New SOM Pilot opportunity to support large interdisciplinary grants

The School of Medicine Office of Research announced a new pilot award mechanism, the Programmatic & Interdisciplinary Launch for Large-scale Advanced Research (PILLAR) Award, designed to support multidisciplinary teams in developing competitive large-scale program project, center grant, and ARPA-H proposals.

PILLAR awards will provide up to $25,000 to support planning activities, team development, pilot studies, and preliminary data generation needed to competitively pursue major external funding opportunities, including NIH Program Project, Center (P50, U54) awards, and ARPA-H initiatives.

Deadline for applications: October 16, 2026

Learn more and view the RFP at med.unc.edu/oor/research/funding-2/#pillar.