Frequently Asked Questions

No, PIs funded in the previous two pilot cycles are not eligible to apply for pilot funding (co-investigators are eligible to apply). Any previously funded HERCULES PIs should Email Dr. Mike Caudle before submitting an application.

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.

Pilot announcements will be released once a year in the fall. Letters of Intent are typically due in early December and full proposals are due in early February.

Evaluation is based on a variety of criteria. Grants must focus on the role of the environment in human disease and be in line with the mission of NIEHS. They may include basic, biomedical, translational, clinical, epidemiological, or behavioral projects. Criteria for evaluation will include innovation, significance, alignment with the goals of HERCULES, collaboration with other HERCULES investigators/facility cores, overall impact and likelihood of transitioning pilot results into R-level funding.

The project length is one year and must fall within the HERCULES Center’s budget year (starting April 1 and ending the following year on March 31).

No, carryover will not be allowed for pilot projects.

The pilot awardee should plan to participate in Center activities such as seminars and data clubs, present their work at the annual Center meeting, provide a short summary of findings for the annual progress report, notify the Center Administrator of applications for independent funding resulting from the pilot project, and cite the Center in any publications, grant proposals, or presentations related to their project.

Investigators should acknowledge Center support with a statement that the study “was supported by a Pilot Project grant from the Emory University HERCULES Center (P30 ES019776).”

Click here for a list of funded research areas along with links to publications.