Pilot for Early Career Investigators
A one-year UCSF grant provides early career investigators seed funding to launch innovative biomedical research projects in basic, clinical, translational, digital health, or population science.
Funder: University of California San Francisco
Due Dates (Anticipated): February 2027 (Spring cycle application deadline, projected)
Funding Amounts: Up to $40,000 for a one-year pilot project; direct costs only; not renewable.
Summary: A one-year grant supporting innovative early career biomedical research projects in basic, clinical, translational, digital health, and population sciences at UCSF.
Key Information: Only UCSF early career faculty and certain appointees are eligible; agency-specific requirements may apply.
Description
This pilot grant supports early career investigators at UCSF in conducting one-year, innovative research projects across a broad spectrum of biomedical fields, including basic science, clinical and translational research, health policy, digital health, and population science. The primary aim is to provide seed funding for projects that demonstrate high potential for future independent grant support and scientific impact. Projects leveraging new technologies—such as mobile health interventions—are encouraged, and proposals in any health domain with unmet needs or potential for significant improvements are welcome. Mentorship is a required component for applicants at the Assistant Professor level or below.
Multiple funding agencies participate in this mechanism, each with possible additional requirements regarding research focus, institutional affiliation, or use of specialized research cores (e.g., Bixby Center, Mount Zion Health Fund, PREMIER, School of Dentistry, Cancer Center, CCMBM, CTSI, REAC). Applicants should review agency-specific guidelines for eligibility and budget constraints.
