Pilot Project Program
The Restore Center is seeking applications for the Pilot Project Program, which supports high-impact research projects that will advance our knowledge about rehabilitation and will lead to novel technological advancements with sensor and video technologies. Each project can request up to $30,000 of research funds over a one-year period.
Pilot Project awardees will gain access to mentoring and support from the Restore Center’s faculty and staff, in addition to funding for their research. Further, the program launches awardees into leadership roles within the Restore Center network.
We welcome applicants from biomechanics, computer science, robotics, neuroscience, physical therapy, occupational therapy, orthopedics, and other fields. We seek proposals from investigators with experience in the use of sensor or video technology who are conducting rehabilitation research in areas including but not limited to stroke, spinal cord injury, cerebral palsy, prosthetics, orthotics, robotics-assisted therapy, low-back pain, and osteoarthritis.
Projects of particular interest are those that use or extend tools that are supported and disseminated by the Restore Center, such as OpenCap, OpenSense, and Sit2Stand. Example aims for these projects include validating these tools in new applications or extending them with new algorithms or models.
DEADLINE FOR APPLICATIONS: 5pm local time, October 4, 2023
WINNERS ANNOUNCED: January 2024
FUNDING PERIOD: One year, beginning summer 2024
Eligibility Requirements
In order to apply, you must be eligible to be a Principal Investigator (PI) at your institution, a role typically granted to faculty members or senior research scientists. At least 25% of your appointment at your home institution must be devoted to research. The PI must have a research doctorate or relevant clinical degree (MD, DPT) with evidence of research training and experience. There are no other restrictions related to prior or current funding or experience level.
Postdoctoral scholars, graduate students, and other staff can be included as personnel.
This program is limited to investigators from U.S. institutions.
Application Process
A completed application packet includes the following:
- Completed cover page
- Research proposal (max 4 pages, not including references)
- CV(s) of all key personnel
- Detailed budget and justification (max 1 page)
- Completed online application/registration form
- (Optional) Letters of support
To submit your application:
- Send your written proposal and supporting materials electronically, preferably as a single PDF, to restore-center@stanford.edu.
- Complete the online application/registration form
Research Proposal
The research proposal may be up to 4 pages (not including references), single-spaced, 1-inch margins, using 11-pt Arial. It should provide a scientific description of the project to be performed and convey the impact on rehabilitation. Please use the following outline to organize your proposal:
Background: Briefly describe the relevant background of the research, including current support.
Specific Aims: Review the rationale for your study, and state your hypotheses and specific aims.
Methods: Provide an overview of the study design and methods. Potential bottlenecks should also be described with proposed solutions.
Expected Results: State the expected outcome of your work and its impact on the field.
Project Timeline: Identify milestones for the project, including preparation and submission of any manuscripts or grant applications
Relevance to Rehabilitation: Articulate the importance of this project to rehabilitation.
Contributions to the Research Community: Describe the software, data, and/or models that will be made available to the research community at the end of the project.
Diversity and Inclusion: Describe how you would promote diversity, inclusion, belonging, equity, and justice through your work. Engagement may occur at different levels, such as within the lab, between collaborating labs, inclusion of underrepresented groups in your study recruiting, and broadly in the rehabilitation research community. Also describe any previous work in these areas.
References (this section does not count towards the 4-page limit)
Detailed Budget and Justification
The budget and justification must include a description of any funding and other support requested (one-page, single-spaced using 11-pt Arial). Provide a detailed budget (up to $30,000 over a one-year period, including any indirect costs assessed by awardees’ institutions) using the table example below). Include a brief narrative justification describing the responsibilities of personnel and any supplies and/or other expenses requested.
| Personnel | |||||
| Name & Role | % Effort | Salary Requested | Benefits | Total Salary/Benefits | |
| Jane Doe, Principal Investigator | 10% | $7,500 | $1,823 | $9,323 | |
| John Doe, Research Assistant | 15% | $5,250 | $1,586 | $6,836 | |
| Supplies | $2,500 | ||||
| Other Expenses | $4,000 | ||||
| Indirect Costs | $1,813 | ||||
| Total Requested | $24,472 |
Selection Process
Applications will be reviewed by the Restore Center Staff and external advisors. Pilot Project grants will be reviewed based on several factors, chief among them:
- The potential impact of the proposed work on rehabilitation research
- The technical impact of the work, especially in applications that leverage and expand the use of technologies supported by the Center, such as OpenCap, OpenSense, and Sit2Stand.
- The likelihood of success in achieving the proposed research goals and follow-on funding (e.g., NIH grants)
- The potential of the applicant(s) to make significant contributions to rehabilitation research and to engage a new and diverse group of researchers and participants in rehabilitation research
Note that a study will be prioritized if there is a high likelihood that the results, data, models, or software tools generated will lead to a larger, more definitive project that will be competitive for extramural funding. The Pilot Project program is also intended to support investigators who are earlier in their careers and do not yet have an established history of NIH support.
Preference will be given to projects that limit indirect costs to 8%. Limiting indirect costs to 8% is not required. We will evaluate all applications, regardless of whether or not the applicants’ institutions agree to the 8% rate. The agreement to the lower indirect costs will only serve as a deciding factor if there are two similarly qualified applications under consideration for funding.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
What CVs are needed in the application?
Please include current CVs for the principal investigator (applicant) and any other personnel who will be paid by the project. Please include other current funding sources in the CVs.
How can the funding be spent?
The funding can be spent on supplies, equipment, personnel (faculty, postdoc, or student), or other expenses needed to achieve the aims of the proposal. The period of funding is up to one-year.
The funding can also be used for travel expenses, for example to visit the Stanford campus for access to software engineering support.
What is expected throughout and after the funding period?
All funded projects will be required to submit short (less than 1 page), quarterly progress reports as well as a final report at the end of the funding period, describing their accomplishments. Furthermore, we strongly encourage awardees to share any research results (software, models, data) with the larger community through their Simtk.org project.
All research products derived in whole or in part through this program will be expected to formally acknowledge the research infrastructure grant P2C HD10191301.
How many Pilot Project awards will be given?
We anticipate awarding up to 3 pilot grants, depending on the quality of applications received. If there are more high-quality applications than we are able to fund, we plan to offer travel awards to a future workshop.
Can references go beyond the four-page limit?
Yes, the references section does not count towards the four-page limit.
Additional Questions
If you have additional questions about the program or the application process, email us at restore-center@stanford.edu.