Pilot Projects

Awardee Benefits & Responsibilities

Awardees Receive:

Participation in TiCER mock review panel by Emeritus Academy
Funding for research
Subsidized use of TiCER cores
Participation in TiCER-sponsored seminars and annual retreats
Opportunity to develop new collaborations and scientific interactions

Awardees Must:

Participate in cooperative TiCER pilot project reviews
Present experimental results at annual retreats
Publish experimental results
Submit National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS) grant application
Participate in community outreach activities

Application Process

Step 1.

Letters of Intent

Letters of intent will include a list of collaborators and a 5,000-character abstract that covers the specific aims, significance, innovation, approach, and plans for future NIEHS/NIH funding, along with the NIH biosketch and other support of the principal investigator (PI). They will be reviewed to ensure the proposed research is focused on environmental health and consistent with the goals of TiCER and NIEHS. You may use the Pilot Projects Application to submit a letter of intent.

Pilot Projects Application

Step 2.

Invitation to Submit a Full Proposal

Investigators who submit letters of intent that meet the appropriate criteria will receive invitations to submit a full proposal.

Step 3.

Full Application Due

The format for the pilot project applications follows NIH R21 guidelines with these components: 1) cover page (1 page), 2) abstract (1 page), 3) specific aims (1 page), and 4) significance, innovation, approach, and plans for future funding (4 pages).

Also include: 1) NIH biosketches, 2) facilities descriptions, 3) detailed budget ($50,000 maximum), and 4) budget justification.

No faculty salaries are allowed. All criteria required for NIH grant applications need to be addressed (not included in the page limits), including sections on 1) scientific rigor and statistical considerations, 2) resource sharing plan, 3) explanation and description of animal use or human subjects (including the sex of animals or humans), and 4) letters of support.

Step 4.

Review of Pilot Project Submissions

Applications will be sent to the administrative core for review by qualified reviewers identified by the Pilot Projects committee. Proposals will be peer-reviewed and scored on 1 ) scientific merit (60 points), 2) potential for NIEHS funding (25 points), 3) utilization of TiCER’s cores (10 points), and 4) proposals that are collaborative or from an early stage investigator (5 points).

Step 5.

Funding Announcements

Principal investigators of proposals selected for funding will be notified by the TiCER director.

Current Projects

Worried (and) Sick: How environmental hazards affect Americans’ health-related risk attitudes

Investigators: Rotem Dvir, Arnold Vedlitz, and Xinyue YE

Public support for environmental policy: Testing mitigation of health hazards using regression and machine learning models

Investigators: Rotem Dvir and Arnold Vedlitz.

Support to Environmental Policy and its Association with Objective and Perceived Risk of Exposure

Investigators: Carol Goldsmith, Ki Eun Kang, and Arnold Vedlitz

Factors that Contribute to Public Perceptions on Environmental Health Threat Policy

Investigators: Carol Goldsmith, Ki Eun Kang, and Arnold Vedlitz

Success Stories

Health Risks and Hazard Perception of Airborne Toxic Metals: Vulnerable Populations Neighboring the Houston Ship Channel
- Dr. Shankar Chellam, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, and faculty in the School of Public Health