A major component of the HDDC’s mission is to support the development and training of young investigators in digestive disease research.
The P&F program primarily targets young investigators in the process of establishing their independent research careers, but also allows established investigators from other fields to initiate digestive disease-related research.
Director: Jerrold Turner, MD, PhD
Important Dates
Letter of Intent Deadline: Friday, October 17, 2025 at 5:00 PM
Notification of eligibility to proceed with application: Friday, October 24, 2025
Application Deadline: Friday, December 12, 2025 at 5:00 PM
Scope
The HDDC is focused on the study of epithelial cell function and mucosal biology in inflammation, host defense, and cancer of the gastrointestinal tract and related mucosal surfaces. Pilot & Feasibility projects will be considered for support if they relate directly or indirectly to this mission.
Eligibility
Applicants must be either:
- Faculty (Instructor or higher) at a Harvard-associated institution when funding commences
- A current postdoctoral research fellow at a Harvard-associated institution
Faculty that have not previously held R-level support, applications should describe how PF funding will lead to preliminary data to support NIH grant applications.
Faculty that have previously held R-level support are eligible if:
- They are at-risk of having no independent R01 or R01-equivalent grant support if they do not secure a substantial grant award in the near future, or
- They have worked in other areas and need support to develop a new research program related to digestive disease.
For all applicants:
- P&F projects cannot overlap with ongoing funded projects
- HDDC core facility use must be proposed
- An individual can be funded only once in every five-year cycle
- Funding for the second year is contingent on review of a year 1 progress report
Awards
- For Faculty applications, the maximum request is $45,000 direct costs awarded over two years with an approved progress report of year 1
- For Postdoctoral Fellows, the maximum request is $35,000 direct costs awarded over two years with an approved progress report of year 1
Indirect costs (IDC) are set at 10%.
Documents
See the documents below for more details.
For questions, please contact Farah Kools at Farah.Kools@childrens.harvard.edu