Pilot Grant Program

Pilot Grant Program

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Home / Pilot Grant Program

About the Program

A portion of our funding from NIDA has been designated for small projects designed to nurture collaborations and generate new externally funded research projects focused on optimizing adaptive interventions for preventing and treating substance use disorders (SUD) and HIV. This Pilot Grant Program is augmented by the Rogel Cancer Center at the University of Michigan to support additional small projects that focus on adaptive interventions to improve outcomes at the intersection of cancer and substance use (or misuse). Although not a requirement, projects that focus on HIV or health equity are encouraged.

What’s the purpose?

  • Bring talented and energetic researchers into the area of adaptive interventions;
  • foster new collaborative research ties between d3c researchers and others;
  • generate new research projects funded by NIDA or by other NIH institutes or agencies.

New Projects

Personalized Feedback Visualizations for Just-In-Time Adaptive Interventions

Lizbeth ‘Libby’ Benson, PhD

Developing a Stepped Care Intervention Integrating Daily Symptom Monitoring for Individuals with PTSD and Risky Substance Use in Federally Qualified Health Centers

Peter Grau, PhD

Establishing a Patient Advisory Board toward a Hybrid Experimental Design Combining Coaching and Digital Contingency Management to Promote Smoking Cessation

Devin Tomlinson, PhD

Towards Reducing Missing Information in Ecological Momentary Assessment of the Use of Non-Combustible Nicotine Products

Shiyu Zhang, PhD

Personalized Feedback Visualizations for Just-In-Time Adaptive Interventions

Lizbeth ‘Libby’ Benson, PhD

Developing a Stepped Care Intervention Integrating Daily Symptom Monitoring for Individuals with PTSD and Risky Substance Use in Federally Qualified Health Centers

Peter Grau, PhD

Establishing a Patient Advisory Board toward a Hybrid Experimental Design Combining Coaching and Digital Contingency Management to Promote Smoking Cessation

Devin Tomlinson, PhD

Towards Reducing Missing Information in Ecological Momentary Assessment of the Use of Non-Combustible Nicotine Products

Shiyu Zhang, PhD

Other Current Projects

MiWaves: A Micro-Randomized Trial (MRT) to Monitor and Reduce Cannabis Use

Lara Coughlin, PhD

Time-Varying Cannabis Use Motives to Inform Adaptive Interventions

Brady West, PhD

An App to Improve Medication Adherence for Young Patient and Family Caregiver Dyads

Sung Won Choi, MD

Motivational Intervention for Safety Plan Use in Daily Life: An Interview and Think-Aloud Study

Rebecca Fortgang, PhD

Extending Decision Analysis for Intervention Value Efficiency (DAIVE) to decision-making based on the results of a SMART

Jillian C. Strayhorn, PhD

Improving the Efficiency of Reinforcement Learning Using Model Predictive Control Solutions

Donglin Zeng, PhD

The pJITAI Toolbox: A No-Code Platform for Creating Personalized Adaptive mHealth Interventions Using Reinforcement Learning

Mark Newman, PhD

Parents and Teens Together (PATT): Software Development for a Dyadic Digital Intervention to Prevent Substance Use Disorders (SUD)

Amy Hughes Lansing, PhD

MiWaves: A Micro-Randomized Trial (MRT) to Monitor and Reduce Cannabis Use

Lara Coughlin, PhD

Time-Varying Cannabis Use Motives to Inform Adaptive Interventions

Brady West, PhD

An App to Improve Medication Adherence for Young Patient and Family Caregiver Dyads

Sung Won Choi, MD

Motivational Intervention for Safety Plan Use in Daily Life: An Interview and Think Aloud Study

Rebecca Fortgang, PhD

Extending Decision Analysis for Intervention Value Efficiency (DAIVE) to decision-making based on the results of a SMART

Jillian C. Strayhorn

Improving the Efficiency of Reinforcement Learning Using Model Predictive Control Solutions

Donglin Zeng, PhD

The pJITAI Toolbox: A No-Code Platform for Creating Personalized Adaptive mHealth Interventions Using Reinforcement Learning

Mark Newman, PhD

Parents and Teens Together (PATT): Software Development for a Dyadic Digital Intervention to Prevent Substance Use Disorders (SUD)

Amy Hughes Lansing, PhD

Use of Funds

Funds may be requested to conduct (a) necessary preliminary methodological work for optimizing adaptive interventions, or (b) necessary preliminary translational work and pilot testing for optimizing adaptive interventions for reducing the burden of SUD and/or HIV. The proposed work is expected to involve significant collaboration between the applicant and one or more d3c researchers, and to show promise of leading to larger-scale funded projects in the future.

Funds can be used for salary support; support of research assistants; travel for research-related meetings and conferences; data collection support (e.g., programming, participant incentives); and/or computing equipment, software, and supplies directly related to the proposed research. Examples of appropriate activities include methods development with simulation studies, preliminary data analysis, and pilot data collection.

Duration and Amount

Studies are expected to last 12 months and should not exceed $50,000 in total costs (Direct + Indirect).

How to Apply

Submit a letter of intent by September 25, 2024. Selected applicants (notified by October 25, 2024) will be invited to submit a full proposal by January 8, 2025.

Where to Apply

Email Letters of Intent and full proposals (as a Word document or PDF) to [email protected] with the subject “d3c Pilot Project Research Funding.”

Duties of Awardees

Funding recipients are required to:

  • Submit written reports on their progress, along with copies of any technical reports, conference presentations, drafts of articles, research proposals, and other products (e.g., software) generated by the project.
  • Participate in monthly meetings with their d3c collaborator/mentor.
  • Attend monthly center-wide meetings during which projects will be discussed and participants will engage in problem-solving.
  • Lead a think-tank meeting to discuss, strategize, and plan their project at the beginning of their award and present results to the center at the end of their award.

Questions?

If you have an idea for a new research project but are not sure whether it would qualify for this funding opportunity, or if you have questions about this application, please contact Jen Miner ([email protected]) or any of our Center researchers. We welcome questions and are glad to offer informal advice.

Letters of intent should include the following:

  1. Current CV of lead scientist
  2. Title of the research project, lead scientist and collaborators (as applicable)
  3. Specific aims outlining project goals
  4. Desired amount of funding
  5. d3c scientist(s) to be involved and the nature of the collaboration

Full proposals should include the following:

1. NIH biosketch of key personnel

2. Title of the research project, lead scientist and collaborators (as applicable)

3. Requested amount, budget, and an itemized budget justification. Budget forms will be provided at time of invitation.

4. Specific aims (up to 1 page) outlining project goals

5. Research strategy (up to 3 pages) describing:

a. Significance

b. Innovation

c. Approach/methods to achieve aims

d. Plan and timeline for a larger, external grant submission (i.e., funding agency, type of grant, and expected submission date)

e. d3c scientist(s) to be involved and the nature of the collaboration

7. Research team

8. Human subjects information. Forms will be provided at the time of invitation.

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