Pilot Projects

Call for Applications

The Dartmouth COBRE Center for Implementation Science is pleased to offer new pilot grants for early- and mid-career investigators seeking to develop implementation and dissemination research projects for extramural funding.

Aims:

• To support investigators in the development of early-phase research projects, in preparation for large-scale extramural funding applications;
• To develop future COBRE Research Project Leads in the Center; and
• To develop implementation research, expertise, and capacity at Dartmouth.

Applicants: All Dartmouth College and Dartmouth Health faculty, researchers, and clinician-scientists are eligible to apply, with preference given to those who have the potential to serve as future COBRE Research Project Leads.

Awards and Eligibility:

Three types of award for a one-year project are available:

PI/MPI Eligibility:

(1) early-stage or new investigators who have not had the equivalent of R01 support

(2) investigators who propose to investigate a novel idea within implementation science that is a significant departure from their currently funded program of research

Review Criteria

Applications should be designed to support multidisciplinary pilot projects that develop or test implementation strategies to support the routine adoption of evidence-based interventions or practice and support its sustainability, scalability, and dissemination.

Successful proposals will include application of a least one of the following three established implementation science frameworks:

(1) Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research (CFIR) to guide identification of multilevel implementation determinants;

(2) Framework for Reporting Adaptations and Modifications-Expanded (FRAME) for documenting adaptations to interventions and strategies used to improve uptake of interventions; and/or

(3) Reach, Effectiveness, Adoption, Implementation, and Maintenance (RE-AIM) to evaluate implementation outcomes.

Successful proposals will demonstrate strong, scientifically rigorous mixed-methods approaches to develop preliminary and feasibility data to compete for a Dissemination and Implementation Research in Health R01 application. Applications from early-stage investigators must include a mentor.

Center Support and Resources

In addition to financial support, the Pilot Project Program will provide Pilot Project Leaders with access to Center trainings and Core resources.

Timeline

October 15, 2025: Letter of Intent due  

November 1, 2025: Invitations for full proposals

December 1, 2025: Full proposals due

January 2026: Award recommendations to NIGMS for review and approval

Submission Instructions

Letter of Intent (LOI) 

The LOI should include:

• Full name, affiliation, and email address of the project lead
• Names and affiliations of co-investigators, if applicable
• Names and affiliations of mentor(s)
• Project title
• Specific aims (1-page maximum)
• IRB approval date (if approved); submission date (if pending); if not approved or pending, IRB submission timeline
• Project PI/MPI and key personnel NIH formatted biosketch (including primary mentor for early-stage investigators)

To submit:

Please save all LOI components as a single PDF.

Email to: implementation.science@dartmouth.edu

Subject Line: COBRE Pilot LOI 2025

PDF Information & Instructions: DCIS COBRE Call for Pilot Project Applications 2025

COBRE Contact Information

Jeremiah Brown, PhD
Director and Principal Investigator
Director, Administrative Core
jbrown@dartmouth.edu

Julia Shaw, MPH
Director of Research and Programs, Administrative Core
julia.g.shaw@dartmouth.edu

Sarah Lord, PhD
Director, Implementation Research Core
sarah.e.lord@dartmouth.edu

Kelly Aschbrenner, PhD
Co-Director, Implementation Research Core
kelly.a.aschbrenner@dartmouth.edu

The Dartmouth Center for Implementation Science is a Center of Biomedical Research Excellence (COBRE) supported by the National Institute of General Medical Sciences (NIGMS) of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) under Award Number P20GM156710