# Pilot and Feasibility Program

> **NIH NIH P30** · UNIV OF NORTH CAROLINA CHAPEL HILL · 2021 · $131,558

## Abstract

Project Summary – Pilot and Feasibility Program
The Pilot and Feasibility (P&F) Program of the Nutrition Obesity Research Center (NORC) at the University of
North Carolina at Chapel Hill (UNC) provides seed research support primarily for junior investigators in nutrition
and obesity research during their critical transition years as new faculty members. The Program also provides
seed research support to select established investigators whose previous expertise and research lie outside
the UNC NORC research focus on nutrition and obesity, but whose proposals are sufficiently exciting and
innovative to warrant UNC NORC support. Beyond the simple provision of research funding, the P&F program
offers careful mentoring, supportive role models, and rigorous and consistent critiques of research projects.
This comprehensive approach has resulted a high return on investment in terms of federal- and non-federal
external grant funding, high-impact publications, presentations, and career advancement. Promoting diversity
among researchers in the field of nutrition and obesity is a critical need and particularly relevant given the high
rates of nutrition-related chronic disease in minority populations. 19% of previous P&F awardees are members
of underrepresented racial/ethnic minority (URM) groups and we aim to increase that percentage to at least
50% for the upcoming five years. Since the inception of our P&F Program in 1999, the UNC NORC has
awarded $2,737,229 to 68 unique investigators to support new and innovative research in nutrition and obesity.
To date, P&F awardees have received $51,004,276 in external research support based on pilot data generated
as part of their P&F projects. Most of this funding ($47,256,242) has been from the National Institutes of
Health. The P&F Program continues to develop its research partnerships with nutrition and obesity research
faculty at Historically Black Colleges and Universities as part of the Program’s effort to promote the career
development of underrepresented minority investigators.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10170775
- **Project number:** 2P30DK056350-21
- **Recipient organization:** UNIV OF NORTH CAROLINA CHAPEL HILL
- **Principal Investigator:** Steven H Zeisel
- **Activity code:** P30 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2021
- **Award amount:** $131,558
- **Award type:** 2
- **Project period:** 1999-09-30 → 2026-03-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10170775

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10170775, Pilot and Feasibility Program (2P30DK056350-21). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-23 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10170775. Licensed CC0.

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