Understanding the CTSI Pilot Studies Program in 7 Steps

(1) RFP (2) LOIs (3) Proposals (4) Review (5) Funding (6) Prior Approval (7) Account & Tracking

Letters of Intent (LOIs)

  • Shortly after the RFP release is the LOI due date. The LOI is two pages and allows the investigator(s) to provide a succinct abstract summarizing:
    • What the project entails
    • Translational significance
    • Expected outcomes
    • Potential for substantive extramural funding
  • In order to be eligible, the Principal Investigator must be a fulltime faculty member at UB or a Buffalo Translational Consortium institution and eligible to serve as a PI of an NIH grant.
  • The program supports projects across the T1-T4 spectrum, and invite investigators from the basic, clinical, and/or applied sciences to apply. No clinical trials beyond phase IIA will be supported. 
  • All applicants are encouraged to attend the Informational Session, held prior to the LOI due date, to enhance their application. See last year's presentation, Tip for Success in Obtaining CTSI Pilot Studies Funding, from Translational Pilot Studies Program Director Brahm Segal. 
  • The LOIs are reviewed and scored, following National Institutes of Health (NIH) scoring criteria, by Pilot Studies Executive Committee. Typically, about 25 applicants are inivted to submit full proposals.