The
goal of the Pilot and Feasibility Study
Program is to encourage research on diabetes
and its complications by two target groups:
young researchers in these fields who have
not yet received significant NIH or other
funding, and seasoned investigators either
entering the diabetes field for the first
time or exploring a completely new direction.
A
call for applications is made
in the spring of each year for grants to
begin the following summer. On average,
three 2-year grants are awarded per year to
researchers based either at the Joslin Diabetes
Center or at neighboring institutions within
Harvard Medical School and affiliated hospitals.
A special effort is made to foster interactions
between Joslin DERC investigators and the
external P&F Study Program awardees.
This includes facilitating access to Joslin
DERC cores,
an invitation to give a seminar in the Joslin
internal research seminar series, and invitations
to Joslin retreats and other enrichment
activities.
(see
Enrichment Core)
The
program has been highly successful since
its inception. Projects funded in past years
have covered a wide range of topics in the
fields of type 1 and type 2 diabetes and
their complications, including the control
of insulin gene expression, mechanisms of
insulin action and resistance, beta cell
apoptosis, mechanisms f leptin action and
resistance, and autoantigen therapy of type
1 diabetes. The approaches have also been
very diverse, covering a panoply of biochemical,
molecular biologic, genetic and clinical
strategies. This breadth reflects the interests
of Joslin's diabetes research prograom as
a whole, see more about Joslin's
Research Programs
Pilot
& Feasibility Studies
