PennCHOP Microbiome Pilot and Feasibility Grant Program

PennCHOP Microbiome Pilot and Feasibility Grant

Supports Penn faculty launching or expanding microbiome research through internal seed mechanisms at Penn Medicine.

The PennCHOP Microbiome Program's Pilot and Feasibility Grant Programme awards up to seven grants annually to University of Pennsylvania faculty pursuing new microbiome research directions. Individual awards are capped at $40,000 per year, with competitive renewal available for a second year. Up to five grants are general microbiome pilots open to any qualifying Penn faculty member; one reserved slot is matched with the School of Veterinary Medicine (requiring a co-investigator with a Penn Vet faculty appointment), and one is reserved for the Institute for Immunology (requiring a co-investigator from that institute and a focus on immunological dimensions of microbiome science). Projects may address microbiota at any body site in human or animal hosts, covering bacterial, fungal, archaeal, and viral communities as well as their physiological and pathological effects.

Eligibility is restricted to Penn faculty — including Instructors and Research Associates — who hold an MD, PhD, MD-PhD, or DVM credential and are a US citizen or permanent resident. The programme specifically targets three profiles: new investigators without an R01 or P01 funding history; established biomedical researchers pivoting to microbiome questions; and established microbiome investigators pursuing a significant departure from their currently funded work. Applications consist of a 4-page PDF proposal including references, a 250-word abstract, NIH biosketch, NIH other-support page, and a one-page budget capped at $40,000. Salary support for non-PI personnel is limited to $10,000; PI salary may not be charged to the award. Every funded project must use at least one of the six PennCHOP Programme Cores.

The 2026 cycle deadline has not been publicly announced as of mid-2026; the 2025 cycle deadline was February 17, 2025, and the cycle typically follows an autumn-to-winter announcement cadence with results announced approximately three months after submission. Proposals are submitted by email to the PennCHOP programme administrator. Awardees must present a poster at the annual PennCHOP Microbiome Symposium, submit interim reports, and produce a short public video describing their work.