The goal of the Pilot Project Program is to support NYU Langone’s Center for the Investigation of Environmental Hazards by funding promising research initiatives as well as the strategic plans of our center to generate preliminary data that will help in establishing strong research programs and obtaining extramural funding.

The Pilot Project Program aims to encourage and aid new investigators who wish to establish independent research careers in environmental health sciences (EHS), motivate non-EHS researchers to direct their expertise toward environmental health problems, develop robust clinical and translational research programs by promoting interactions between basic scientists and physician–scientists, and promote interdisciplinary research by fostering collaborations between EHS investigators and experts in cutting-edge technologies. The program supports research in diverse areas of EHS including air pollution, metal toxicity, endocrine-disrupting chemicals, DNA damage and repair, environmental epigenetics, and multiomics studies on hazardous environmental exposures.

Program Leadership

Leonardo Trasande, MD, MPP, is director of the Pilot Project Program.

Request for Applications

The center’s leadership (with recommendations from the Internal Advisory Committee) issues and publicizes requests for applications (RFAs) every year. This may include RFAs that address emerging environmental health issues. The RFAs emphasize interdisciplinary collaborations, clinical and translational research, and utilization of the expertise and technologies available in collaboration with the center’s Human and Environmental Exposure Assessment Lab. The funding is limited to 12 months for a maximum award of $40,000 (direct costs).

Funding Eligibility

Postdoctoral fellows and faculty members working in the area of EHS at all NYU schools are eligible. Applications are particularly encouraged from early stage investigators. Community partner members are also eligible to apply for Pilot Project Program funding to work in collaboration with primary center members.

Funding Application Review

We request that applicants submit a one-page letter of intent. Letters are reviewed by the center leadership’s ad hoc committee, and selected applicants are then asked to submit a full application, including a research proposal.

The submitted research proposal is reviewed by one expert within NYU or NYU Langone and two external reviewers. Reviewers follow National Institutes of Health (NIH) grant review guidelines to evaluate and score the proposals. In addition, reviewers comment on the potential of the applications to obtain future extramural funding.

Upon receipt of the reviewers’ critiques, an ad hoc committee consisting of center leadership discusses the proposals in an NIH study section–like meeting and makes funding decisions. Criteria for funding include overall impact score, potential to obtain extramural funding, and the relevance of the proposal to NIEHS goals and our center’s strategic growth plan.

Recently Awarded Pilot Projects

The following are our recently awarded pilot projects.

2022–23 Pilot Projects

Mobilization of Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs) Induced by Bariatric Surgery Weight Loss and Its Association with Clinical Outcomes in a Diverse Cohort

Cadmium-Induced Alarmone Accumulation: Epitranscriptomic Impact of a Heavy-Metal Endocrine Disruptor

Impact of Endocrine Disrupting Chemicals (EDCs) on Vascular Function in Children and Adolescents with Type 1 or Type 2 Diabetes Compared to Age Matched Controls

Effects of Phthalates and Bisphenols on Lactogenesis

2021–22 Pilot Projects

Superfund Sites as a Source of Pollutant Exposure in Brooklyn Neighborhoods

Engaging Community-Based Citizen Scientists to Support Environmental Health Literacy in New York City's Chinatowns

Accumulation of Microplastic Particles in Human Tissues

Endocrine Disruptors and Postpartum Depression: Understanding the Link and Mitigating the Damage

Exposure to Exogenous Cannabinoids in Prenatal Periods and Early Childhood: Importance of Identifying Critical Windows for Brain Influences

Fate and Accumulation of Chemical and Microbial Contaminants Discharged by Combined Sewer Overflows

A Pilot Investigation of Air Pollution and Mental Health Among Young Adults

Air Pollution, Inflammation, and Major Depressive Disorders

2020–21 Pilot Projects

Studies of Organophosphate Esters, Emerging Flame Retardants, in a New York City-Based Pregnancy Cohort

Potential Environmental Influences on Postpartum Depression

Effects of Polyfluoroalkyl Compounds (PFAS) and Xenobiotic Metals Including Lead and Cadmium on Severity of Ischemic Myocardium and Coronary Atherosclerosis

Evaluation of the Influence of Organophosphate Pesticides in Semen Quality in Men

Measurement of Reproducibility of PFAS Exposures in Annual from Premenopausal and Postmenopausal Women

Quantification of Cargo in Extracellular Vesicles and Their Relationship to Air Pollution Exposures

Examination of Skeletal Development in Fetal Mice Prenatally Exposed to Hexavalent Chromium

Case Control Study of PFAS and PCBs in Pancreatic Cancer

Contact Us

For more information, contact us at NYUCIEH2@NYULangone.org.