Environmental Health Sciences Pilot Grants Available
Information Session: November 6, 2023 12:00-1:00 pm, Claudia Nance Rollins 4001 or Register for Zoom
The HERCULES Exposome Research Center (NIEHS P30 ES019776) is pleased to announce the 2024-2025 Pilot Project Program in Environmental Health Sciences. HERCULES will fund at least six pilot awards at $30,000 direct costs each. Additional awards are made possible through partnerships with the Winship Cancer Institute and the Emory Children’s Health Assessment, Research Translation, and Combating Environmental Racism (CHARTER) Center.
A major focus of HERCULES is to advance the science of the exposome (the comprehensive analysis of environmental exposures over a lifetime); however, the Pilot Project Program supports any research in the environmental health sciences that aligns with the mission of NIEHS. Pilot projects must focus on the role of the environment in human disease, and may include basic (cellular and animal), biomedical, translational, clinical, epidemiologic, behavioral projects, or community engaged research, e.g., studies on specific environmental toxicants, mechanisms of environmental toxicant damage, gene-environment interactions, or social determinants of environmental exposure or risk.
Through a partnership with the Winship Cancer Institute, an additional award that focuses on the role of the environment in cancer biology, cancer prevention, and cancer outcomes will be supported. Applicants interested in funding from the HERCULES-Winship partnership should include at least one investigator who is a member of Winship.
Through a partnership with the Emory Children’s Health Assessment, Research Translation, and Combating Environmental Racism (CHARTER) Center, an additional pilot is available that focuses on the role of the environment in children’s health. Applicants interested in funding from the HERCULES-CHARTER partnership should clearly delineate their project’s alignment with the goals of the CHARTER Center.
The central goal of HERCULES is to build the capacity of investigators at Emory and Georgia Tech to successfully compete for NIEHS-funded research awards and to support NIEHS-funded investigators. Specifically, the Pilot Project Program supports developmental projects aimed at competing for NIEHS R21 or R01 research grants, and it is expected that an application for such a grant will be submitted after the pilot funding. It is critical for pilot applicants to consider the research priorities of NIEHS in their pilot project plans to ensure alignment with Center goals.
Applications that propose to utilize one or more of the HERCULES Facility Cores are especially encouraged. The Facility Cores are designed to provide investigators with state-of-the-art technologies, tools, and approaches that can be applied to environmental health studies to ensure that the most impactful, rigorous, and innovative research is being undertaken by Emory Investigators. Awardees will receive subsidized Core services. Applicants planning to use a HERCULES Core are required to consult with Core members regarding feasibility and costs before submitting a full application. Applicable Core consultation meeting times will be provided upon receipt of a letter of intent.
- Environmental Health Data Sciences: Expertise in statistical approaches in environmental health research, data management, and systems biology.
- Targeted Exposure Analysis: A unique suite of multiple types of mass spectrometers allows for measurement of any chemical in multiple biological matrices.
- Metabolomics: A standardized high-resolution protocol is used to obtain a global view of metabolism and environmental exposures.
- Clinical/Population Research Services: Provides expertise in translation of basic science concepts into practical clinical and population research designs and opportunities to connect with appropriate population resources including the GA-CTSA.
- Community Engagement Core (CEC): Applicants planning a community-engaged pilot project are required to consult with the CEC, which offers expertise in community partnerships and assessing the feasibility and scope of community-engaged research projects (see guidelines for community-engaged research projects below).
Projects with translational relevance (clinical or population-based), community-based participatory research projects (see below for guidelines), projects addressing racism and equity, and collaborative and interdisciplinary projects are particularly encouraged.
Eligibility to Apply:
- HERCULES pilot awards are open to all investigators at Emory and the Emory-Georgia Tech Department of Biomedical Engineering who are eligible to serve as Principal Investigators on NIH R-level grant applications. Faculty in other departments at Georgia Tech are eligible to apply if their proposal includes collaboration with an Emory faculty member.
- HERCULES Pilot PIs funded in the previous two pilot cycles are not eligible to apply.
- Only one application per PI may be submitted.
- Applications must be focused on the role of the environment in human health and disease and align with the mission of NIEHS.
Recommended Guidelines for HERCULES Community-Engaged Research Projects:
- Applications for community-engaged research projects designed to address local environmental health concerns are encouraged.
- Applicants planning a community-engaged pilot project are required to consult with the CEC prior to submitting an application.
- Community members/partners are expected to participate meaningfully in the development of the research questions and research design, as well as study implementation (e.g., data collection), with resources shared (e.g., compensating partner’s time).
- Community-engaged projects should carefully consider the scope of the project, including time and budget for project and partnership coordination.
- Community partners and researchers are encouraged to sign a memorandum of understanding. A template can be provided by the CEC.
Projects proposing work in a foreign location or with foreign partners are not prohibited but do require additional approvals and are often not feasible within the one-year timeframe of the award. Please consult with Derek Jobe (djobe@emory.edu), Center Administrator, if you are considering a project with a foreign component.
Letter of Intent due by Monday, December 4, 2023 at 5:00 pm to djobe@emory.edu. The letter should include a descriptive title of the proposed research, overall aim/hypothesis of proposed research, names of key personnel, and any anticipated use of HERCULES Facility Cores (Environmental Health Data Sciences, Targeted Analysis, Metabolomics, or Clinical/Population Research Services). Letters should not exceed one page. Applicants will be notified if they are selected to submit a full application by Friday, December 8th.