PROJECT SUMMARY – VDDRC Pilot and Feasibility Program The Pilot and Feasibility (P/F) Program is an essential component of the Vanderbilt DDRC (VDDRC). It directly supports overall VDDRC goals, which are to: 1) promote digestive diseases research in an integrative, collaborative, supportive, inclusive, and multidisciplinary manner; 2) attract new investigators to the study of these disorders; 3) enhance the innovative research capabilities of members; and 4) promote the career development of junior investigators. Through the P/F Program, the VDDRC has developed a strong track record of recruiting highly talented young investigators and established investigators that are new to digestive disease research, as well as established GI investigators testing exciting new ideas. In the past 10 years, we have supported 53 P/F recipients, with 26 of these in the past 5 years. Our number of awarded pilots and the total amount of support provided is greatly enhanced by a commitment of $100,000/year from Vanderbilt, plus additional funding available from the VDDRC Academy of Investigators, Vanderbilt Institute for Clinical and Translational Research, and new initiatives with the Vanderbilt Institute for Infection, Immunology and Inflammation, the Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center, and the Vanderbilt Diabetes Research and Training Center. Over the past two grant award cycles (years 11-20), P/F recipients have garnered $40,786,119 in Direct Cost funding subsequent to their P/F awards, yielding a 32–fold return on investment of NIH funds. We have demonstrated major benefits to the career development of PIs supported as Type N (New Investigators) in the P/F program (75% of awardees in the past 10 years), including development of faculty as research leaders and growth into academic leadership positions. The P/F Program has been directed since 2010 by Keith T. Wilson, M.D., Professor of Medicine, and Pathology, Microbiology and Immunology, and VDDRC Associate Director. The Program provides an applicant-friendly environment in which P/F grant opportunities are widely circulated, and candidates interact closely with the P/F Director to ensure that their projects meet VDDRC goals, optimize use of VDDRC Cores, and follow NIH guidelines for rigor and reproducibility. The Specific Aims are: 1) To recruit talented Type N investigators without current or past independent NIH support to digestive disease research, to provide a foundation for career development and future independent funding, including enrollment in the VDDRC Academy of Investigators; 2) To recruit established investigators new to digestive disease research (Type EN), with the goal of fostering collaborations and new directions that may lead to subsequent related publications, projects, and research grants in the field; 3) To support established investigators (Type E) in the digestive disease field in the pursuit of highly innovative, exciting new ideas that are a significant departure from their previous work...