Pilot Projects Program — Fall 2026 Call for Applications
| Status: Opening soon | Anticipated full-proposal deadline: January 2027 | Two awards · up to $50,000 each · one year |
The official call has not opened yet. This page previews what the Fall 2026 cycle will offer. Firm dates and submission instructions will be posted when the call is announced.
The Pacific Center for Artificial Intelligence and Data Science in Medicine (PAC-AID) invites applications for one-year pilot projects that apply artificial intelligence and data science to human health in Hawaiʻi and the U.S.-Affiliated Pacific Islands (USAPI). Funded by PAC-AID’s NIH award, this program supports innovative early-stage research and the development of investigators building toward independent extramural funding.
What makes a PAC-AID pilot different
A PAC-AID pilot is more than a check. Each award pairs $50,000 in direct funding with hands-on access to the Center’s people, data, and computing — resources that would be out of reach for most early-stage projects on their own. Awardees become embedded users of PAC-AID’s cores:
- The MEDAI Core as your technical team. Work directly with the Center’s data scientists and AI/ML engineers on model development and interpretation, large- language-model and NLP methods for clinical text, imaging analysis and deep- learning computer vision, and data curation, de-identification, and harmonization. You do not need to build an AI team to compete — PAC-AID is your team.
- Hawaiʻi’s first biomedical AI data center. Tap dedicated, high-speed GPU computing at the UH Cancer Center — a first-of-its-kind facility built specifically for healthcare AI in the Pacific.
- Curated, representative datasets. Access harmonized clinical, imaging, and multi-omics data spanning the many ethnicities of Hawaiʻi and the Pacific, including Native Hawaiian, Pacific Islander, and the distinct Asian populations too often grouped under a single label.
- Mentoring and a path to extramural funding. The Administrative Core’s Mentoring Team and External Advisory Committee provide career-development planning and grant-writing support to position your pilot data for NIH/NCI applications.
- Training and community. Hands-on ML/AI workshops, seminars, and the annual PAC-AID symposium connect your project to the full Center.
Funding opportunity highlights
- Up to two pilot awards will be made in this cycle.
- Each project receives a budget of up to $50,000 for one year.
- We strongly encourage applications from early-stage investigators and those who have not previously received PAC-AID pilot funding.
- We welcome proposals that address critical catchment needs, foster inter-programmatic and cross-disciplinary collaboration, and leverage the MEDAI Core. Strong proposals previously submitted to NIH and not funded — that would benefit from additional pilot data — are encouraged.
Evaluation criteria
Proposals will be evaluated on:
- The quality, innovation, and significance of the science and research question.
- The role of AI / data science and the proposal’s fit with the MEDAI Core’s resources and the AI data center.
- The potential to lead to extramural funding and impactful peer-reviewed publications.
- Relevance to Hawaiʻi and the USAPI and alignment with PAC-AID’s mission and strategy, including the use of representative data.
Eligibility
- The PI must be a faculty member eligible to serve as a PI at the University of Hawaiʻi (UH Cancer Center or JABSOM) or a PAC-AID partner institution.
- Multiple PIs are permitted with justification; co-investigators are discouraged to streamline review.
- The project must be new and not supported by existing extramural funding.
- Ineligible: PIs who received PAC-AID pilot funding within the last two years, or who have an outstanding progress report for a prior award.
Key dates
| Milestone | Date |
|---|---|
| Call opens | September 2026 |
| Letter of intent (project title + investigator names) due | Monday, December 14, 2026 |
| Full proposals due | Friday, January 8, 2027, 5:00 PM HST |
| Award announcements | February 2027 |
| Funding start date | March 1, 2027 |
| Projects not started (e.g., no IRB/approvals) may be cancelled | September 1, 2027 |
| Final one-page progress report due | April 1, 2028 |
Awardees will present results at the PAC-AID annual symposium / Cancer Center retreat.
Allowable expenses
- Salary for research personnel
- Supplies and other research-related costs
- Travel to present the research at one scientific meeting (1 trip maximum)
- PI salary support is not permitted
Application guidelines
Submit the following as a single PDF (see contact below):
- Title page — PI(s) and not more than one co-investigator
- Research plan (3 pages maximum)
- Specific Aims (including hypothesis)
- Background and Significance
- Relevance to our catchment area and inter-programmatic collaboration
- Research Strategy — including how the project will use the MEDAI Core and AI data center
- Future plans for NIH/NCI funding, including prior reviewer feedback and planned responses (if applicable)
- Literature cited
- Budget (1 page) — up to $50,000
- Other support
Formatting: Arial 11-point font, 0.5-inch margins. Supplemental materials and appendices will not be accepted.
Questions and submission
Submit proposals and direct questions to the PAC-AID Pilot Projects Program, administered through the Administrative Core (Executive Program Manager, Leila Kazemi, MS). For program guidance you may also contact the Admin Co-Core Directors: John A. Shepherd, PhD and Youping Deng, PhD.
We look forward to your innovative proposals and to supporting your research.
Funded pilot projects
Awards from this cycle will be listed here following the February 2027 announcement.