# Pilot Project Core

> **NIH NIH P50** · UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA · 2021 · $191,125

## Abstract

PILOT PROJECT CORE - ABSTRACT
The center’s Pilot Project Core represents the most critical mechanism to promote innovative
investigational endeavors by young and established scientists. It is particularly effective in fostering a
transition of senior postdocs and early-stage investigators to the pathway to independence in their chosen
research topics related to the center’s theme. It also facilitates generation of new leading-edge studies
by established investigators from other fields on research subjects of our emphasis via collaboration with
the center members and support from scientific cores.
 During the past 5 years, the core supported 14 investigators. Of these, 8 received the support for 2 or 3
years on the same projects. Ten funded investigators published total 26 manuscripts; 4 senior
postdocs/junior scientists were transitioned to faculty positions; 6 acquired NIH grants (2 R01, 1 K01, 1
K08, 2 R21, 2 R30 subawards) and 4 foundation grants. We attribute this successful outcome to a
combination of the seed funding and the Core’s comprehensive support mechanisms involving the
Center’s other cores (e.g., Animal Core, ILCC) and interactive platforms such as Progress Report meeting,
annual symposium, single-topic workshops, educational programs which generate and stimulate
collaborative opportunities for the awardees.
 In the next funding cycle, the Core will continue to promote career development of young scientists and
support a generation of new cutting-edge science in the field of ALPD and cirrhosis. Toward this goal, the
Core pursues the following five specific aims: 1) to promote exploration for new and innovative research
in pursuit of the center’s research theme; 2) to identify and recruit new and qualified senior postdocs and
young scientists into our field of interest and support their transition to academic independence; 3) to
identify and recruit established investigators with expertise in other fields into research relevant to the
center’s theme; 4) support the growth of meritorious but unfunded studies into competitive projects that
attract NIH support through R01 and other mechanisms; and 5) to integrate the center’s other supportive
mechanisms such as cores and educational and training programs to maximize the potential of pilot
projects for maturing to competitive studies.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10077265
- **Project number:** 5P50AA011999-23
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA
- **Principal Investigator:** HIDEKAZU TSUKAMOTO
- **Activity code:** P50 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2021
- **Award amount:** $191,125
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 1999-01-01 → 2023-12-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10077265

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10077265, Pilot Project Core (5P50AA011999-23). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-23 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10077265. Licensed CC0.

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