PILOT Awards
Since 2017, The ITM has been funding Pilot Awards that offer researchers more money, new resources, and collaboration
opportunities with stakeholders ranging from industry to community members.
2
Funding rounds each year
60,000
maximum funding $
Per Award
50
Pilot Projects Funded
Since 2017
9,277,273
$ awarded since 2007
GIVE YOUR RESEARCH LIFE BEYOND THE LAB.
Since its inception in 2007, the ITM has awarded more than $9.2 million in its Pilot Awards to help accelerate innovative
research. And the impacts have been huge. Researchers have explored creative projects, used their data to secure
millions of dollars in federal funding, launched companies, and more.
Hear it from them
“Communicating your science is a challenging task and requires skills that researchers don’t normally get. I learned so much throughout the process and am a
more effective communicator as a result. This will pay many dividends for presenting my research in the future!”
William Roth, MD
University of Chicago
Assistant Professor, Neurology
Hear it from them
“I left with concrete strategies to make my research more accessible and impactful, and I felt supported in practicing and refining these skills. The science comms team created a collaborative environment that made the experience enjoyable and valuable.”
Samantha Addante, PhD
Rush
Assistant Professor, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences
Hear it from them
“The ITM is incredible. For research communication, it’s so powerful to convey the research ideas that we developed. That can potentially help more patients.”
Jian Zhou, PhD
Rush
Assistant Professor, Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology
Hear it from them
“The ITM Pilot Award process is a beautiful learning experience in every step that I can recommend to anyone.”
Kamal El Bissati, PhD
University of Chicago
Assistant Professor, Pritzker Institute for Molecular Engineering
WHO’S ELIGIBLE FOR FUNDING?
Individuals from any ITM institution, which include the University of Chicago, Rush, Loyola University Chicago, Endeavor
Health, the Illinois Institute of Technology. All applicants must be eligible to be a principal investigator on a study with their
local IRB or collaborate with one as part of a study team.
When you become an ITM Pilot Awardee, you get:
- Up to $60,000 in funding.
- ITM resource support for study design, networking, and more.
- Video production support and science communications training to share research findings and impacts
WHAT’S THE APPLICATION TIMELINE?
There are typically two funding rounds per year. See estimated timeline below, and view the Request for Applications
(RFA) to get started and see specific dates and deadlines.
To stay up to date on this and future award cycles, sign up for the ITM newsletter here!
Reviewers Access Applications
Round 1 Timeline
Round 2 Timeline
FEBRUARY
LOI
SEPTEMBER
APRIL
FINALISTS NOTIFIED
NOVEMBER
SEPTEMBER
FULL APPLICATIONS DUE
MARCH
OCTOBER
APPLICATIONS REVIEWED
MAY
DECEMBER
AWARD NOTICE
JUNE
JANUARY
AWARD START DATE
JULY
CHECK OUT PILOT AWARD PROGRAM RESEARCHERS IN ACTION
