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Texas Medical Center Digestive Diseases Center Pilot/Feasibility Awards

Texas Medical Center Digestive Diseases Center

The Texas Medical Center Digestive Diseases Center (DDC) is pleased to announce the availability of funds to provide seed money for pilot/feasibility (P/F) projects in GI-related research. These funds will be awarded on a competitive basis. We anticipate funding four to five projects up to $50,000 each (direct costs only – indirect costs waived). Project support is provided in part NIH P30DK056338.

A Notice of Intent must be submitted by 5:00 PM CST on Monday, November 9, 2026.
The full application is due by 5:00 PM CST on Monday, January 4, 2027.

The awards will be for one year, with the option of competing for a second year of support. The earliest starting date for awards is May 1, 2027. If you apply for a second year of support, please make note in your letter of intent that this is a renewal application and be sure to complete all additional requirements for renewal applications.

The overall theme of the DDC is “Molecular mechanisms and outcomes of injury, infection, or metabolic dysfunction of the digestive system” with digestive-disease-related subthemes centering on:

Infection (including host-microbe interactions and microbiome)
Injury (including tumorigenesis and stem cell response)
Metabolism (including diseases associated with obesity and the gut-brain axis)

Criteria for Evaluation of Applications

The criteria used in evaluating an application are the same as those generally applied in competition for funding at the national level:

The novelty and significance of the basic or clinical information being sought
Its relevance to GI-research
Whether the specific aims are logical and the approach valid and adequate
The feasibility of the procedures outlined in the application
The probability that the project will lead to a grant application for external funding
The potential for clinical and basic science interactions
The scientific expertise of the applicant to perform the proposed research
The use of DDC cores

For junior faculty and senior postdoctoral fellows, there must be a mentoring plan outlining your primary mentor, plans to obtain independent funding, and how you intend to become actively involved in the DDC. An individual who wishes to carry out a project for which he/she lacks technical expertise should obtain that expertise by collaborating with other scientists within the Texas Medical Center, and a letter of collaboration should be included in the application. Applicants are encouraged to consult members of the DDC Internal Advisory Committee for advice on preparing these applications. Applicants should also seek guidance from applicable DDC Core Directors involving their projects.

AI Based Application Success Predictor

Scientific novelty and significance	Proposes innovative research with meaningful basic science or clinical value.
Relevance to digestive diseases	Directly addresses the center's research themes: infection, injury, or metabolism.
Clear research aims	Presents logical, well-defined objectives and hypotheses.
Methodological rigor	Uses valid, appropriate methods to answer the research question.
Project feasibility	Demonstrates that the proposed work can be completed within the award period.
Future external funding potential	Generates preliminary data that could support a subsequent NIH or other external grant application.
Investigator expertise	Shows that the applicant or collaborating team has the necessary scientific skills.
Use of DDC core facilities	Makes appropriate use of the center's specialized research resources.
Interdisciplinary collaboration	Connects basic science and clinical research or brings in complementary expertise.
Early-career development	Supports the development of independent research programs; funding preference is given to early-stage faculty.

These factors are drawn from the center's published evaluation criteria and program objectives.

Baylor College of Medicine

Organization and funding classification

Field	Details
Organization type	Academic research center
Government/Federal or Non-Profit/Corporate	Federally funded research center; hosted by Baylor College of Medicine, a private non-profit institution
Federal funding source	National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK), NIH
Grant program	Pilot/Feasibility Awards
Award amount	$35,000–$50,000 for one year; the 2026–2027 call anticipates four to five awards of up to $50,000 each in direct costs. BCM +1
Historical success rate	Not verified; the number of applications submitted and awards made in the same cycle is needed.

Specialties

Gastroenterology

Eligibility Requirements

All faculty members from within the Texas Medical Center Digestive Diseases Center consortium are eligible to apply. This includes Baylor College of Medicine, The University of Texas Health Science Center, and MD Anderson Cancer Center. Faculty members at other institutions are eligible if they submit a grant that collaborates with a faculty member who is also a member of the Digestive Diseases Center. Trainees also should have a commitment from a senior scientist to sponsor their projects and assurance of future faculty appointment from Section/Dept Head. Trainee applicants for pilot projects are not required to be United States citizens or possess a permanent resident visa. Funding preference will be given to early-stage career faculty. The purpose of these grants is to help early-career investigators establish an independent research program and to encourage the involvement of established investigators not currently working in the GI area. It is highly recommended that members of the DDC Advisory Committee (listed above) be consulted during the preparation of applications.

Funds are not meant to be used for training purposes, but may support the following.

New Investigator (N): Investigators without current or past NIH support at the level of R01. K08, K01, and K23 recipients are eligible and are encouraged to apply. Trainees who are recipients of an NRSA individual award (F32) or are supported by an institutional training grant (T32) are eligible for P/F funds, if they are in their last year of training, have had at least one year of research laboratory experience, and have suitable expertise and independence to design and carry out the planned experiments.
Established Investigator New to Digestive Diseases Research (NTF): Established Investigators from other areas of biomedical research who intend to use their expertise for digestive diseases research.
Established Digestive Disease Investigator (E): Established digestive disease researcher who previously had R01 level funding but does not currently have R01 or R01-level equivalent funding as a PI or Multi PI. Eligible investigators could also be in the final/no cost extension year of R01 or R01-level equivalent funding.

A notice of intent (NOI) is required for any interested application. NOIs are due by Monday, November 9, 2026, via our online system and will be reviewed for funding eligibility. Any applicant, who does NOT meet the minimum qualifications to apply will be contacted before November 21, 2026. All other applicants are encouraged to move forward with their full application.

If the PI of the Pilot/Feasibility project has not had a previous major federally funded grant, the PI should identify a mentor. The mentor should provide a letter describing a mentoring plan, the mentor’s commitment to the individual, and an evaluation of the project. All early-career faculty and trainee applicants should have 50% protected time for research if the project is funded. If not, please contact Dr. Burrin before submitting the Notice of Intent.

The pilot/feasibility funds are meant to permit preliminary testing of new ideas. An application is not eligible if the proposed work has been previously supported by external, major peer-reviewed funding. If an application to external granting agencies on the same work is currently pending and is subsequently awarded, any approved and unspent DDC funds must be returned at the time the external grant is activated.

An important goal of the DDC pilot/feasibility program is to get early-career investigators connected with other DDC faculty and foster increased involvement of the PI in DDC activities, such as the DDC Research Forum and GI Focus Groups. We expect all PF awardees to become involved and attend these DDC and GI training activities on a regular basis.

Current DDC pilot/feasibility fund awardees will be eligible to apply for a second year of support. However, it is expected they will make significant progress to report and a strong justification for requesting additional support. A third year of support will not be provided for any project. An investigator may receive pilot/feasibility support for new projects only once in any five-year period.

Eligible Countries:

United States

Sponsor Details

Sponsor Institute/Organizations: Texas Medical Center Digestive Diseases Center

Sponsor Type: Corporate/Non-Profit

Address: McNair Campus, 7200 Cambridge Street, Suite A08.144, Houston

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