Full Application

The Letter of Intent should contain the following:

• Project Title
• Principal Investigator
• Brief description (2-3 sentences) of the proposed pilot project
• Proposed mentors

Applicants should submit the Letter of Intent to CDUHR.pilot@nyu.edu by October 15, 2026 at 5:00 pm.

Please title the subject of the email “Pilot Project Letter of Intent” with the name of the applicant, i.e., project principal investigator (PI).

We may contact the applicant with questions or suggestions for the Initial Statement of the Research Question.

The Initial Statement of the Research Question should be no longer than one page, and should include the following sections:

• Project Title
• Principal Investigator (and Co-Investigators if applicable)
• Project Abstract: The overall purpose, specific aims, how the project aligns with both CDUHR’s mission and NIH HIV/AIDS funding priorities, and a brief statement of the methodology of the proposed research.
• Mentorship Form
• Requested Budget Amount

As part of CDUHR’s mentorship program, working with at least two mentors (both within and outside the mentee’s area of research) is highly recommended, particularly for early-stage investigators and those new to HIV, HCV and substance use research. In the Mentorship Form, applicants should indicate their preferred mentors; the primary mentor must be a CDUHR Core Member and indicate a desired area of mentorship that is outside of the applicant’s own discipline and which is complementary to the project. If the applicant is not seeking mentorship, please explain why it is not needed.

When possible, mentors should be approached prior to development of the Research Question. At times, the selected mentor may not be available, and this can be discussed with the Core Director and/or Co-Directors of CDUHR (Drs. Duncan, Hagan and McKnight, respectively). Applicants already receiving mentorship are asked to identify the name, title, and affiliation of the senior investigator they are receiving mentorship from. Of note, affiliated investigators who are not recipients of the CDUHR Pilot Projects Award are also eligible to receive mentorship if desired and can be requested.

Applicants should submit a completed Initial Statement of the Research Question and Mentorship Form to CDUHR.pilot@nyu.edu by October 22, 2026 at 12:00 noon.

Please title the subject of the email “Pilot Project Initial Statement” with the name of the applicant, i.e., project principal investigator (PI).

Applicants will be notified of their invitation to submit a full application via email by October 26, 2026.

Full applications are due by November 23, 2026 at 5:00 pm via email submission to CDUHR.pilot@nyu.edu.

Please title the subject of the email “Pilot Award Full Application” with the name of the applicant, i.e., project principal investigator (PI).

The full application requires the following components (documents should be single-spaced, half-inch margins on all sides, and use 11-point Arial font):

1. Abstract: maximum 300 words
2. Pilot Project Proposal: maximum of 3 pages in length. The proposal should include:
   • Specific aims
   • Background and significance
   • Responsiveness to CDUHR’s thematic focus of overcoming barriers to ending HIV/AIDS among PWUD
   • Research design & methods; include the dataset(s) that will be used for secondary analysis and also indicate whether IRB approval will be necessary to analyze the data
3. These are not part of the 3-page limit:

• Protection of human subjects (include a DSMP for clinical trials or studies with interventions)
• References
• Detailed budget (one page)
• Budget justification in narrative form (one page). Budget and budget justification should detail how CDUHR funds will be utilized in the research process. Both should closely reflect the work described in the proposal. Budgets should only include direct costs for a 16-month period. The maximum request available is $40,000 over Phases 1 and 2. Budgets may include costs to collect and analyze data and participant incentives. No indirect costs will be awarded. Salaries of PIs or co-investigators should not be included. Pilot project funds may not be used to supplement or prolong ongoing research, to support dissertation research or coursework, to purchase equipment, and cannot be used as bridge funds when other research support ends.
• Investigator Biosketch: Please use the NIH Biosketch format.
• Plan for publications and presentations of findings.
• Brief letter(s) of support from the mentor(s) for the project
• Letter(s) of support from any collaborating organization(s)
• Consortium statement from the applicant’s home institution or school/college acknowledging that no indirect costs will be included with the award and that the applicant has PI status
• Postdoctoral fellows must include a letter from the applicant’s home institution or school/college indicating that the term of the individual’s fellowship will extend beyond the end date for the proposed project and that they are eligible to serve as a principal investigator at their home institution.

Appendices should not be submitted with the application.

Note that NIDA requires CDUHR to provide a description and justification of all pilot projects before initiating them. Notification includes a description and rationale for the project, and addressing the question of how it falls within CDUHR’s mission and RFA priorities. In addition, CDUHR must state that the project will comply with NIH policies, including approval of human subject research. Clinical trials and projects that pose greater than minimal risk to participants require prior approval from the NIDA project officer. The request for approval must include protocols for human subjects protection and a Data and Safety Monitoring Plan (DSMP). See NIH PAR-20-267, Section VI, “Prior Approval of Pilot Projects” for original language.