About
Hope Center Pilot Project Awards advance the translational neuroscience goals of the Hope Center, by providing up to $100,000 for collaborative and innovative two-year projects that further the Hope Center mission:
To improve the lives of people living with neurological disorders, through collaborative research that aims to discover fundamental mechanisms of neurodegeneration and repair, and translate that new understanding into cures and treatments.
Projects must involve at least two collaborating laboratories. Each collaborating investigator should have a significant role in the project, and funds must be shared by at least two collaborating labs. The Project PI must be a Hope Center faculty member as of June 30 of each year’s round of funding; collaborators and co-investigators are not required to be Hope Center faculty members. Hope Center Faculty members who previously received Hope Center Pilot Project funding, either as the PI or as a collaborator, are ineligible to apply for three years from receipt of the previous award. Each proposed project must be in a pilot phase and not continuation of an existing project. Proposals will be reviewed by an independent faculty committee that will consider scientific merit, innovation, importance for future application to human nervous system disease, potential for external funding, and ability to advance the overall goals of the Hope Center. Final decisions on funding will be made by the Hope Center Steering Committee based on recommendations of the Review Committee as well as programmatic considerations.
Examples of topics that are eligible for funding include
- Axon Injury & Repair
- Clocks & Sleep
- Lipid Metabolism
- Lysosome Processing & Transport
- Neurogenetics & Transcriptomics
- NeuroRestorative Therapy
- Protein Folding and Neurodegeneration
This list is not exhaustive; other topics will be considered.
Eligibility
The Project PI must be a Hope Center faculty member as of June 30, 2025; collaborators and co-investigators are not required to be Hope Center faculty members. Each collaborating investigator should have a significant role in the project, and funds must be shared by at least two collaborating labs. Proposed projects must be in a pilot phase (not continuation of an existing project).
Letters of Intent; Invitations for Full Submissions
Letters of Intent (LOIs) are due by Tuesday, September 23, 2025, 11:59p. LOIs should be submitted as a single pdf that includes a completed 2025 LOI form as well as a Biosketch and Other Support page for the PI and each named collaborator. The single pdf should be forwarded to the Hope Center.
Following review of LOIs, the Hope Center will follow up with applicants to advise if there is an invitation to submit a full proposal (late October). Full pilot project proposals will be due Tuesday, December 16. Full proposals include a research proposal (5 pages maximum, single spaced, Arial 11 font), references (separate from the 5-page limit), proposed budget and justification. Decisions on funding will be made January 2026.
Proposal Review
A Review Committee of faculty members will consider scientific merit, innovation, importance for future application to human nervous system disease, potential for external funding, and ability to advance the overall goals of the Hope Center. Final decisions on funding will be made by the Hope Center Steering Committee based on recommendations from the Review Committee as well as programmatic considerations.
2025 Hope Center Pilot Program – Timeline Summary
- September 23: LOIs due by 5:00p CST
- Late October: Invitations to submit full proposals
- December 16: Full proposals due
- January 1, 2026 – December 31, 2027: Award period
Note, the following materials will be required before release of funds:
- Animal and/or IRB approvals, if applicable (note that the Hope Center cannot release funds until appropriate approvals are in-place).
- A one-paragraph description of the project and its importance, in language appropriate for the lay public.
Progress reports will be requested at 12 and 24 months to share scientific findings, publications, funding, and intellectual property arising from the project.
Additionally, award recipients commit to serving on a review committee for Hope Center pilot awards at least once within three years of the award.
Acknowledging Pilot Support
For publications arising from research supported by a Hope Center Pilot Project Award, please acknowledge this support. Suggested language:
“This work was supported by a Pilot Project Award from the Hope Center for Neurological Disorders at Washington University.”
Questions?
For any questions about the Hope Center Pilot Project Program, contact the Hope Center.