The Southwest Environmental Health Sciences Center (SWEHSC) Pilot Projects Program (PPP) supports and promotes innovative ideas in environmental health sciences (EHS), and advances the strategic vision and goals of the Center and of the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS). The grants funded by the PPP seed new research areas and shape the Center's research focus. Importantly, the PPP fosters the creation of productive collaborations that enhance the strength of SWEHSC translational studies and that aid in securing significant extramural research funds. The Specific Aims of the PPP are to 1) provide initial funding to early- career investigators to establish EHS-related research; 2) support projects that address environmental justice issues in the desert Southwest; 3) encourage established investigators from other fields to develop EHS research themes; and 4) enable the pursuit of innovative new EHS research directions. Funds to the PPP have been used successfully to recruit new SWEHSC members and dramatically increase funding from NIEHS and other federal sponsors to Center members. PPP funded Pilot Projects from the last 10 years have resulted in 19 new ES- designated grants to date. Due to the remarkable success of the SWEHSC PPP, SWEHSC has also received generous institutional support from the University of Arizona (UA) and each of the colleges to support the PPP. The PPP application process is designed to maximize support to early-career investigators and established investigators who are new to EHS research. The PPP also collaborates with the Community Engagement Core to ensure prioritization of projects addressing arid lands and environmental justice issues in the Southwest. The success of the PPP has been invaluable in supporting the vision and identity of SWEHSC by focusing on understanding the mechanisms underlying environmental health risks and diseases among people living in arid environments undergoing climate change.