[American Liver Foundation](https://liverfoundation.org)

April 10, 2026 (Mandatory Letter of Intent) | May 15, 2026 (Full application)

$50,000 total for 1 year; paid in quarterly installments

Supports junior faculty with innovative pilot projects in liver transplantation, regeneration, stem cells, advanced models, and gene/cell therapies.

Mandatory LOI required; PI salary and indirect costs are not allowed.

--- ## Description The American Liver Foundation's Pilot Research Awards provide one-year, $50,000 grants to support early career investigators (junior faculty) pursuing highly innovative, "high-risk, high-reward" research in liver transplantation, stem cell biology, liver regeneration, advanced in vitro human liver models, and gene- or cell-based therapies. The program is designed to fund pilot projects that can generate preliminary data, positioning recipients to compete for larger national grants. Projects may be basic, translational, or clinical in nature, and should address novel and significant questions in the field of advanced liver therapeutics. --- ## Due Dates - **Mandatory Letter of Intent:** April 10, 2026 - **Full Application Deadline:** May 15, 2026 --- ## Funding Amount - **Total Award:** $50,000 for a one-year project period - **Disbursement:** Paid in quarterly installments of $12,500 - **Allowable Costs:** Salary/benefits for graduate students, postdocs, technicians, laboratory supplies, animals, core facility costs - **Non-Allowable Costs:** PI or faculty collaborator salary/benefits, indirect costs, equipment, conference registration/travel --- ## Eligibility - **Career Stage:** Junior faculty (within first 5 years of first faculty appointment, including prior international appointments) - **Institution:** Must be at a U.S.-based public or private non-profit institution accredited and engaged in health-related research; NIH, FDA, and CDC employees are not eligible - **Degree:** Must hold an MD and/or PhD (or equivalent) and a full-time faculty or equivalent position by the award start date - **Research Commitment:** At least 50% protected research time required - **Project Requirements:** - Must differ from existing funded research (no overlap) - Hypothesis-driven with specific aims achievable within one year - Not part of a larger, already funded project - Primarily conducted at the PI’s U.S. institution - **Collaborators:** Allowed if necessary; must justify need and include details in application. Collaborators may be international, but PI must be U.S.-based. - **Funding Overlap:** No current or prior funding for the proposed research; cannot apply for more than one ALF award simultaneously - **Exemptions:** Documented leaves (e.g., parental, medical) may be excluded from the five-year eligibility window with prior approval --- ## Application Process 1. **Letter of Intent (LOI):** - Mandatory; use the [LOI template form](https://liverfoundation.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/2026-Pilot-Research-Award_LOI-Template.pdf) - Submit via email to [research@liverfoundation.org](mailto:research@liverfoundation.org) by April 10, 2026 2. **Full Application:** - Only applicants who submit an LOI will be invited to submit a full application - Application guidelines and instructions provided after LOI review - Required materials include: lay summary, scientific abstract, research differentiation statement, budget, budget justification, biosketches (NIH format), other support, research plan (three-page limit), and description of research facilities - Submit as a single PDF as instructed upon LOI acceptance 3. **Review and Selection:** - Proposals evaluated for innovation, significance, feasibility, PI background, and research environment - Incomplete or non-compliant applications will not be reviewed --- ## Additional Information - **Award Terms:** - Must acknowledge ALF support in all publications - Award cannot be transferred without prior approval - Unused funds must be returned; final payment contingent on report submission - Awardees agree to public sharing of project summary and photo - **Reporting:** - Progress, lay summary, and financial report due within 60 days of project completion - Annual follow-up reports required for two years post-award --- ## External Links - [Program Overview and Application Page](https://liverfoundation.org/medical-professionals/research-awards-program/disease-specific-pilot-research-awards/) - [2026 Application Guidelines (PDF)](https://liverfoundation.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/2026-Pilot-Research-Award_Application-Guidelines_Final.pdf) - [LOI Template (PDF)](https://liverfoundation.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/2026-Pilot-Research-Award_LOI-Template.pdf) - [Meet Past Awardees](https://liverfoundation.org/medical-professionals/research-awards-program/meet-our-awardees/) - [Join ALF Research Awards Mailing List](https://liverfoundation.org/medical-professionals/research-awards-program/join-our-research-awards-mail-list/) --- ## Contact Information | Name/Role | Email | Phone | Web Contact Form | |------------------------------------------|--------------------------------------------|------------------|-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | Helene Jordan, PhD, National Senior Director, Research Program Management | research@liverfoundation.org | +1 800-465-4837 | [Contact ALF](https://liverfoundation.org/about-alf/contact-us/) | ---

Pilot Research Awards

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