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Funds the development of innovative solutions to scientific and operational roadblocks in translational research.

What’s the difference between a Pilot award and an i2i award?

The following table offers a side-by-side comparison of the two award programs:

Category Pilot Program Innovation to Impact Awards
Primary Purpose Supports investigation into scientific or operational principles underlying steps in the translational process to generate generalizable principles. Funds the development of innovative solutions to major scientific and operational roadblocks in translational research that have strong potential to be implemented at UNC Health and beyond.
Strategic Focus The focus is on Translational Science, emphasizing generalizable improvements that can apply to research on any disease or target. Integrates a Translational Science (TS) aim with a Translational Research (TR) question (i.e., develop methods that improve the research process while addressing a specific disease or condition).
Project Scope Smaller, exploratory or proof of concept projects; intended to explore new leads or new directions (for established investigators). Larger, multi-year projects aimed at removing major translational barriers and enabling rapid implementation at UNC Health and beyond.
Funding Amount $25,000-$50,000 per year Varies, $125,000–$250,000 per year (see RFA for details)
Project Duration 1 year Varies, 2–3 years
Applicant Eligibility

Investigators from any of NC TraCS' partner institutions (UNC-Chapel Hill, N.C. A&T, NC State) can serve as Principal Investigator (PI), provided they meet the following criteria:

  • PI applicants must hold a faculty appointment or an independent, permanent research appointment (e.g., research scientist) and be eligible to apply for investigator- initiated NIH "R" funding. Individuals in non-faculty roles may require institutional eligibility confirmation or waiver documentation prior to application submission.

Co-Investigators (Co-Is) must (i) hold an appointment at one of the NC TraCS partner institutions and (ii) be at the postdoctoral level or higher (e.g., research associate, permanent research staff, or faculty). All other project team members must be employed by an NC TraCS academic partner institution. Collaborators outside of the partner institutions are not allowed, except for commercial entities and consultants.
Expectations for Applicants Must demonstrate a high likelihood to advance CTS methods and processes; have high methodological rigor and feasibility to complete the project within 12 months. Must demonstrate an innovative TS approach applied to a TR problem; have strong potential for implementation at UNC Health and beyond; have high methodological rigor and feasibility to complete the project within 2-3 years.
Role of NC TraCS Staff Awards function as Cooperative Agreements with NC TraCS involvement and oversight. Teams meet with Pilot Program Staff quarterly to check-in on progress and challenges over their project period. Awards function as Cooperative Agreements with substantial NC TraCS involvement and oversight. Teams work closely with CTS-RP Staff to refine their projects, develop project plans and monitor progress, coordinate with TraCS resources and services, and plan for sustainability and future use of key deliverables.
Example Project Aim Understand and address inefficiencies such as data interoperability or clinical trial recruitment challenges, applicable across diseases. Develop innovative, broadly applicable methods that enhance the translational research process while addressing a specific disease/condition.
Intended Outcomes Early-stage findings that establish feasibility, new directions, or new cross disciplinary engagement. Solutions with strong potential for rapid implementation and improvement of overall translational pipeline efficiency.
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