Center of Biomedical Research Excellence (CoBRE) in Geroscience
Pilot Project Program: Request for Applications

Funding Cycle 2027 | Application Deadline: Friday - November 13, 2026

The Geroscience Center of Biomedical Research Excellence (CoBRE), administered through the Center for Geroscience and Healthy Brain Aging at the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, is soliciting applications for its Pilot Project Program. The program supports early-career investigators at the University of Oklahoma (OU) who are developing independent research programs in the basic biology or translational aspects of aging.

Purpose: The Pilot Project Program provides one year of support to generate the preliminary data required for a competitive NIH research grant application (e.g., R01 or R21). Specifically, the program seeks to: (1) support highly innovative and hypothesis-driven studies of the biological mechanisms of aging and age-related disease; (2) establish feasibility and rigor of new experimental models and approaches; (3) promote the use of CoBRE Research Cores and foster new collaborations within the Oklahoma geroscience community; and (4) identify promising early-career investigators who may be considered for future CoBRE Research Project Leader positions.

Scientific scope: Applications must address basic or translational science research in aging, geroscience, or diseases related to aging. Examples of responsive areas include, but are not limited to:

• Hallmarks of aging (e.g., cellular senescence, mitochondrial dysfunction, loss of proteostasis, epigenetic alterations, deregulated nutrient sensing, chronic inflammation)
• Mechanisms of brain aging, cognitive decline, neurovascular and cerebrovascular aging, and neurodegenerative disease
• Endocrine and metabolic regulation of aging and lifespan
• Aging of cardiovascular, musculoskeletal, immune, and other organ systems, and their contribution to age-related disease including cancer and retinal degeneration.
• Interventions that target fundamental aging processes to extend healthspan.
• Development of biomarkers, models, NAMs, or computational approaches for the study of biological aging

Review criteria: Applications will be reviewed using criteria similar to those applied to NIH R21 applications, with emphasis on:

• Scientific merit and innovation
• Relevance to the goals of the Geroscience CoBRE
• Likelihood that the proposed studies will yield preliminary data supporting a competitive NIH application within 12-18 months of project completion
• Rigor of the experimental design, including appropriate power, controls, and consideration of sex as a biological variable
• Use of CoBRE Research Cores and development of new collaborations that expand Geroscience Research at OUHC
• Feasibility of completing the proposed work within 12 months
• Qualifications and career trajectory of the investigator, and strength of the mentoring plan

To be eligible, the Pilot Project Principal Investigator (PI) must meet all of the following criteria:

• Hold a current appointment as a University of Oklahoma employee at the rank of Research Assistant Professor or Assistant Professor.
• Not have previously received NIH R01 support as a PD/PI (including Multiple PD/PI).
• Propose basic or translational science research in aging, geroscience, or diseases related to aging.

Advanced postdoctoral fellows: Advanced postdoctoral fellows who are eligible for appointment as Research Assistant Professor within their department are encouraged to apply. These applicants must include a letter from the Department Chair confirming eligibility for, and the intent to create, a Research Assistant Professor appointment for the individual effective on, or before, the start date of the award. Funds cannot be released until the appointment is in place.

Pilot Project PIs may not receive simultaneous research support from another NIH Institutional Development Award (IDeA) program, including an INBRE, an IDeA-CTR, or a different CoBRE. Current CoBRE Research Project Leaders are not eligible.

Applications should follow NIH SF424 (R&R) formatting instructions. Use Arial 11 point font, 0.5 inch margins, and single spacing. Submit the complete application as a single PDF in the order below:

1. Cover page including project title, PI name, rank, department, contact information, and total budget requested.
2. Project Summary (30 lines maximum).
3. Specific Aims (1 page maximum).
4. Research Strategy (4 pages maximum), including Significance, Innovation, Preliminary Data (if available), and Approach. The Approach should include expected outcomes, potential pitfalls with alternative strategies, and a timeline with quarterly milestones.
5. References Cited (not included in the page limits).
6. Relevance to the Geroscience CoBRE and planned use of CoBRE Research Cores (1.0 page maximum).
7. Plan for Extramural Funding (0.5 page maximum): Identify the specific NIH mechanism, the targeted NIH Institute and funding opportunity, and the anticipated submission date, and describe how the pilot data will support that application.
8. Detailed budget for a 12-month project period with Budget Justification.
9. NIH Biosketch for the PI and all key personnel.
10. Vertebrate Animals and/or Human Subjects section, as applicable, with IACUC or IRB protocol status. Approval is not required at submission but must be in place before funds are released.
11. Letters of support: (1) a letter from the Department Chair confirming the applicant's appointment (or eligibility for appointment as Research Assistant Professor), protected research effort, and departmental support, and (2) Letter from a Geroscience Senior Investigator agreeing to mentor the proposed study. Letters from collaborators and Core directors are encouraged.
12. Current and Pending Support for the PI.

1. The center anticipates funding up to two (2) Pilot Projects between $50,000 and $100,000 for a period of one year. There is the potential to renew the application for a 2^nd year of funding depending on progress. Instructions for future funding will be available in July 2027.
2. Allowable costs include personnel (including PI salary/fringe (10% max)), research staff, supplies and animals, CoBRE Core and other institutional core service fees, and travel to present pilot results at a scientific meeting (limited to $2,000).
3. Unallowable costs include graduate student tuition, computers and laptops, general office supplies, subawards, and equipment exceeding $5,000 per item unless specifically justified and approved.
4. Cost extensions will be considered only under exceptional circumstances and must be requested in writing at least 60 days before the end of the project period.

1. Application deadline: November 13, 2026, 5:00 PM Central Time. Submit the complete application as a single PDF by email to: melissa-k-day@ou.edu.
2. Scientific Review: December 2026. Applications will be reviewed by an internal panel of senior investigators, with input from the CoBRE External Advisory Committee. Outstanding applications will be forwarded to NIGMS for final approval by Program Staff.
3. Anticipated notice of award: January 2027.
4. Project period: 12 months, with an anticipated start in January 2027, contingent on NIH/NIGMS approval and regulatory (IACUC/IRB) approval.

Questions regarding scientific scope or eligibility may be directed to Dr. William E. Sonntag (william-sonntag@ou.edu), Geroscience CoBRE Program Director, or to: Melissa Day (melissa-k-day@ou.edu).

1. Each awardee will be paired with a senior CoBRE mentor who will meet with the PI at least monthly to monitor progress, advise on experimental design, and assist with grant preparation.
2. Pilot PIs are required to participate in CoBRE scientific activities, including regular research-in-progress meetings, the CoBRE seminar series, and career development workshops (e.g., grant writing, rigor and reproducibility, and responsible conduct of research).
3. Pilot PIs will present (1) Specific Aims, experimental plans, and quarterly milestones at the start of the award; (2) interim results and plans for manuscripts and grant applications at approximately six months; and (3) final results at the conclusion of the award. Pilot PIs will also present their progress at the annual CoBRE External Advisory Committee meeting in spring 2027.
4. Progress will be assessed by the CoBRE Program Director and the assigned mentor. Funding may be discontinued if satisfactory progress is not made or if the scope of the project departs from the goals of the CoBRE.
5. Pilot PIs are expected to submit an NIH research grant application based on the pilot data within 12 to 18 months of the end of the award and to publish at least one peer-reviewed manuscript arising from the project.
6. Pilot PIs must acknowledge CoBRE support in all publications, presentations, and other products arising from the funded research, using language such as: "Research reported in this publication was supported by the National Institute of General Medical Sciences of the National Institutes of Health under Award Number 5P20 GM125528. The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the National Institutes of Health."
7. Pilot PIs must comply with the NIH Public Access Policy and the NIH Data Management and Sharing Policy for all applicable products of the pilot research.
8. Pilot PIs must provide annual progress information (publications, presentations, grant submissions and awards, honors, and service) for the CoBRE progress report to NIGMS for 3 years following the award and must submit a Final Report within 60 days of the end of the project period summarizing major accomplishments, planned next steps, publications and presentations, and all grant applications submitted and funded.
9. Prior to issuing a press release concerning the outcome of this research, awardees should notify the CoBRE Program Director in advance to allow coordination.