ALF: Pilot Research Awards Grant

The ALF: Pilot Research Awards offer funding of $50,000 for one year to early career investigators focusing on innovative research in rare liver diseases. These awards aim to support junior faculty during the pilot phase of their projects, encouraging high-risk, high-reward ideas. Proposals should present clear, testable hypotheses without the need for extensive preliminary data, ultimately aiming to generate key findings that can lead to larger NIH grants.

Objective
The objective of the 2025 Pilot Research Awards is to provide funding to early career investigators for highly innovative projects that address novel and important questions related to rare liver diseases.
Pilot Research Awards provide funding to Junior Faculty during the pilot phase of research projects focused on new areas of investigation, innovative ideas, or “high-risk, high-reward” projects that have the potential to generate breakthrough findings and significantly advance the field. Pilot projects should address key outstanding questions in basic, translational, or clinical research on rare liver diseases.
Proposals do not require extensive preliminary data but need to articulate a clear, testable hypothesis and well-defined goals that are achievable within the timeframe and amount of the award. Funded projects are expected to result in the acquisition of key preliminary data that will enable early career recipients to successfully compete for research awards from NIH and other national sources to support larger studies in these innovative research areas.

Eligibility

Career Level: All Faculty LevelsResearch Topic: Autoimmune Hepatitis (AIH), Biliary Atresia (BA), Primary Biliary Cholangitis (PBC), or Primary Sclerosing Cholangitis (PSC)Research Type: Basic, Translational, or Clinical Research