SFOepi Pilot Grant

Do you have a research idea that might spark a whole new set of studies but you’re just not sure if it works yet? Do you need some preliminary data to get you started on a new project? Do you have a methods idea that needs some development but is necessary for future research projects? Have you developed a research method but need the time to create the R package so it can be used by others? Then this pilot grant is for you!

Description of the SFO Epidemiology Pilot Grant

The purpose of this grant is to encourage and support innovations for epidemiological and biostatistical research. The focus is on supporting creativity and new approaches. The pilot grant supports:

• Developing a new method
• Testing a new method
• Generating new or preliminary data
• Starting a new project, with focus on data collection and feasibility assessment

The developments achieved as part of the pilot grant should establish proof of concept and have the potential to be implemented by subsequent research projects.

Suitable projects are those that

1. Use epidemiological and/or biostatistical methods as the main tools to achieve the project’s goals
2. Demonstrate the utility for researchers to use the knowledge and results from the pilot grant to address a roadblock or a scientific or operational bottleneck

Evaluation of projects will be performed based on four criteria with the following points;

• Scientific quality of the project (1-7)
• Suitability and feasibility as a pilot study (1-3)
• Novelty (1-3)
• Applicant’s qualifications (1-7)

Priority will be given to applicants within seven years of their PhD.

Eligibility

The main applicant must be employed by or affiliated to Karolinska Institutet with a PhD.

Funding

Up to three pilot grants will be awarded.

Grants are for one year and must be used before December 31, 2025. The funding can be used for salary and non-salary costs, including overhead.

Reporting requirements

Awardees will be required to submit a final report at the end of the granting period which outlines how the budget was spent and describes the results from the project. Awardees will be asked to present their results at an SFOepi seminar so that the knowledge generated by the grant can be shared with the Karolinska Institutet community.

Application submission

All application materials must be submitted as one attachment by 16 May 2024 at 11:59 PM to Janina Mahmoodi (janina.mahmoodi@ki.se) with Subject line “Application to the SFO Epidemiology Pilot Grant”.

The application materials should include 1) the proposal, 2) the main applicant’s CV and 3) the main applicant’s publication list. See details below.

1) Proposal

The proposal must contain the following elements and have a maximum of 3 pages (brief summary and references not included). Font and margin requirements: 2.54 cm margins and Arial 11 font. Proposals which do not follow the page limit, font or margin requirements will not be considered.

Elements of the proposal

• Brief summary (maximum 5 sentences)
• Specific Aims
• Background
• Research plan
• Potential for implementation in future
• research projects
• Collaborators & research environment
• Budget and justification
• Project timeline
• References

2) Applicant’s CV

The CV should be no more than two pages long, font and margin requirements: 2.54 cm margins and Arial 11 font. The following sections should be included at a minimum, other sections can be added as the applicant feels necessary:

• Education
• Employment (former and current)
• Time taken away from research (e.g. parental or sick leave, internship or residency (AT,
• ST) or military service if applicable)
• Current funding support
• Supervision of students (former and current)
• Teaching activities

3) Publication list

The original full-text publications of the main applicant since January 2019 should be listed using KI RIMS Publication List, a formatted user report in Vancouver format (see https://staff.ki.se/ki-rims “Generate reports about yourself”).

Contact

For questions about the application please contact Janina Mahmoodi at janina.mahmoodi@ki.se