Catching Up with Pilot Grant Recipients Sierra Castedo de Martell and Bulat Idrisov

Sierra: My postdoc was at the Lighthouse Institute at Chestnut Health Systems, led by Michael Dennis and he is a CHERISH Research Affiliate. That would have been enough on its own [for Mike to be a sponsor] but he suggested that I link up with Kathryn McCollister, the CHERISH Methodology Core director, who is involved with economic evaluation, an area of my pilot grant focus. Both Kathryn and Mike reviewed my application and were integral in my planning process.

I was finishing up my doctoral studies when I sent in my letter of intent so by the time the funding would come through, I would be at Chestnut Health doing my postdoc. I applied as though I was already at Chestnut Health. If applicants are in a similar boat, where you are transitioning, as long as you know where you’re transitioning to you can set it up that way.

Bulat: I was eligible under the categories of 1) being a post-doctoral fellow or trainee mentored by a CHERISH researcher and 2) being nominated by a CHERISH researcher. In the past, I was a NIDA fellow at the Boston Medical Center with Jeffrey Samet, a CHERISH Advisory Board member. When I started my PhD at the University of Washington at the time of the application, I tapped into my preexisting relationship with Sean Murphy, CHERISH Methodology Core Co-director, because I consulted with his team on a project back then. I revived my relationship with CHERISH researchers and pitched my ideas to them.

Sierra: The most difficult piece was acquiring a new skill as part of the process. I did not know much about the method I was proposing to use. So I was asking for dedicated time to learn and apply it. What was helpful was having the opportunity to submit a revised application. Some of the feedback made it clear that I needed to include an additional element in the proposal and I worked with my mentor to turn it around quickly. In an NIH application, you just get the reviewer’s feedback. You don’t get to respond to the same people or reapply for the same opportunity. It was valuable to do that and tackle something totally new. It’s a bit of a risk, but it’s the beauty of a pilot grant because you get to do something out of your comfort zone.

Bulat: It’s not obvious, but the most difficult part was the amount of paperwork that needed to be done by me and the people at my institution to connect with CHERISH. Starting early would be super helpful to cut the red tape. Learn from your institution who can or cannot be a PI and how money is distributed in your institution.

Bulat: I allocated my budget for conference fees and travel, which did not change, and time and effort, which had minor shifts. The original idea was to hire a data analyst from the existing team at the University of Washington, but I shifted it to fund my FTE.

Sierra: The bulk of my budget was on my time and effort. My pilot focused on a methodology I wanted to learn and I needed dedicated time to learn how to do it. I budgeted for consultation fees that I didn’t end up using. Fortunately, I reallocated them to the 2024 Addiction Health Services Research (AHSR) conference and publication fees, such as open access fees for a journal I’m targeting, to improve reach and readership. I also rolled funds into a no-cost extension period because AHSR fell into that window.

Sierra: I tend to get too big with my projects. So finding something that can be done realistically in a year is the right size. Getting feedback from more seasoned researchers, people who have done projects at all sorts of different time scales, ensured my project fit the timeline.

Bulat: My project is large enough, and during our first few checkups with Brandon, Bruce, and others I was anxious as my deadlines were shifting early on.  However, the amount of support and questions I received during these check-ups was very helpful. The CHERISH team understands that you can’t bite more than you can chew, and is very supportive along the way. I’m still wrapping up my project, but I don’t have these anxieties anymore, as I am sure eventually, I will publish the final results and the CHERISH team is always there to support.

Bulat: I presented preliminary results at AHSR 2024 this past October and have manuscripts in development. Once I have the final results, I’d like to present again. I also wrote two grants which did not go through, but I haven’t given up yet! Some soft skills include analysis and collaboration, which have been greatly attributed to the training and mentorship provided through CHERISH.

Sierra: I packaged my results into two main dissemination products that researchers can use in their economic evaluations. Those products were presented at AHSR 2024 and I’m planning to submit the manuscript in the coming weeks. Additionally, I wrote a grant to continue cost-effectiveness work. Although we did not secure the grant, we got a decent score that demonstrated we’re doing serious work and have identified challenges in this area. I was also recently awarded a NIDA Diversity Supplement prior to receiving the final results of my pilot project. I believe the pilot grant contributed to the award because it showed that I have the ability to manage a grant and take the project from conception to completion. Lastly, we also baked in step two of my pilot grant and handed off the project to a paid intern at Chestnut Health. I got the opportunity to develop as a mentor as part of this process, which has been pretty cool!

Bulat: I was really excited to explore and apply a methodology that isn’t common – looking at the healthcare system spending entirely overall and the adjusted life year overall for a population impacted by HCV, HIV, and substance use. If this idea sticks, I would be able to develop it further. So, it was great to have the oversight from a mentor and go through the review process during the proposal stage.

Sierra: I needed to learn the method and dedicated time to do that. My project is an important problem in this space but also a very niche problem. The fact that it was a good fit for the CHERISH pilot grant and simultaneously small enough to do during this period was incredibly valuable to me. I also had a wealth of expertise, feedback, and mentorship to draw upon, which helped this project come to fruition.