ECHO supports the development of early-stage racial/ethnic health disparities researchers by providing pilot research funding to cover a range of research activities such as the following:

• Testing of methods (e.g. recruitment and retention, biological collection protocols)
• Developing and testing survey measures and instruments
• Collecting and analyzing pilot data
• Testing intervention designs

Since 2002, ECHO has awarded 50 pilot research awards totaling almost a half million dollars to help solve some of North Carolina's health disparity problems.