HERCULES Pilot Project Program Information Session
Join us in person November 4, 2025 in CNR 6001 or via ZOOM for our Pilot Information Session. Please visit the PILOT section of our website for more details about the Pilot Project Program and email Hillary Barton or Mike Caudle for more information.
Environmental Health Sciences Pilot Grants
Information Session: November 4, 2025 12:00-1:00 pm CNR 6001 or via Zoom
Letter of Intent Due: December 5, 2025 (Please see instructions and access the submission form here)
Full Application Due: February 2, 2026
The HERCULES Exposome Research Center (NIEHS P30 ES019776) is pleased to announce the 2026-2027 Pilot Project Program. 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.
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.
HERCULES will fund at least six pilot awards at $30,000 direct costs each. Through a partnership with the Winship Cancer Institute, an additional award that focuses on the role of the environment in cancer biology and prevention will be supported. A partnership with the Emory Children’s Health Assessment, Research Translation, and Combating Environmental Racism (CHARTER) Center will support an additional pilot that focuses on the role of the environment in children’s health.
Projects that utilize a HERCULES Core (Environmental Health Data Sciences, Targeted Exposure Analysis, Metabolomics, Clinical/Population Research Services, Community Engagement) and community engaged research projects are encouraged.
Pilot awards are open to 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 Georgia Tech departments are eligible to apply with an Emory faculty collaborator. Winship awards must include at least one Winship investigator.