The George M. O’Brien Kidney Resource Alliance (OKRA) offers the OKRA Opportunity Pool Program on a yearly basis to early-stage investigators and investigators new to kidney research. This program supports pilot grants (up to a maximum of $50,000 total costs) that address scientific and technological gaps in kidney research and promotes new collaborations. To be eligible for this pilot program, projects must utilize existing O’Brien Kidney National Resource Center resources.

Eligibility Criteria:

• Only Early-Stage Investigators and established investigators new to kidney research (i.e., investigators who have not received any grants in kidney research and/or published primary research in the area of kidney research) are eligible to apply for this award. (NOTE: A separate OKRA Opportunity Pool notice of funding opportunity for established kidney investigators will be released later.)
• Applicants can only submit one application per round of the OKRA Opportunity Pool Program.
• Current OKRA Opportunity Pool awardees are not eligible to apply.
• Applicants must have a faculty position or a signed offer letter for a faculty position that starts on or before January 1, 2026 at the time the application is submitted.
• Investigators at non-domestic (non-U.S.) entities (foreign institutions) are not eligible to apply.
• OKRA National Resource Center key personnel are not eligible to apply as PI.
• Deadlines: Letter of Intent – Monday, September 8, 2025; Full Application – Monday, October 6, 2025 by 5 PM CST.

Once you submit your full application, you should receive a confirmation email from okrancc@uab.edu. If you do not receive a confirmation email, please email us your full application at okrancc@uab.edu.

Applications are closed. Awardees will be announced early in 2026.

Opportunity Pool Awardees