Re-Impact Pilot Award
The Re-Impact pilot awards are designed to stimulate new translational research across the lifespan. This year’s focus, co-sponsored by the Clinical and Translational Science Institute (CTSI) and Department of Bioengineering, is on the translation of research into devices and/or interventions that can have a positive impact on older populations. This funding opportunity is designed to encourage new translational research addressing clinical needs, biological processes, or therapeutics to improve the lives of older adults. In addition to funding, specialized support and consulting from experts across the university will be made available. The Human Factors Laboratory, housed within the Department of Bioengineering, can provide expertise in designing for older populations, prototyping, and testbed capabilities for device development and evaluation.
The Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center (ADRC) will offer advice on projects addressing cognitive issues. Pitt’s Pepper Older Americans Independence Center will offer guidance for those projects involved in mobility improvement.
The Re-Impact program encourages a broad spectrum of approaches, including biological, physiological, technological, therapeutic and psychosocial mechanisms to improve health. This RFA is specifically focused on the needs of older adults. To be responsive to this opportunity applications should address a focused need or scientific question that has the potential to be developed into an intervention or device that will improve the health and quality of life for older populations.
Because this funding opportunity is for pilot studies, applications should include an explicit discussion of how the intended aims can lead to larger funding in the future, whether through the NIH National Institute on Aging, or other extramural opportunities.
Examples of projects that would fit this opportunity include:
- Robotic assistance for mobility
- Wearables for real-world health monitoring
- Cognitive assistance devices or apps.
- Medication management systems
- Devices to reduce osteoporosis risk
- Therapeutic virtual reality for pain relief, strength training, memory exercises
If you would like to request a consultation, please email Aleks Zivic at abz17@pitt.edu. Make note of your intention to apply for the RE-Impact Pilot Awards in the subject line, and we are happy to provide feedback about the program or your application.
Round 1 Letter of Intent Deadline:
Friday, January 24, 2025, 11:59 p.m. EST
Notification to Advancing Teams:
Monday, February 3, 2025
Round 2 Full Proposal Submission Date:
Friday, February 21, 2025 11:59 p.m. EDT (by invitation)
Notification to Awardees:
Monday, March 10, 2025
Anticipated Earliest Start Date:
May 15, 2025
All projects must start by June 1, 2025.
Award funding of up to $25,000 is available to cover direct costs; no indirect support will be provided. The award period will last for 12 months, beginning when all regulatory and administrative approvals have been received. Under no circumstances, do the Re-Impact pilots have any mechanism for no-cost extensions; any funds that are not spent during the award period will be forfeited.
Before any funding can begin, awardees must provide documentation of all necessary regulatory approvals (IRB, IACUC, hSCRO, IBC, CORID, etc.). Once regulatory documentation is provided, awarded projects will undergo an administrative review from NCATS, which may take up to 30 days. Funding cannot begin until projects have been approved by *NCATS.
*When submitting your new IRB application for this project, please add Susan Sandusky (SLS127@pitt.edu) as Key Personnel under the Study Team Members with her qualifications as “CTSI Regulatory Support for CTSI Pilot Grants.”
The Principal Investigator must be a University of Pittsburgh faculty member; postdoctoral trainees and trainees in clinical training programs are not eligible to serve as PI. Faculty member on early-career training awards or clinical research scholars (i.e. recipients of K-series or similar career development grants) are eligible. New PIs are strongly encouraged, but submissions from established investigators will be accepted if there is clear evidence that the pilot project represents a distinctly new direction from their previously funded work.
Study teams that involve cross-disciplinary collaborations are strongly encouraged. Co-investigators may be from other universities; however, CTSI’s primary mission is to promote research at the University of Pittsburgh, so applicants should justify extensive off-campus collaboration. Partnerships with non-academic community partners are also acceptable.