Pilot Research Grants

Pilot Research Grants is sponsored by Osher Center for Integrative Medicine, Harvard Medical School and Brigham and Women's Hospital. These grants provide early funding for innovative projects in integrative medicine, including basic, translational, and clinical research.

Pilot Research Grants - Osher Center For Integrative Medicine Pilot Research Grants – 2026 Application Submissions The Science of Mind-Body Connections, Clinical Effectiveness of Multimodal and Integrative Systems and Translational Biology in Integrative Medicine Lifestyle, Nutrition and Dietary Supplements Technology and Integrative Health Science and Human Nature Connections The purpose of this program is to provide early funding for innovative projects in the field of integrative medicine including basic, translational, and clinical research.

Funds will be awarded on a competitive basis, as pilot grants of $25,000 to $50,000 for 12 months, with up to four grants available each annual funding cycle. Applications undergo a formal peer-review process and will be ranked for funding priority based on strategic and scientific merit.

09/01/2025: RFA Announcement 01/30/2026: Letter of Intent Due 03/16/2026: Full Applications Invited 05/04/2026: Full Applications Due 07/01/2026: Awardees Announced 09/01/2026: Funding and Projects Commence All members of the Harvard Medical School (HMS) research community with a faculty appointment of instructor and above are invited to apply. Individuals may serve as the PI of only one proposal per application cycle.

The Osher Center’s mission is to advance ‘whole person health,’ encompassing mind, body, spirit, and community, through pioneering research, education, and clinical care. Our vision is a unified and integrated healthcare system that treats, heals , and empowers all people to lead their best lives on a healthy planet. To help achieve our mission and vision, we pursue innovative research approaches to whole person health.

Pilot projects will be evaluated primarily for their potential to advance the strategic mission and vision of the Osher Center through collaborative, cross-disciplinary innovative research related to integrative medicine and health. Projects must be scientifically and meritorious aligned with one or more of Osher Center’s research domains listed above.

Projects should not be merely an extension of ongoing work but rather novel ideas/programs which require seed funding. Projects creating new collaborations between PIs, research groups, or institutions within the HMS community will be given priority. Priority will also be given to projects that are translational and/or integrate across physiological systems.

From the letters of interest (LOI), approximately 10 applicants will be invited to submit full applications. LOIs will be reviewed by an ad-hoc Osher Center Pilot Grant Review Committee (chaired by the Osher Center Research Director). Full applications undergo a formal peer-reviewed process and will be ranked according to NIH criteria.

Ranked proposals will be reviewed by the Osher Center Directors, and final decisions will be announced on July 1st, 2026. Written critiques will not be provided. Recipients will be obligated to provide a progress report to the Osher Center at six months, at the end of the funding period (one year), or as an oral presentation at the Osher Integrative Health Network Forum, or upon completion of the study.

Grantees will notify the Osher Center when other grants are received as a result of pilot funding. Grantees will acknowledge the Osher Center in publications resulting from seed grant support and will notify the Osher Center when such papers have been submitted. The intention of the Osher Center Pilot Research Grants is to foster multidisciplinary collaborative projects across institutions.

While these limited funds are intended to cover research, rather than administrative costs, we understand that some institutions require a certain proportion of grants to cover indirect and/or modified direct costs. The Osher Center pilot grant will allow up to 20% of the total award to be used as indirect and/or modified direct costs, including any indirect costs associated with sub-awards.

We encourage applicants to work with their respective parent and subcontracting institutions, if applicable, to reduce administrative costs if possible so that the maximum amount of the awards can be used for the research projects. Awardees are expected to complete their projects within one year from the date of award. However, we understand that extenuating circumstances may prevent timely completion.

Based on the written request of the PI at least 1 month before the project end date, showing demonstrated need, the Osher Research faculty are willing to assess active projects on a case-by-case basis for up to a maximum of two no-cost extensions to complete their Osher pilot study.

Submitting Letters of Intent Download Grant Submission Guidelines Download 2025/26 Letter of Intent Form Send the completed LOI form by 01/30/2026 to [email protected] For questions about eligibility and the application process, please contact the Osher Center at E-mail : [email protected] In this special Grand Rounds, recent Osher Integrative Medicine Pilot Reseach Grant awardees presented their respective areas of research and subsequent outcomes and successes.

The RFA for the... Bonaire, Saint Eustatius and Saba British Indian Ocean Territory Democratic Republic of the Congo French Southern Territories Heard and Mc Donald Islands Lao People's Democratic Republic Micronesia, Federated States of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands Svalbard and Jan Mayen Islands USA Minor Outlying Islands Vatican City State (Holy See) Wallis and Futuna Islands