Phase 3 Pilot Project Program

Nebraska Center for Integrated Studies of Biomolecular Communication (NCIBC)


REQUEST FOR APPLICATIONS: New Pilot Projects


Overview:
NCIBC (http://ncibc.unl.edu/) seeks to fund three to four new one-year Pilot Projects in the center’s focus areas as broadly defined below. Pilot Projects are short-term awards with a limited possibility of renewal. 

Diseases result when internal stability and normal communications between tissues and cellular pathways are disrupted by genetic defects, environmental disturbances, or pathogens. NCIBC is funded by a Center of Biomedical Research Excellence grant (1P30GM165288) from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) National Institute of General Medical Sciences (NIGMS) to build institutional capacity and infrastructure for basic biomedical research. NCIBC is designed to be a natural mixing chamber to integrate the research activities of chemists, biochemists, engineers, and bioinformaticians to address critical knowledge gaps in our     understanding of how cells communicate and to mechanistically define metabolic and regulatory pathways relevant to disease development and progression. NCIBC’s long-term goal is to foster the development of collaborative research teams with broad disciplinary representation to interrogate complex disease pathways, especially by connecting researchers who are developing new molecular probes and analytical and informatics technologies with those unravelling molecular   mechanisms of complex diseases.


Eligibility:

  • The proposed research must fall into the areas of NCIBC focus as listed above with preference given to collaborative projects involving NCIBC members and to projects that will make use of the NCIBC Biomolecular Imaging, Omics, and Molecular Exploration Core (BIOME) Core, including the Molecular Analysis and Characterization Facility (MAC), Microscopy Core Research Facility (MCRF), the Nebraska Center for Mass Spectrometry (NCMS), and Cryo-EM Facility.
  • NCIBC Pilot Project PIs and co-PIs must become participating members of the center.
  • Independent investigators of all ranks are eligible. Individuals holding postdoctoral, trainee, or similar non-independent positions are not eligible to lead COBRE Pilot Projects.
  • Project Leaders are required to devote at least one person-month of effort to the Pilot Project but are not named as key personnel in the COBRE award.
  • PIs and co-PIs may not have more than one active NCIBC Pilot or Seed grants.


Application Process:

(1) Face Page (Form Page 1); if multiple PD/PIs are proposed, add an additional form (Form Page 1- continued)
(2) Project Summary (Form Page 2); 
(3) Research Strategy Section, including Specific Aims (1 page) and Research Strategy (6 pages).
(4) NIH Biographical Sketch (use SciENcv format)

  • The following are not allowed for Pilot Projects
    • Use of Human Subjects
    • Use of Animal Subjects
    • Use of Human Embryonic Stem Cells
    • Foreign involvement such as foreign co-authors collaborating with foreign institutions, extended foreign travel, or exchanging research resources across international borders, regardless of the amount of federal funds involved.
  • The budget (for internal budget planning only; not required as part of the application package) may include any allowable expenses necessary to complete the proposed project totaling up to $40,000 (and in rare cases up to $50,000) in direct costs for one year. Renovation/alteration expenses and indirect (F&A) costs are not allowed.
  • Applications should be submitted as a single PDF document to jguo4@unl.edu by 5 p.m. on January 8, 2027. Include the text “NCIBC – Pilot Project” in the subject line of the email.


Application Review:
Proposals will be reviewed by the Pilot Project Review Committee using standard NIH review criteria. Topranked proposals are forwarded to the NCIBC Advisory Committee for approval and recommendation prior to submission to NIH for final approval. Award notifications will be sent in March 2027.


Questions:
Contact NCIBC Director, Jiantao Guo: jguo4@unl.edu or Assistant Director, Kacey Nelkin Pedersen: knelkinpedersen2@unl.edu 

Nebraska Center for Integrated Studies of Biomolecular Communication (NCIBC)


REQUEST FOR APPLICATIONS: Team Pilot Projects


Overview:
NCIBC seeks to support Team Pilot Awards designed specifically to catalyze competitive multiinvestigator applications for major NIH center and institutional training mechanisms. Unlike the regular NCIBC Pilot Project program, which supports individual research projects, these awards are intended to provide targeted resources that enable an interdisciplinary team to generate the preliminary evidence, organizational structure, shared scientific direction, and grant-development readiness needed for submission of a large external proposal.


NCIBC is funded by a Center of Biomedical Research Excellence grant (1P30GM165288) from the NIH National Institute of General Medical Sciences (NIGMS) to build institutional capacity and infrastructure for basic biomedical research. A central long-term goal of NCIBC is to foster collaborative research teams with broad disciplinary representation to address complex problems in biomolecular communication and disease. This RFA therefore prioritizes teams with a clearly identified external funding opportunity and a credible path to submission. Examples include NIH P30 or P50 center mechanisms and NIH T32 institutional training grants. Other comparably large, multi-investigator center or institutional training mechanisms may be considered when strongly aligned with the NCIBC mission.


Award Categories and Funding:

  • Center Grant Team Award (e.g., P30 or P50): up to $80,000 in direct costs for up to one year.
  • Training Grant Team Award (e.g., T32): up to $40,000 in direct costs for up to one year.

The requested budget should be commensurate with the activities needed to make the targeted external application competitive. Awards are expected to be milestone-driven.


Program Goals:

  • Develop cohesive, interdisciplinary teams positioned to compete for large NIH center or training grants.
  • Generate critical preliminary data, feasibility evidence, shared-resource capabilities, or training-program evidence that directly addresses likely review criteria for the targeted mechanism.
  • Define a compelling unifying scientific or training theme and demonstrate meaningful integration among participating investigators.
  • Establish the leadership, governance, core/resource structure, evaluation plan, and other organizational elements needed for a competitive team proposal.
  • Create a concrete external submission plan with defined milestones, responsibilities, and a target NIH funding opportunity and submission date.


Eligibility and Team Requirements:

  • The proposed center or training program must be aligned with the mission and scientific focus of NCIBC.
  • The application must identify a Team Lead/Contact PI who will be responsible for coordinating the pilot award and the planned external application.
  • Center-grant applications should involve a multi-investigator team with complementary expertise. Crossdepartmental, cross-college, and other interdisciplinary teams are strongly encouraged.
  • T32-focused applications should include appropriate research faculty and training-program leadership and should demonstrate access to a sufficiently broad and coherent trainee and mentor environment.
  • The Team Lead and participating UNL investigators supported by the award must become participating members of NCIBC.
  • Preference will be given to teams that make strategic use of NCIBC/BIOME resources, including MAC, MCRF, NCMS, and the Cryo-EM Facility, when scientifically appropriate.
  • Applicants must identify a specific anticipated external funding mechanism or funding opportunity and provide a realistic target submission date, preferably within 12 to 18 months of the pilot award start date.
  • PIs/co-PIs with an active NCIBC Pilot or Seed award should disclose that support and explain why the proposed Team Award is distinct and necessary.


Required Application Components:

(1) Face Page (Form Page 1); if multiple PD/PIs are proposed, add an additional form (Form Page 1- continued)
(2) Project Summary (Form Page 2); 
(3) Research Strategy Section, including Specific Aims (1 page) and Research Strategy (6 pages): 
Research strategy should clearly describe the scientific or training vision, need for the proposed center/program, team integration, preliminary strengths and gaps, activities supported by this award, milestones, and how the activities directly strengthen the planned external application.
(4) External Grant Roadmap (maximum 1 page): Identify the target mechanism/FOA, anticipated submission date, major required components, responsible team members, internal deadlines, and measurable readiness milestones.
(5) Team Structure (maximum 1 page): Describe leadership, participating investigators, proposed projects/cores or training components, and how the team is integrated.
(6) NIH Biographical Sketch (use SciENcv format)

  • The following cannot be supported by the Team Pilot Projects
    • Use of Human Subjects
    • Use of Animal Subjects
    • Use of Human Embryonic Stem Cells
    • Foreign involvement such as foreign co-authors collaborating with foreign institutions, extended foreign travel, or exchanging research resources across international borders, regardless of the amount of federal funds involved.
  • Budget and Budget Justification: Explain how each requested cost directly advances readiness for the targeted external application.
  • Applications should be submitted as a single PDF document to jguo4@unl.edu by 5 p.m. on January 8, 2027. Include the text “NCIBC-Pilot Project” in the subject line of the email.


Application Review:
Proposals will be reviewed by the Pilot Project Review Committee using standard NIH review criteria. Topranked proposals are forwarded to the NCIBC Advisory Committee for approval and recommendation prior to submission to NIH for final approval. Award notifications will be sent in March 2027.


Questions:
Contact NCIBC Director, Jiantao Guo: jguo4@unl.edu or Assistant Director, Kacey Nelkin Pedersen: knelkinpedersen2@unl.edu 

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