Pilot Research Grant

The University of Maryland, Baltimore School of Medicine’s Center for Disability Justice (CDJ), supported by the Department of Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation Science, is offering the Pilot Research Grant to strengthen early-stage research focused on disability and health equity. This opportunity celebrates the Center’s first anniversary and aims to advance scientific understanding of disability as a health disparity through new or refocused projects that generate foundational data for future extramural funding. The CDJ particularly emphasizes mobility disability among older adults and communities in Southwest Baltimore but invites proposals addressing any disability-related topic that aligns with its mission to promote health equity. The award provides up to $20,000 in direct costs for one early-career faculty or staff researcher affiliated with the Center. Funds must be used in accordance with University of Maryland, Baltimore (UMB) policy and cannot be applied toward salary for principal or co-investigators. Eligible applicants must hold early-stage or new investigator status and be able to demonstrate PI eligibility under UMB rules. Postdoctoral fellows are not eligible unless they transition to faculty within one year and provide documentation of their appointment. The pilot project should demonstrate clear alignment with disability health research and propose innovative methods, designs, or questions that advance knowledge in the field. Applications must include a lay-language abstract, a structured proposal of up to five pages, a detailed budget and justification, biosketches for all key personnel, and two letters of support, at least one from a community partner. The proposal should follow an NIH-style format, describing significance, innovation, approach, community partnership, and a plan for leveraging pilot results for future external funding. Projects involving human or animal subjects must receive IRB or IACUC approval prior to funding release. Applications open September 24, 2025, and must be submitted by 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time on December 12, 2025, to CDJ@som.umaryland.edu. Awards will be announced in early February 2026. Submissions are reviewed through a two-tiered process involving CDJ investigators, affiliates, and members of the Community Advisory Board using NIH’s 9-point scoring system. Evaluation emphasizes community relevance, innovation, research rigor, investigator capacity, and potential to transition to larger-scale funding. The CDJ encourages applicants to engage community partners meaningfully in project design, execution, and dissemination, ensuring that research outcomes benefit local communities in Baltimore and across Maryland. Grantees will have access to mentorship, biostatistical and qualitative consultation, and other institutional supports to strengthen their capacity for future external funding success. For more information or submission assistance, applicants may contact the Center at CDJ@som.umaryland.edu.

Applications will be evaluated for innovation, community impact, and potential for future external funding; proposals should include strong community engagement and clear extramural transition plans.