Vanderbilt Center for Addiction Research · Call for proposals
Pilot Project Awards 2027
Seed funding to generate the preliminary data you need for your next NIDA or NIAAA grant. We especially welcome investigators from adjacent fields who see a question their approach could answer for addiction science.
Purpose
The Vanderbilt Center for Addiction Research (VCAR) will fund up to three pilot projects of $25,000 to $75,000 each. Applications are due February 1, 2027.
These awards are designed to generate the preliminary data investigators need to compete for larger external grants. Every funded project should have a clear path to an application at NIDA, NIAAA, or another substance-use-relevant institute.
We especially want to bring innovative investigators from adjacent fields into addiction research at Vanderbilt. If your expertise lies in neuroscience, immunology, metabolism, engineering, computational science, pain, sleep, or another discipline, and you see a question your approach could answer for the addiction field, we encourage you to apply. Established addiction researchers are also welcome.
Eligibility
- Faculty at Vanderbilt University (VU) or Vanderbilt University Medical Center (VUMC) are the primary intended applicants.
- Postdoctoral fellows at VU or VUMC with strong proposals may also apply as PI.
- Investigators new to addiction research are strongly encouraged to apply. Prior work in substance use is not required.
- Established addiction researchers are also eligible.
Scope
Any project relevant to the mission of NIDA, NIAAA, or another institute that funds substance use research is in scope.
This includes basic science on topics these institutes prioritize, as well as preclinical, translational, clinical, and population research. Projects need not study a drug directly, but the application must make a clear case for relevance to addiction and for the external funding it could lead to.
Award amount and budget
Awards range from $25,000 to $75,000 in direct costs for a one-year project period. A no-cost extension may be requested. VCAR may choose to fund any award at a reduced level.
| Amount requested | Budget required |
|---|---|
| $25,000 – $50,000 | Summary budget listing major cost categories |
| $50,001 – $75,000 | Detailed, itemized budget with a justification for each cost |
- Supplies
- Animals and per diems
- Core facility fees
- Research participant costs
- Effort for technicians, staff, graduate students, or postdocs
- Small equipment, with prior VCAR approval
- Faculty salary
- Large equipment
- Indirect costs (none are charged on these awards)
Application components
Submit all components, in this order, as a single PDF.
Significance, innovation, and approach, including how the pilot data will support a specific external application.
How the project advances addiction science and, for investigators new to the field, how it brings your expertise into addiction research.
Summary or detailed, depending on the amount requested.
For the PI and any key personnel.
References do not count toward page limits. IRB or IACUC approval is not required at submission but must be in place before funds are released.
Review process
VCAR faculty and external reviewers will score proposals on the NIH 1–9 scale, assessing significance, investigators, innovation, approach, and environment, with attention to how likely the project is to lead to external funding.
Timeline
No letter of intent is required.
Awardee expectations
Awardees are expected to use their pilot data to apply for external funding from NIDA, NIAAA, or another substance-use-relevant source.
- Staged funding: 50% of the award is released at the start. The remaining 50% is released after VCAR approves a mid-year progress report.
- Final report: due at the end of the award period.
- Center engagement: become a VCAR member and participate in Center seminars and retreats.
- Acknowledgment: cite VCAR support in publications, presentations, and grant applications arising from the project.
- Outcome tracking: report resulting grants and publications to VCAR for three years after the award ends.
Submit and contact
Upload your application as a single PDF through REDCap by February 1, 2027.