Updated: March 2025
The Pilot Project program is supported through philanthropic committed funding and is designed to provide seed funds for investigator-initiated research. The intent of these pilot grants is to encourage translational research by funding well-designed projects that could be competitive for future larger grants from a federal or private agency.
- Archived pilot project RFPs from the past year can be found here.
| Funding Source | Grant Name | Description | Deadline |
|---|---|---|---|
| Institute for Translational Medicine | Various Opportunities | Visit the Institute for Translational Medicine for current opportunities. | Rolling basis |
| Chicago Chronic Condition Equity Network (C3EN) | Small Grant Program | The Chicago Chronic Condition Equity Network (C3EN) aims to expand and cultivate the network of health disparities researchers throughout the Chicago region. In addition to funding Research Project Pilot Studies (see companion funding announcement), C3EN awards small grants of up to $3,000 to support well-defined formative and summative research activities that strengthen community partnerships around health disparities research. Formative research activities such as community needs assessments, key informant interviews, and analyses of existing data can help an investigator identify the most appropriate targets and strategies for intervention, and refine aspects of a study protocol that bear on feasibility (e.g., recruitment approaches). Similarly, summative research activities ultimately enhance the impact of a completed research project by examining its implications for the community in which it was conducted. Summative research activities such as producing infographics or summaries of study findings, giving community presentations, or holding roundtable discussions serve to bring the research process back to the community “full circle”. Formative and summative research activities are generally narrow in scope, but can significantly enhance the rigor and relevance of community-engaged research programs. More information | Rolling basis
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| Various | 2025 Pilot Projects Fall | Rush University is offering seed funds through five philanthropic sources to support investigator-initiated, clinically oriented, health services, educational, or community-focused research. The intent of these grants is to encourage research by funding well-designed projects that could be competitive for future larger grants from a federal or private agency. | 08/20/2025 09/24/2025 |
| Rush Imaging Research Core | Pilot Projects | The Rush Imaging Research Core (RIRC) is offering competitive funding for pilot MRI-based research projects utilizing RIRC’s 3 Tesla Siemens Prisma scanner. Located in the Rubschlager Building, the MRI scanner is equipped with advanced hardware and software for whole-body imaging. More information | 01/09/2026 by 5 p.m. Application deadline |