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Pilot Awards

State of Florida Pilot Awards are offered through the HIV/AIDS and Emerging Infectious Diseases Institute (HEIDI) to support highly innovative HIV/AIDS research proposals that will generate preliminary data for publications and extramural funding on the topics of HIV Cure/Reservoirs and HIV Vaccine research.

The purpose of this program is to stimulate new research and collaborations between basic and clinical researchers for generation of supporting preliminary data to increase competitiveness for extramural HIV/AIDS funding on the topics of HIV Cure/Reservoirs and HIV Vaccine research.

Link to Full Application

Click Here

Applications open July 1, 2023 as per the RFA distributed by HEIDI.

Deadlines

RFA issued July 1, 2023

Full application

July 21, 2023 at 11:59 PM

Funding decisions

~August 2023

Start of the Award

~August 2023

Award period

~August 2023 to June 30, 2024

Eligibility

  • Investigators at the rank of Assistant Professor (in research or clinical track) or above are eligible to apply.
  • Post-doctoral associates may apply if they have three or more years of experience and are working towards a transition to faculty status.
  • Early stage and minority investigators are encouraged to apply.
  • Collaborative projects are highly encouraged and defined as those involving two or more investigators from different disciplines, and/or different departments.
  • Previous HEIDI awardees are eligible to apply if there is no scientific overlap of any projects.
  • Applications with foreign components are not eligible to apply.

Clinical Research Studies

HEIDI is not allowed to fund clinical research studies that include randomization to one or more low risk interventions to evaluate the effects of those interventions on health-related biomedical or behavioral outcomes. Please read the Notice of Revised NIH Definition of “Clinical Trial” for details.

Progress Reporting

HEIDI-funded pilots will be required to submit detailed quarterly summaries outlining the awardees progress, including the current performance measures for the research projects, any successes and barriers experienced, and any progress assessments. A final progress report is due in Quarter Four and should identify the impact the project’s HIV/AIDs research has had on the health of Floridians living with HIV.



Current Awardees

Awardee: Jose Martinez-Navio, PhD (Assistant Professor UM)
Award Title: Vectored delivery of bNAbs in scFv form in rhesus macaques

Awardee: Ronald Desrosiers, PhD (Professor UM)
Award Title: A Monkey Study to Confirm Consistent, Long-term, AAV Delivery of Monoclonal Antibodies with Potent Neutralizing Activity against a Broad Range of HIV Isolates

Awardee: Michael Alpert, PhD (President Emmune INC)
Award Title: Systems for tyrosine sulfation of eCD4-Ig

Previous Awardees

  • Pilot Awardees 2022-23

  • Pilot Awardees 2021-22

  • Pilot Awardees 2020-21

  • Pilot Awardees 2019-20

  • Pilot Awardees 2018-19

  • Pilot Awardees 2017-18

  • Pilot Awardees 2016-17

  • Pilot Awardees 2015-16

  • Pilot Awardees 2014-15