Cores Pilot Program Frequently Asked Questions

Innovating Together. Transforming Rural Health. 

Backed by the National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences’ (NCATS) Clinical & Translational Science Award (CTSA) program, the Consortium of Rural States (CORES)—representing CTSA hubs at the University of Utah Health, University of New Mexico Health Sciences Center, University of Arizona, University of Kansas, University of Kentucky, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, University of Iowa, Dartmouth College/Dartmouth-Hitchcock, Medical University of South Carolina, and Penn State University—is thrilled to launch a new, dynamic pilot process designed to spark collaborative translational science across our multi institutional network. This initiative accelerates the development, testing, and implementation of innovative solutions to improve health outcomes, while building strong collaborative pathways across CORES to drive meaningful care model transformation in rural communities and position these efforts for national scaling through external funding. 

Phase-1 Call for Investigators, Letter of Interest 

Eligibility

  • Faculty or faculty equivalent at participating CTSA institutions (including partner institutions) who are eligible to receive federal funding. 

    Non-faculty research staff or administrators may participate but will not be able to serve as PI of the funded project. They should confirm eligibility with their site administrator. 

  • Yes, you are welcome to submit another application if you have previously been funded by the Pilot Grant Program.  

Letter of Interest (LOI) Submission 

  • The online platform “Apply” will be utilized to submit applications. Please click here to view the instructions on how to create an Apply account.  

    If you need assistance working within the Apply online platform, contact Hailey Rogers at hrogers@uams.edu or Paul Duguid at pduguid@uams.edu  

  • No, images and/or figures are not permitted to be included in the LOI submission. However, if invited to submit a full application, images/figures can be included in the full application.  

  • No additional pages can be added to a Letter of Intent submission.  

  • References and citations are not required within the Letter of Interest. If invited to submit a full application, references and citations can be included.  

  • No, application deadlines are firm. 

Phase-3 Implementation 

Prior Approval and Regulatory Questions 

  • If your project involves animal or human subjects, Prior Approval from NIH is required before the project can begin. IRB/IACUC approval letter, proof of required training for key personnel and any other required documentation are needed before Prior Approval can be submitted. NIH Prior Approval can take up to six weeks to obtain; this should be considered when developing study timelines to avoid delays. 

  • sIRB (single IRB) is managed on a case-by-case basis. Pilot administrators for each institution participating on the project provide support to the investigators to determine which site will serve as lead for sIRB and may help to coordinate reporting documentation amongst the sites.   

Phase-2 Proposal Development & Submission 

Submission

  • No. All awardees must maintain their CORES-affiliated appointment throughout the duration of the pilot award and this award is not transferable to another institution. 

  • Documents can only be uploaded as PDF documents. Applications should adhere to the following formatting specifications:  

    • 11‐point Arial font  

    • Single‐spaced  

    • 0.5 inch margins on all sides  

    • 8 1⁄2″ x 11″ (i.e. standard size) paper  

    • Pages numbered  

Budget

  • Award amounts are based on direct costs only, and budgets should not include indirect/F&A costs.  

  • CORES Pilot Funding cannot be used as a sub-award of another ongoing project or to supplement funding for another funded study.  

  • No, Pilot funding cannot be used towards salary support for the PI or any co-investigators.  

Hub Pilot Program Contacts