Pilot Funding Program

SoCa Pilot Funding Program

SoCa’s Pilot Funding Program provides funding to junior and early career faculty who are developing structural-focused research projects that are responsive to the health needs of communities living within persistent poverty areas.

For general information about the Pilot Funding Program please check out our FAQ below.

  • The following are eligible for the Pilot Funding Program:

    • Junior investigators (e.g., postdoctoral fellow, associate research scientist) and early career faculty (e.g., instructor, assistant professor) from SoCa participating institutions (WCM, CUIMC, and SUNY Downstate)

    • Faculty with Early Stage Investigator (ESI) status from SoCa participating institutions are also eligible.  

    • Applicants must hold a doctoral degree in basic biomedical, behavioral, social, and/or clinical sciences (MD, PhD, MD/PhD, ScD, DrPH or equivalent). 

    • Current R01 recipients are not eligible; K awardees are eligible. 

    • As per NIH guidelines, only U.S. citizens, non-citizen nationals or individuals lawfully admitted for permanent residence are eligible to apply. Individuals on temporary or student visas are not eligible to apply unless they have begun the process for becoming a permanent resident and expect to be admitted as a permanent resident by the start of training program. Please see 12.3.4 Citizenship (nih.gov) for further details

  • SoCa will provide up to $50,000 total costs for non-interventional pilot studies and up to $75,000 total costs for interventional pilot studies.

    Please note that pilot budgets must reflect total costs. This means that pilot budgets must include both direct costs and indirect costs.

  • The next call for applications will be in the Fall 2025. Be sure to check back for more information about the next application cycle!