Pilot Projects (up to $40,000 direct costs for one year)
The EDGE Pilots Project Program provides initial support for investigators to establish novel lines of research relevant to the missions of the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS) and the EDGE Center. The program promotes exploration of possible innovative directions representing a significant departure from ongoing funded research for investigators in environmental health sciences. Investigators from other areas of focus are also encouraged to apply their expertise to environmental health research.
EDGE pilot projects have provided data for numerous successful grant applications and resulted in a number of publications.
Pilot projects are awarded each year in February and funding is limited to one year for a maximum award of $40,000 (direct costs). For more information and a link to a past RFA, please visit our Pilot Projects Page.
Mini Grants (up to $5,000 Direct Costs per project)
The EDGE Center provides critical small funding opportunities in the form of small (mini-pilot) grants to Center investigators to obtain key data necessary to address criticisms for resubmitting a manuscript or a grant. Applications for one mini grant ($5,000) are now being accepted; they are due November 19, 2025. The application is available here.
A likely use for a mini grant would be reagents and supplies to perform the work needed to respond to the critiques of an NIH proposal when a project has scored well but is not funded. In this case, the mini grant is intended to provide time critical assistance needed to develop the key additional preliminary data to push a resubmission over the line to being fundable. An update on the progress, as well as information about any publications or grant submissions/awards that result from these mini-pilot grants, is expected of all awardees. Projects cannot require IRB or IACUC approval or include travel or foreign components. Applications should be submitted to Nancy Judd, njudd@uw.edu by 5:00 pm PT on November 19, 2025.
Questions about these funding opportunities should be directed to: Nancy Judd, njudd@uw.edu