CoCo Pilot Grants

About the Grant

Pilot grants are open to both experienced and new researchers who may have little or no prior experience with computational approaches but have a clear collaborative plan to develop such expertise. The pilot grants are intended to foster interdisciplinary collaboration within the CoCo community. These grants can also be used to demonstrate the feasibility of novel research directions, support the development of computational tools, methods, and datasets relevant to cognitive science, or provide preliminary data for external grant submission.

We encourage all applicants to reach out to CoCo leadership for consultation or any questions they may have!

Key Dates

• Applications Open: October 15, 2025
• Submission Deadline: November 15, 2025
• Award Notification: December 15, 2025
• Award Period: Funds must be expended by May 31, 2026.

Eligibility

Undergraduate students, graduate students, and postdoctoral researchers conducting research under CoCo-affiliated faculty are eligible to apply.

Each application must identify two or more faculty advisors, at least one of whom must be a Georgia Tech faculty member. Preference will be given to proposals that foster collaboration among CoCo-affiliated faculty.

Other eligibility requirements to consider:

• Student or postdoctoral applicants will serve as PIs under faculty supervision.
• Faculty advisors must hold full-time appointments and be eligible to serve as PIs of external grants (e.g., NIH R01, NSF).
• Investigators should not already have sufficient resources (e.g., ongoing external funding) to support the proposed work.
• Teams may include collaborators from other institutions.
• Applicants must demonstrate sufficient expertise in computational or cognitive science methods or provide a clear plan to obtain this expertise through collaboration.
• Proposed projects must be distinct from the scope of currently funded projects.

Award Conditions

• Awards may provide up to $2,000
• The pilot grants are supported by state funds; all state funding restrictions and regulations apply to allowable expenses
• Funds may be used for:
  • Participant recruitment and payments
  • Data collection and analysis
  • Computational resources (software, storage, cloud computing)
  • Salary support (e.g., undergraduate research assistants)
  • Equipment purchases
• For projects involving human subjects, IRB approval must be received before funds are released
• Any publications or presentations resulting from the award must acknowledge CoCo support.
• Awardees must submit a brief progress report and outcomes (e.g., external submissions, publications, collaborations established)
• Awardees will be expected to present the progress of their funded work at a CoCo event in 2026

Review Criteria

Applications will be evaluated based on the follow criteria:

• Potential for external funding and the likelihood of leading to successful federal or foundation proposals
• Scientific merit and the significance, innovation, and rigor of the proposed project
• Feasibility and the likelihood that aims can be achieved within pilot timeframe
• Qualifications of the team and the appropriateness of collaborations
• Alignment with CoCo’s goals, with preference for projects that build collaborations within CoCo

Application Instructions

Applications must be submitted as a single PDF using the CoCo online submission form. You can find the form here.

Formatting Guidelines

We defer to NIH formatting guidelines, unless otherwise stated (≥11pt font, 0.5-inch margins).

Maximum length: 2 pages (excluding references)

Required sections:

1. Project Overview (~0.5 page)
   1. Title: Include the project title, applicant name, and faculty advisor(s).
   2. Abstract: Provide a concise summary of your project, including overarching goals, rationale, and the specific aims you intend to accomplish with CoCo pilot funding.
2. Research Plan (~1 page)
   3. Research Strategy: Describe the project’s significance, innovation, and approach (design, data acquisition/analysis, or computational approaches)
3. Implementation and Feasibility (~0.5 page)
   4. Timeline and Funding Strategy: Outline major milestones, expected deliverables, and anticipated next steps (e.g., potential external funding targets)
   5. Key Personnel: Roles and expertise; if PI lacks relevant expertise, describe collaborative plan
   6. Budget and Justification: Provide an approximate overview of how funds will be used. Detailed line-item budgets are not required. Emphasize how the proposed expenditures support project goals.
4. References
   7. Include citations for key works referenced in the proposal.

Contact

For questions or consultation, please contact:

Bob Wilson, rwilson337@gatech.edu

Woon Ju Park, woonju@gatech.edu