# Pilot Project Program

> **NIH NIH P30** · DARTMOUTH COLLEGE · 2020 · $239,374

## Abstract

The overarching goal of this application is to continue to develop and strengthen the Dartmouth Cystic Fibrosis
Research Center (DartCF), reproducing in areas relevant to NIDDK mission our previous successful
trajectory of CF-related research in airway biology and infection. The Pilot Project Program (P3) is an integral
part of our strategy. In our first year of P30 funding, we have already expanded our capacity to investigate
host-microbe interactions in the gut and the impact of gut dysbiosis on CF-related diabetes and overall
systemic disease and health of these patients. The first reagents, publications and grant submissions are
emerging from our inaugural set of pilot projects. As a reflection of the growing interest in and Core support for
these research areas, our open RFA elicited 18 high-quality NIDDK-relevant proposals. From these, we have
selected a new set of four P3 projects, all in areas related to GI, systemic or liver aspects of CF. Our strategy
to build the current strengths of our research base stems directly from effective use of pilot funds over the past
~15 years. Using our experience and outstanding track record of enhancing research capacity through pilot
funds, the P3 Program will (1) encourage development of preliminary data to open up new research
opportunities, refine hypotheses, and strength proposals to compete for extramural support, (2) enhance
collaborative and interdisciplinary research to engage current researchers at Dartmouth, including those with a
record of CF research and those new to the field, and support newly recruited faculty, (3) deepen our reservoir
of translational and clinical research projects by providing funds to physician-scientists and their collaborators,
(4) nucleate the submission of multi-investigator grants, and (5) support professional development through
mentoring of junior faculty, including both basic and physician scientists. This is a proven strategy. In the past,
our CF Foundation Research Development Program (RDP) and NIH Center for Biomedical Research
Excellence (COBRE) awards leveraged $1.4M of pilot funding into $22.9M dollars of extramural grant support
over the past 14 years. Note that the COBRE sunset in 2018 and that CF pilots related to pulmonary topics
are supported exclusively by the RDP. Using this model as a framework, we have designed an inclusive
Request for Applications (RFA) and rigorous multi-stage review procedure to award P3 grants to expand our
capabilities to investigate host-microbe interactions in the gut and the impact of gut dysbiosis on CF-related
diabetes, under three mechanisms: (1) Mentored Basic or Translational Awards for junior faculty, (2)
interdisciplinary Collaborative Basic or Translational Awards, and (3) Innovative Translational or Clinical
Studies led by an MD or MD/PhD faculty investigator. All three mechanisms foster interdisciplinary, multi-
investigator, and clinically relevant research. By engaging existing and new faculty and supporting
...

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10001764
- **Project number:** 2P30DK117469-03
- **Recipient organization:** DARTMOUTH COLLEGE
- **Principal Investigator:** George A. O'Toole
- **Activity code:** P30 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2020
- **Award amount:** $239,374
- **Award type:** 2
- **Project period:** 2018-07-01 → 2025-06-30

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10001764

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10001764, Pilot Project Program (2P30DK117469-03). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-22 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10001764. Licensed CC0.

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