit the pre-proposal materials to be considered. Based on the letters of intent/abstracts, Nevada INBRE will send eligible applicants an invitation to participate in a required Nevada INBRE pre-proposal workshop for full application submission details. Invitations for pre-proposal workshops are expected to be sent out to applicants by Oct. 17, 2025.

Required pre-proposal workshops will be held in late Oct. or early Nov. 2025. Full application documents and access will only be given to those who complete the pre-proposal workshop. The pre-proposal workshop will cover the specific information needed to complete the Nevada INBRE application, including the preparation of the budget, specific aims, and Research Strategy. The pre-proposal workshop will also cover required application documents such as Institutional Review Board approval, planned enrollment reports, etc.

All pre-proposal workshops will be held via Zoom.

The application due date is expected to be Dec. 5, 2025. Full applications will only be accepted from eligible applicants who have completed the pre-proposal workshop.  applications will be submitted electronically through the link provided. Scientific merit reviews will be based on the NIH criteria (overall impact, significance, investigator, innovation, approach, and environment). Proposed projects must include a tangible product (publication, event, preliminary data, etc). The External Advisory Committee (EAC) will make funding decisions based on merit, programmatic priorities, and institutional participation in the network. Presentation of clear, reportable milestones appropriate for the pilot project scope of work will be an important review criterion. Funding preference will be given to proposals that describe a biomedical research project that engages undergraduate students. Collaboration with INBRE research institutions (Desert Research Institute, University of Nevada, Reno, and University of Nevada, Las Vegas) is a plus.

Please note that you may only submit one proposal.

Funding of a PPLs depends upon the successful renewal of the Nevada INBRE grant and the timely arrival of NIH funds. The earliest possible start date is April 1, 2026, but may be delayed.

Submit pre-proposal materials – due Friday, Oct. 3, 2025

Contact Eduardo Robleto at eduardo.robleto@unlv.edu and Christy Song at cmsong@unr.edu for further information.