The Pilot Program aims to foster research innovation and help build research capacity through engagement with the NM-INSPIRES Cores. We welcome a range of pilot study applications that include basic mechanistic and toxicological, clinical-translational, population, and community engaged research to address important issues in environmental health research. Early career and established investigators with research interests in environmental health are encouraged to apply.
Award numbers and funding amounts will be included in the Request for Application announcement.
Research Pilot Award (RPA) (up to $50,000): This award is an opportunity to support feasibility for a new research direction or to develop preliminary data for an extramural grant application. A minimum of two Research Pilot awards will be prioritized for early-stage investigators (ESI) per year.
Research Pilot Award RFA announcement expected Spring 2025.
Rapid Response Awards (RRA) (up to $10,000): The Rapid Response funding mechanism is designed to respond quickly to address time-sensitive disaster response research opportunities. Applications are reviewed by leadership on a rolling basis. The application instructions and form can be downloaded from here. Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis by the NM-INSPIRES directors and DR2 Lead.
Applications for these funds should be submitted to Theresa Champion ( techampion@salud.unm.edu) with subject line “Rapid Respond Proposal”.
Community Action Funds (CAF) (up to $3000): Community Action Funds are available for community-based research projects that aim to empower communities and effect policy changes. These funds are intended to fund short-term activities that allow community groups to identify activities that would propel initiatives from concept to action. Funds may be used for services, data collection, data analysis, expertise, facilitation, or student help. The application instructions and form can be downloaded from here. Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis by the NM-INSPIRES directors and CEC Core Lead.
Applications for these funds should be submitted to Theresa Champion ( techampion@salud.unm.edu) with subject line “Community Action Funds”.
Facility Access Funds (FAF) (up to $10,000): NM-INSPIRES offers facility access funds that Center Members and their research teams may apply for funding (up to $10,000) at any time. Funds are only to be used for services not covered by external grants. To assure transparency, all approved requests will be public information. This will provide access to Core services (funding can be applied to more than one Core). Applicants will need to identify the required service and provider and obtain a cost estimate as part of the application. Requests are reviewed and responded to usually within 72 hours. Cores can be found here.
Applications for these funds should be submitted to Theresa Champion ( techampion@salud.unm.edu) with the subject line “Facility Access Funds”.
Tamar Ginossar, PhD, Professor, Communications and Journalism
Grant County Air Information and Research for a Well-Informed Society (Air Wise) Pilot
Chelin Jamie Hu, PhD, Research and Development Specialist, College of Nursing
Companion Animals as Sentinels for Predicting the Effects of Microplastic Exposure on Reproductive Health
Li Luo, PhD, Associate Professor, Biostatistics
Disparities in Wildfire-Related Air Pollution Exposure and its Associations with Respiratory Diseases in the United States
Robert M. Taylor, PhD, Senior Research Scientist 1, Department of Emergency Medicine
Toxins in Tandem: Dissecting the Combined Nephrocardiac Impact of Microplastics and Arsenic
Alicia Bolt, PhD, Pharmaceutical Sciences
A Pilot Evaluation of the Association between Tungsten Exposure and Metabolites of Adipocyte Function.
Xiang Xue, PhD, Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Molecular mechanisms of heavy metals in colon tumor progression
Eliane El Hayek, PhD, Pharmaceutical Sciences
Effect of Intranasal Exposure to Inhalable Polymer Fibers and Associated Chemicals on Allergic Inflammation
Jim Feng, PhD, Pharmaceutical Sciences
Convergence of elemental and molecular imaging in environmental science research at UNM
Judy Cannon, PhD, Molecular Genetics and Microbiology
Effect of vaping in regulating CD4 T cell responses through ceramides
Yan Lin, PhD, Geography and Environmental Sciences
Navajo Water GIS Usability & Needs Assessment: Environmental Data Justice and Data Bias
Rama Gullapalli, MD PhD, Department of Pathology
Examining hyperglycemic synergism of cadmium metal stress on metabolism in a zebrafish larval model.
Rachel Speer, PhD, Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences
Zinc mitigation of arsenic-altered gene expression in UVR carcinogenesis.
Guanghua Wan, PhD, Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences
Environmental arsenic hematotoxicity: Toward defining the role of arsenic-induced KLF1 in affecting erythroblasts maturation.
Xiaozhong (John) Yu, MD PhD MPH, College of Nursing
Companion Animals as Sentinels for Predicting the Effects of Environmental Exposure on Human Reproductive Health in New Mexico
Katherine Zychowski, PhD, College of Nursing
Estrogen and extracellular vesicles: a pilot study examining neurological consequences and mechanisms of “burn pit” exposures in a pre-clinical model.
For information please contact: Laurie Hudson, PhD or Theresa Champion
Applications for Download:
Community Actions Funds Application [PDF]
