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Psychology Department
Faculty Pilot Grant Request for Proposals (RFP)

Purpose and Research Objectives 
The Department of Psychology invites proposals for pilot research projects designed to generate essential preliminary data in support of new applications for externally funded federal grants (e.g., NIH, NSF, DoD, DARPA, DOJ). The overarching aim of this mechanism is to facilitate competitive submissions within 18 months of the pilot award’s start date. 

Funding Mechanism
One grant of up to $10,000 in direct costs will be made available for a one-year funding period. Funds must be used to support data collection activities critical to the development of a competitive external grant application.

Eligibility & Application Criteria

All full-time Psychology Department faculty members, regardless of rank, are eligible to apply. *Post-doctoral fellows and graduate students are not eligible for this funding mechanism.

  • Individual proposals will be limited to $10,000 for the costs needed to collect key pilot data to support the submission of a competitive externally funded federal grant application within 18 months of the start of pilot grant award.
  • Pilot grant funds cannot be used for faculty salary or course buyouts.
  • Submitting multiple applications as PI or Co-PI during the same grant submission cycle is strongly discouraged - but serving as a Co-Investigator on one or more additional proposals may be allowed, provided the aims and goals of the applications are substantially different.
  • Pilot grants that support programs of research that help to advance collaborations among Psychology Department faculty are especially encouraged. 
  • Recipients must agree to incorporate the grant application feedback provided by the Psychology Research Committee prior to submitting the associated external federal grant.
  • At least 75% of the indirect costs should be allocated for the federal grant submission to the Psychology Department.

 

Submit your Proposal - Application Procedures:

The proposals should include the following (using standard 11- or 12-point Arial or Times New Roman font and 0.5-inch margins throughout the application):

  1. Face Page:

  • PI

  • Application title

  • Grant mechanism (i.e., Faculty Pilot Grant Award)

  • List of Senior/Key personnel/collaborators

  • Project performance sites

  • Project summary/abstract (abstract length limited to 30 lines or less) 

  1.  Budget: limited to up to $10,000 in direct costs with no indirect costs allowed 

  1. Budget Justification 

  2. Biographical Sketches for Key Personnel:

  1. Research Plan including the following (limited to 5 pages):

  • Specific Aims (up to one page)
  • Research Strategy - including Significance, Innovation, and Approach Sections
  • Plan for Submission of External Federal Grant Application
  • Timeline
  1. References Cited:
  • Format: All materials should be combined into a single pdf document for submission. 
  • Naming: The combined pdf should be named with the PIs last name, grant mechanism (i.e., Faculty Pilot Grant Award), and date of submission. 
  • Uploading: The named pdf should be uploaded by the deadline (provided in email communications) using the Psychology Research Committee website link for the “Faculty Pilot Grant Submission”:
    https://psychology.arizona.edu/psychology-department-faculty-pilot-grant

Application Review:

Proposals will be reviewed for both scientific and technical merit. Proposals will be reviewed and rated based on significance, innovation, approach, potential for applicant to submit a subsequent federal grant proposal, and likelihood the proposed pilot grant will lead to a successful externally funded federal grant application. 

Final award decisions and notifications of award will be made by the Psychology Research Committee. 

*NOTE: Funds MUST be utilized within the performance period, as carryovers will not be permitted. Funded applicants will be expected to submit a Final Progress Report to the committee within 18 months after the start of the award.

 

Questions?

If you have any difficulties with the submission process (or have any other questions), please contact Arne Ekstrom:

*Questions will be shared with the research committee as deemed necessary. 

Updated: 06/01/26