ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH PILOT GRANT PROGRAM
Applications Deadline: February 1, 2024

DATE: December 4, 2023
TO: Faculty, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey
FROM: Troy Roepke, PhD, Pilot Program Director and Andrew Gow, PhD, Pilot Program Co-Director
SUBJECT: Request for Community Proposals for 2024-25 CEED Pilot Grants

The NIEHS Center for Environmental Exposures and Disease (CEED), in collaboration with the Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences Institute (EOHSI), is soliciting applications for its 2024- 2025 Pilot Project Program. Pilot funding supports new environmental health research with the potential to improve human health and establish or strengthen community partnerships. CEED is funded by the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS, P30-ES005022).
The mission of CEED is to understand how environmental exposures are integrated with host and environmental factors to impacting human health. The Pilot Project Program is used to improve human health through education, outreach, mechanistically based intervention, prevention, modalities, and to enhance foster relationships with community partners.

Community Based Applications:
This year’s RFP encourages interdisciplinary and collaborative approaches to problems in the environmental health sciences, CEED is interested in all aspects of environmental health research, including climate change, and is particularly in supporting projects involving partnerships with community groups. Applications originating from community groups are particularly welcomed.

All community-based applications must include a CEED member as a Co-PI. This is necessary due to University and Federal regulations regarding transfer of award funds and for formal University Human Subjects (IRB) approval.
A maximum of $25,000 will be available for each grant; however, budgetary justification and potential for NIEHS funding will be significant factors in reviewing these grants. Most awards will be in the $20-25K range. The maximum budget may be exceeded only in exceptional cases. The Principal Investigator or Co- Investigator can be a member of an organized community group. The CEED member can serve as PI or co-investigator.

APPLICATION PROCEDURES
Each proposal must include the following components:
1. PROJECT NARRATIVE: up to four pages (single-spaced, 11 pt. font, 1” margins):
A. Title of Project
B. Investigators (include names, titles, addresses, e-mail, and phone numbers)
C. Hypothesis
D. Background and significance
E. Specific Aims, with timeline
F. Methods and data analysis
• Human subjects: list and attach active IRB protocol that is appropriate or can be easily amended to include projected studies
• Animal subjects: list relevant IACUC protocol and attach approval letter
G. Expected Results, Outcomes:
• Enhance scientific discovery relevant to environmental health
• Publications and grant applications to NIH, especially NIEHSH, Relevance to CEED mission (see p. 1)
H. All applications must include a description of how the proposed research can foster the development of community partnerships and/or improve community health.
I. Planned use of CEED Facility Cores

PROPOSAL APPENDICES (do not count toward page limits):
A. Literature references
B. Biosketch or summary of the applicant’s qualifications or work in the field is acceptable
C. Budget and Budget Justification
Budget Considerations:
• Direct Costs only – Indirect costs are not permissible
• Undergraduate stipends up to $6,000/year ($3,000/semester) are allowable.
• No equipment, travel, graduate student stipends, or faculty salary can be supported.
• Awards will not be granted to the same investigators more than 2 consecutive years.
D. IRB approval is required for any human subject’s research.

Review Process
Applications should be submitted by February 1, 2024. Review of the Pilot Grant proposals will take place in March/April, 2024. The Director of the Pilot Project Program will first review all applications to confirm that the application meets the basic criteria and will remove from review applications that do not meet the basic criteria. The CEED Director may offer to assist in fine-tuning applications, at their discretion. All eligible applications will be sent out for review by internal and external reviewers.

Awards and Reporting
Successful applicants will be sent award letters, including instructions regarding expenditure of funds, by April 15, 2024. All funds must be spent by March 31, 2025. By 12-18 months post-funding, funded applicants will be required to give an oral presentation of the project outcome at a NIEHS Center members’ meeting and provide evidence of grant submission.

Inquiries and Submission of Proposals:
Please e-mail your application by February 1, 2024, to:
Kristin Borbely, NIEHS Center Administrator Phone: (848) 445-0170
E-mail: borbely@eohsi.rutgers.edu Website: http://ceed.rutgers.edu/pilot-project-program/