Pilot Project Program — Request for Applications (Year 2, Call 1)
| Status: Closed | Full applications (by invitation) due: November 16, 2026, 5:00 PM HST | At least two awards · up to $50,000 direct costs · 12 months |
Letters of intent closed October 16, 2026. Eight applicants were invited to submit full applications, due November 16. This call is not accepting new applications.
Download the RFA (PDF) Frequently asked questions
The Pacific Center for Artificial Intelligence and Data Science in Medicine (PAC-AID), supported by the NIH National Institute of General Medical Sciences (NIGMS) COBRE program (P20GM161995), invites applications for its Pilot Project Program. The program supports innovative biomedical and health-related research that meaningfully incorporates artificial intelligence, machine learning, data science, biomedical informatics, or related computational approaches. AI or data science should be integral to the research, not an incidental analytical tool.
Pilot projects should generate preliminary data, establish feasibility, and position investigators for independent NIH funding, particularly R01-level support, and for future roles as PAC-AID Research Project Leaders. Priority goes to projects that use Hawaiʻi data or other Hawaiʻi-specific resources.
What makes a PAC-AID pilot different
A PAC-AID pilot is more than a check. Each award pairs direct funding with hands-on access to the Center’s people, data, and computing, resources that would be out of reach for most early-stage projects on their own:
- The MEDAI Core as your technical team. Consult with the Center’s data scientists and AI/ML engineers on model development, NLP and large language models, imaging analysis, bioinformatics, and data curation and management. Applicants expecting substantial use of MEDAI Core resources are encouraged to consult Core leadership while preparing the application.
- Hawaiʻi’s first biomedical AI data center. Dedicated GPU computing at the UH Cancer Center, built for healthcare AI in the Pacific.
- Representative data. Clinical, imaging, and multi-omics data reflecting the diversity of Hawaiʻi and the Pacific, including Native Hawaiian, Pacific Islander, and distinct Asian populations.
- A path to extramural funding. Mentoring and grant-development support to turn pilot results into competitive NIH applications.
Funding
- At least two awards in this call, up to $50,000 in direct costs each, for a 12-month project period. A third award may be made if proposals are strong.
- Indirect costs are not allowed (no RTRF will be provided).
- The Pilot Project Leader must devote at least one person-month of effort.
- Funds may not support research already funded by another source.
- Awards are contingent on available funds and on completing all applicable institutional, regulatory, and NIGMS requirements.
Eligibility
Applicants must:
- Hold an eligible appointment in the University of Hawaiʻi System or the Research Corporation of the University of Hawaiʻi (RCUH) and be eligible to serve as a Principal Investigator under institutional policy;
- Meet NIH/NIGMS eligibility requirements for COBRE Pilot Project Leaders;
- Show potential for research independence and future extramural funding; and
- Propose research aligned with the PAC-AID mission.
Early Stage Investigators are especially encouraged to apply. Full Professors are not eligible. A Pilot Project Leader may not at the same time be a COBRE Research Project Leader or a project lead on another IDeA award (COBRE, INBRE, or IDeA-CTR).
How to apply: two stages
Stage 1 — Letter of intent (closed October 16, 2026)
Submit one PDF (Arial 11-point, margins of at least 0.5 inch) with:
- Cover information: project title; PI name, degree(s), title, department, and UH/RCUH appointment; Early Stage Investigator status; key collaborators and their roles; anticipated MEDAI Core use; and whether the project involves human subjects, human biospecimens or data, or vertebrate animals.
- Project description (1 page maximum): research question and aims; the AI/data science approach and why it is integral; data sources, including any Hawaiʻi data; and the next-stage funding target (e.g., R01) and timeline.
- NIH biosketch for the PI (SciENcv certification not required at this stage).
Current and Pending (Other) Support is not required with the LOI.
LOIs are reviewed by the PAC-AID MPIs, Drs. Youping Deng and John Shepherd, for eligibility, fit with the PAC-AID mission, the role of AI/data science, investigator potential, and potential for future NIH funding. Invitations to submit a full application will be sent by October 23, 2026. An invitation is not a commitment to fund.
Stage 2 — Full application (by invitation), due November 16, 2026
Invited applicants submit one PDF with:
- Specific Aims (1 page)
- Research Strategy, and Relevance to PAC-AID and Future Funding (3 pages together): significance, innovation, and approach, including the AI/data science methodology, and how the project advances PAC-AID’s mission and leads to future NIH funding
- Milestones and Timeline (1 page)
- NIH Biosketch(es) and Current and Pending (Other) Support for the PI, certified through SciENcv
- Budget and budget justification
- Human subjects, vertebrate animals, and other regulatory information, as applicable
- Letters of collaboration, if applicable
These page limits replace those in the RFA. The PHS 398 Face Page and Project Summary are not needed with the application; awardees provide them later for the NIH prior-approval request.
Review criteria
Invited applications receive administrative review, scientific peer review, and review by the PAC-AID Advisory Committee, scored on the NIH 1–9 scale:
- Significance and Innovation, including the AI/data science approach
- Investigator Potential
- Scientific Approach and Feasibility within 12 months
- Alignment with the PAC-AID Mission
- Potential for Future NIH Funding, particularly at the R01 level
- Overall Impact
Key dates
| Milestone | Date |
|---|---|
| RFA announced | October 1, 2026 |
| Letter of intent due | Friday, October 16, 2026, 5:00 PM HST |
| Invitations to submit a full application | Friday, October 23, 2026 |
| Full applications due (by invitation) | Monday, November 16, 2026, 5:00 PM HST |
| Award notification | December 30, 2026 (anticipated) |
| IRB and/or IACUC approvals due | January 30, 2027 |
| NIGMS review/approval, if applicable | February 26, 2027 (anticipated) |
| Pilot projects begin | March 1, 2027 (anticipated) |
Dates are subject to change.
Submission and questions
Many common questions are answered in the pilot grants FAQ.
Invited applicants email the full application as a single PDF to PACAID_COBRe@cc.hawaii.edu by November 16, 2026, 5:00 PM HST, with the subject line PAC-AID Pilot Project Application – [Last Name].
Scientific questions: John Shepherd, PhD, Contact PI (808-440-5230) · Youping Deng, PhD, MPI (808-692-1664)
Administrative questions: Yonglu (Grace) Pan, Program Manager, JABSOM Bioinformatics Core (808-692-1539)
Program statistics
| Call | Letters of intent | Invited to apply | Full applications | Funded | Funding rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year 2, Call 1 | 17 | 8 | Pending | Pending | Pending |
Counts update as each stage of a call closes. Funding rate is awards divided by letters of intent received.
Funded pilot projects
Awards from this call will be listed here once NIH approves each project.