CTSI Translational Science Pilot Award RFA

The Clinical Translational Science Pilot Program (CTSP) at The Ohio State University’s Clinical and Translational Science Institute (CTSI), is now accepting applications for the CTSI Translational Science Pilot Award, which supports innovative research that advances the science of translation and improves the efficiency, quality, and impact of clinical and translational research. 

The goal of the Translational Science Pilot Award is to fund highly meritorious research for the development of preliminary data to enable researchers to be competitive in applying for extramural funding that advances clinical and translational science. 

The CTSI Translational Science Pilot Award is made available through the Clinical and Translational Science Awards (CTSA) program awarded to The Ohio State University by the National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences (NCATS). The NIH CTSA Funding Opportunity Announcement (PAR-21-293)[HX1]  stipulates that pilot studies funded through the CTSAs must be focused on translational science – defined as research that seeks to understand and improve the processes, methods, and systems that move discoveries into clinical and community impact. These projects should address barriers in the translational research process and generate generalizable knowledge that can improve research across disciplines, diseases, and populations.

This request for applications (RFA) is designed to stimulate innovative translational science projects that:

• Identify and address system-level barriers in the translational process
• Develop generalizable methods, tools, or frameworks
• Improve the efficiency, effectiveness, or scalability of research

The CTSI has established the following Priority Areas to inform funding priorities by the Translational Science Pilot Award. This set of Priority Areas evolves over time to promote CTSI Translational Science Pilot Award funding across the full range of translational science and emerging health issues faced by the U.S. population. 

The purpose of identifying these Priority Areas is to encourage submissions to these areas, NOT to limit submissions to only these Priority Areas. This RFA welcomes all investigator-initiated proposals that meet this RFA’s translational science requirements. 

• Cross-college or interdisciplinary collaboration
• Artificial Intelligence (AI) and data science 
• Rural health
• Chronic health and disease management 
• Translational research across the lifespan
• Dissemination and Implementation (D&I) science

Purpose

The purpose of this funding opportunity is to support pilot studies that advance translational science as a field by addressing scientific, operational, or structural barriers across the translational research continuum (T0–T4).

Funded projects are expected to generate generalizable insights, methods, or approaches that improve the process of translation, rather than focusing solely on disease-specific outcomes.

Applications must demonstrate:

• Scientific innovation 
• Feasibility within a 12-month project period 
• Explicit emphasis on translational science 
• Potential for future external funding

Translational Science Aim Requirement

All applications submitted in response to this RFA must include at least one explicit Translational Science aim.

The Translational Science aim must meet at least one of the following criteria:

• Address a barrier or inefficiency in the translational research process (e.g., challenges in moving discoveries from bench to bedside or into practice); 
• Generate generalizable knowledge, methods or tools that can be applied across multiple areas of translational research;
• Has broad applicability beyond a single disease or population, or setting;

Applications may include additional aims; however, the translational science aim must be clearly defined and central to the project.

Responsiveness Criteria

Applications will be considered non-responsive and withdrawn if they:

• Do not explicitly include a translational science aim
• Do not focus on a barrier in the translational research process
• Focus solely on disease-specific, mechanistic or clinical outcomes without broader translational science relevance

Award Information

Award Amount: $25,000–$35,000 in direct costs 

Salary support for faculty may be requested under the following guidelines:

• Assistant Professor 10% effort up to NIH CAP
• Associate professor 5% effort up to NIH CAP
• Full professor 2.5% effort up to NIH CAP

Project Period: 08/01/2027 – 07/31/2028. Award start is contingent upon NCATS Prior Approval.

No-cost extensions are not permitted, thus pilot funds unspent by 07/31/2028 will not be available for further research.

Eligibility Criteria

• Applicants must have Principal Investigator (PI) status as defined by The Ohio State University or Nationwide Children’s Hospital.
• Applicants have not received a CTSI pilot grant award or other Clinical and Translational Science Research (CTSR)-funded award within 24 months prior to the pre-application deadline September 21, 2026.
• Proposal for preliminary research that can be completed within one year with a high probability of obtaining future external funding.
• Development of new concepts, methods, technologies or research practices that drive and/or facilitate translational science beyond the research area of the proposal. Such proposals should clearly identify translational science challenges or barriers that their proposal addresses.

Application and Submission Information

This funding opportunity will utilize a two-stage application process:

1. Pre-Application (Required)

• 2027 CTSI Translation Science Pilot Award REDCap Application Form
• Research plan – 1 page
• PI(s) Biosketch(es) 

2. Full Application (Invite Only)

• A full application will be submitted through an online REDCap form by invitation only following successful completion of the pre-application

Application Review Information

The Ohio State CTSI participates in a national CTSA External Reviewer Exchange Consortium (CEREC) to improve fairness in the scientific review process and better match applicants with feedback from experts in their respective fields. Trained patients and community reviewers are also included in the grant review process. In submitting an application, you agree to allow reviewers external to The Ohio State University and Nationwide Children’s Hospital to access your application materials.

Full applications will be sent to 1-2 external reviewers with expertise in the subject matter and one community reviewer. All applications will be scored following the NIH Simplified Reviewer in addition to CTSI specific criteria. Full proposals will be subject to a NIH-type study section assessment and interactive discussions based on the submitted written feedback from external reviewers, institutional context, and the overall relevance to the mission of the CTSI.

Funding

$25,000 - $35,000 in direct costs can be budgeted for the 12 month project. No cost extensions are not allowed, thus unspent pilot funds by 12 months will not be available for further research. Salary support for faculty may be requested under the following guidelines:

• Assistant Professor 10% effort up to NIH CAP
• Associate professor 5% effort up to NIH CAP
• Full professor 2.5% effort up to NIH CAP

Graduate student and technician support, as well as laboratory supplies, are permitted. Notification of awards will be made no later than January 31, 2026. Funds will be available for the next fiscal year, 08/01/2026 to 07/31/2027, to conduct the proposed research. Funds will not be available after 7/31/2027. 

Support for dissemination of validated methods across the regional and national CTSA networks for broader translational science impact will be provided to awardees.

Additional Important Information

Pre-Award Requirements

If the study meets human subject research criteria, IRB approval documentation is required for NCATS Prior Approval Submission. IRB submission must be submitted by March 15, 2027 or the offer for funding will be withdrawn.

The CTSI Award is contingent on NIH NCATS Prior Approval. The NCATS Prior Approval (NCATS Prior Approval) process must be completed prior to release of grant funds. No research may begin prior to that time. 

During the pre-award period you will be required to attend:

• Pilot Award Onboarding Orientation: Friday, February 5, 2027, 10-11 a.m. (virtual)
• Monthly Onboarding meetings until Award Activation

Post-Award Expectations

Awardees will be expected to:

• Participates in CTSI program evaluation and reporting
• Disseminate findings through peer reviewed publications and presentations at national conferences. In addition, awardees are required to:
  • Present their funded work at the CTSI Annual Research Showcase in accordance with CTSI guidelines and timelines.
  • Participate in and/or present their work at the CTSI Annual Scientific Meeting, as requested by CTSI leadership.