Pilot Grants
We equip early-career researchers with the tools to explore research opportunities, expand networks, and lay the groundwork for future economic research.
Overview
CHERISH works with early-career researchers to ensure that pilot studies on substance use research are responsive to the rapidly changing health policy landscape.
Our pilot grant curriculum is geared towards supporting recipients through each phase of their research project. Funded researchers receive curated training on economic research and dissemination, peer-to-peer mentorship, and opportunities to connect with CHERISH Research Affiliates and investigators across the United States.
Recipients can expand their research scope by investigating innovative methodologies or applications and collecting preliminary data to inform future grant proposals. Past grantees have acknowledged the support of the CHERISH pilot grant program in their scientific publications, national conference presentations, and grant submissions.
Applications for 2024-2025 (Now Closed)
Topics of Interest
CHERISH seeks to fund health economic research projects on healthcare utilization, health outcomes, and health-related behaviors.
In this cycle, we particularly encourage health economic research proposals relating to one or more of the following special topics of interest, but we will consider proposals on other topics that are also consistent with our mission:
- Health economic aspects of achieving the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services 2030 goals of HCV elimination and/or ending the HIV epidemic in people who use drugs.
- The relationships between social determinants of health, as established by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Service’s Healthy People 2030 initiative, and health economic outcomes in people who use drugs .
Examples of research on these special topics of interest include the following, but we encourage applicants to propose additional research areas:
- Cost and reimbursement of enhanced telehealth strategies to support retention and adherence to HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) among people who use stimulants.
- Economic evaluation of implementation strategies, including sustainability and scalability, of offering long-acting injectable HIV treatment to people who use drugs.
- The economic impact of housing policies on the utilization of substance use services and treatment of related infections.
- The economic impact of access to transportation to substance use and harm reduction services on health services utilization by geographic setting (e.g., rural versus urban).
Application Timeline
- Letter of Intent Submission: January 12, 2024
- Proposal Submission: February 23, 2024
- Proposal Review: April 2024
- Funds Awarded: May 2024
Frequently Asked Questions
Eligibility is based on being a trainee of a CHERISH investigator/affiliate or being nominated by one. How does the nomination process usually look like?
You do not need to have a sponsor in place to apply or submit a letter of intent (LOI). After reviewing your LOI, we can connect you to a potential sponsor within CHERISH. If you are not already connected to a CHERISH Research Affiliate or someone from our network, please reach out to us.
What should I ask from a sponsor (e.g., letter of support or co-authorship)?
At the minimum, a sponsor can review your proposal and acknowledge in a letter of support that your project is consistent with NIH’s priorities for health economics and a good fit for the CHERISH pilot grant. They do not need specify a time, FTE, or co-authorship commitment.
Can I apply with a global health project, or should it be a domestic project?
You can propose research that has a global perspective. However, the institution must be U.S.-based.