Pilot Project Program
The FAIR Center is seeking applications for its Pilot Project Program, which supports high-impact research projects that will advance our knowledge about rehabilitation and will lead to novel technological advancements with AI tools. Each project can request up to $35,000 of research funds over a one-year period.
Pilot Project awardees will gain access to mentoring and support from the FAIR Center’s faculty and staff, in addition to funding for their research. Further, the program launches awardees into leadership roles within the FAIR Center network.
We welcome applicants from biomechanics, computer science, robotics, neuroscience, physical therapy, occupational therapy, orthopedics, and other fields.
We seek proposals from investigators with experience in the use of AI tools who are conducting rehabilitation research in areas including but not limited to anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury, stroke, spinal cord injury, cerebral palsy, prosthetics, orthotics, robotics-assisted therapy, low-back pain, and osteoarthritis.
Projects should use or extend tools, models, and datasets that are supported and disseminated by the FAIR Center, including OpenCap, AddBiomechanics, GaitDynamics, and OpenSim. Example aims for these projects include integrating AI models, validating the AI-based tools in new applications or extending them with new algorithms, data, and/or models.
DEADLINE FOR APPLICATIONS: 11:59 pm PDT, March 27, 2026
WINNERS ANNOUNCED: Early summer 2026
FUNDING PERIOD: One year, beginning fall 2026
Eligibility Requirements
In order to apply, you must be eligible to be a Principal Investigator (PI) at your institution, a role typically granted to faculty members or senior research scientists. At least 25% of your appointment at your home institution must be devoted to research. The PI must have a research doctorate or relevant clinical degree (MD, DPT) with evidence of research training and experience. Investigators must be either early in their career or new to rehabilitation research.
Postdoctoral scholars, graduate students, and other staff can be included as personnel.
This program is limited to investigators from U.S. institutions.
Application Process
A completed application packet includes the following:
- Completed cover page
- Research proposal (max 4 pages, not including references)
- CV(s) of all key personnel
- Detailed budget and justification (max 1 page)
- (Optional) Letters of support
To submit your application:
- Submit your completed cover page, research proposal, CVs, detailed budget and justification, and optional letters of support through our online portal. You will need to create a free slideroom account for the submission.
Research Proposal
The research proposal may be up to 4 pages (not including references), single-spaced, 1-inch margins, using 11-pt Arial. It should provide a scientific description of the project to be performed and convey the impact on rehabilitation. Please use the following outline to organize your proposal:
Background: Briefly describe the relevant background of the research, including current support.
Specific Aims: Review the rationale for your study, and state your hypotheses and specific aims.
Methods: Provide an overview of the study design and methods. Potential bottlenecks should also be described with proposed solutions.
Expected Results: State the expected outcome of your work and its impact on the field.
Project Timeline: Identify milestones for the project, including preparation and submission of any manuscripts or grant applications
Relevance to Rehabilitation: Articulate the importance of this project to rehabilitation.
Contributions to the Research Community: Describe the software, data, and/or models that will be made available to the research community at the end of the project.
References: (this section does not count towards the 4-page limit).
Detailed Budget and Justification
The budget and justification must include a description of any funding and other support requested (one-page, single-spaced using 11-pt Arial). Provide a detailed budget (up to $35,000 over a one-year period, including any indirect costs assessed by awardees’ institutions) using the table example below). Include a brief narrative justification describing the responsibilities of personnel and any supplies and/or other expenses requested.
| Personnel | ||||
| Name & Role | % Effort | Salary Requested | Benefits | Total Salary/Benefits |
| Jane Doe, Principal Investigator | 10% | $7,500 | $1,823 | $9,323 |
| John Doe, Research Assistant | 15% | $5,250 | $1,586 | $6,836 |
| Supplies | $2,500 | |||
| Other Expenses | $4,000 | |||
| Indirect Costs | $1,813 | |||
| Total Requested | $24,472 |
Selection Process
Applications will be reviewed by the FAIR Center Staff and external advisors. Pilot Project grants will be reviewed based on several factors, chief among them:
- The potential impact of the proposed work on rehabilitation research
- The technical impact of the work, especially in applications that leverage and expand the use of technologies supported by the Center, such as OpenCap, AddBiomechanics, GaitDynamics, and OpenSim. A contribution of a shared dataset to the rehabilitation research community would increase the impact of the proposal.
- The likelihood of success in achieving the proposed research goals and follow-on funding (e.g., NIH grants)
- The potential of the applicant(s) to make significant contributions to rehabilitation research and to engage a new and diverse group of researchers and participants in rehabilitation research
Note that a study will be prioritized if there is a high likelihood that the results, data, models, or software tools generated will lead to a larger, more definitive project that will be competitive for extramural funding. The Pilot Project program is also intended to support investigators who are earlier in their careers or new to rehabilitation research.
We encourage projects that limit indirect costs to 8%. Limiting indirect costs to 8% is not required. We will evaluate all applications, regardless of whether or not the applicants’ institutions agree to the 8% rate. The agreement to the lower indirect costs will only serve as a deciding factor if there are two similarly qualified applications under consideration for funding.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
What CVs are needed in the application?
Please include current CVs or biosketches for the principal investigator (applicant) and any other personnel who will be paid by the project. Please include other current funding sources in the CVs.
How can the funding be spent?
The funding can be spent on supplies, equipment, personnel (faculty, postdoc, or student), or other expenses needed to achieve the aims of the proposal. The period of funding is up to one-year.
The funding can also be used for travel expenses, for example to visit the Stanford campus for access to software engineering support.
What is expected throughout and after the funding period?
All funded projects will be required to submit short (less than 1 page), quarterly progress reports as well as a final report at the end of the funding period, describing their accomplishments. Furthermore, we strongly encourage awardees to share any research results (software, models, data) with the larger community through their Simtk.org project.
All research products derived in whole or in part through this program will be expected to formally acknowledge the research infrastructure grant P50HD118632.
How many Pilot Project awards will be given?
We anticipate awarding 3-6 pilot grants in the first round, depending on the quality of applications received. If there are more high-quality applications than we are able to fund, we plan to offer travel awards to a future workshop.
Can references go beyond the four-page limit?
Yes, the references section does not count towards the four-page limit.
Additional Questions
If you have additional questions about the program or the application process, email us at fair-center@stanford.edu.