Pilot Awards

Pilot Funding Opportunities
Up to $10,000 in Research Funds

Proposals for 2022-2023 pilot funding will be accepted in spring 2022

The Center on Race and Social Problems invites full-time faculty and researchers at Pitt who have a doctoral degree to submit pilot study proposals that address current race-related social problems within any of the eight areas of focus of CRSP: health; economic disparities; education disparities; interracial group relations; mental health; families and youth; older adults; and criminal justice.  This initiative is expected to support one to three new pilot projects.The projects may cover a wide range of research methodologies, including qualitative and quantitative research, policy analysis and evaluation, and translation of research into practice.  Existing or new data may be used for exploring race-related problems.  Inclusion of minority investigators as PI, Co-PI, or Mentor is encouraged, and to be considered proposals must have race as the central focus.

The projects may cover a wide range of research methodologies, including qualitative and quantitative research, policy analysis and evaluation, and translation of research into practice.  Existing or new data may be used for exploring race-related problems.  When evaluating the projects, emphasis is placed on the overall value of the project to the Center’s mission, the scientific merit of the research, and the likelihood that the work will lead to scholarly publication and external funding of subsequent studies. Inclusion of minority investigators as PI, Co-PI, or Mentor is encouraged, and prospective proposals must have race as the central focus. Note that it is not enough to just study a minority population. One needs to specify research questions focused on race and then analyze the role of race in the phenomena being studied.

If you have received pilot funding from CRSP in the past, you can be considered for new funding only if previous funding resulted in at least one paper submitted for publication and at least one proposal submitted for external funding for follow-up research.

All proposal submissions should contain the following:

1. An overview (2-pages maximum total) that includes a) the title of the project; b) a project abstract of 150 words or less; c) the name and university affiliation, and contact information for the PI; and c) the names and university affiliations of the other investigators on the proposal
2. A proposal narrative that is single-spaced (not including references) with a 10-page maximum length. Longer proposals will be truncated to their first 10 pages. The narrative should describe:
   1.  The specific aims of the proposal (what is the research intended to accomplish or find, regarding race)
   2. Background (what observations or prior scientific findings serve as the basis for the study)
   3. Importance and Implications of the work (why is it important to conduct the research, particularly regarding race)
   4. Subjects and Recruitment (who will be studied, how will they be identified, and how will they be approached for participation)
   5. Analytic plan (what information will be gathered, how will it be gathered, and how will it be analyzed)
   6. Qualifications of the Principal Investigators
   7. Plans for scholarly publications
   8. Plans to seek federal or other external funding for expanded follow-up research
   9. Outcomes from Previous Pilot Studies Funded by CRSP (If relevant, please provide papers submitted for publication and proposals submitted for follow-up external funding)

3. A project budget and brief budget justification (1-page total)

Budgets of $5,000-$10,000 will be considered.  CRSP funds can be used for participant payments, office or computer supplies, measurement, statistical programming, or research assistant support.  Funds cannot be used for university staff and faculty salaries, conference travel, equipment, or physical plant infrastructure.  No indirect costs may be included in the proposed budget. 

Megan Soltesz, the School of Social Work Business and Finance Manager, is available to help with budget preparation.  She can be contacted at (412) 624-6343 or mms34@pitt.edu.

The deadline for proposals was June 15, 2021.  Proposal components must be submitted in a single PDF document and uploaded at the link below.  Decisions about proposals will be announced in August of 2021. Approved pilot studies should begin thereafter and, if possible, end no more than one year later.  Brief progress reports will be required of grantees.