Limited Competition: Clinical and Translational Science Awards (CTSA) Program: Collaborative and Innovative Acceleration Award
🏛 National Institutes of Health (HHS-NIH11)
✓ Free, no account · Source: Grants.gov · Last verified Jul 20, 2026
Can you apply?
This grant is for academic medical centers and research institutions participating in the Clinical and Translational Science Award (CTSA) Program network. Applicants must be part of an eligible CTSA hub or have institutional affiliation with a CTSA-funded center. The program supports collaborative development of innovative approaches and technologies that advance translational science. Eligible activities include developing novel models, tools, and methods that enhance clinical and translational research capacity and accelerate the movement of discoveries from laboratory to patient care.
The award is limited competition, meaning applications are invited only from specific eligible organizations. Applicants must demonstrate how their proposed approach will synergistically enhance translational science and bring treatments to patients more quickly. Cost-sharing is not required for this award.
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Key dates
- Jul 20, 2026 Applications open
- Feb 16, 2027 Application deadline in 210 days
- Dec 15, 2027 Award announced
- Dec 15, 2027 Project start
Program description
The purpose of the Congressionally mandated Clinical and Translational Science Award (CTSA) Program is to accelerate the translation of scientific discoveries into treatments, diagnostics, and health interventions that improve patient and public health by funding and coordinating a national network of academic medical centers that provide the infrastructure, expertise, training, and collaboration needed to move discoveries from the laboratory into clinical practice and community health. The purpose of the reissuance of the Collaborative and Innovative Acceleration Award for the CTSA Program Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) is to support the collaborative development of innovative approaches, technologies, or models that synergistically enhance the impact of research, advance translational science, and bring more treatments for all people more quickly.
Awards are made under the authorization of Sections 301 and 405 of the Public Health Service Act as amended (42 USC 241 and 284) and under Federal Regulations 42 CFR Part 52 and 2 CFR Part 200.
This is a Forecast for a Limited Competition that will invite application(s) from eligible organization(s) to apply. Please see Eligibility Section for additional information. In accordance with NIH standard peer-review processes, the application(s) will be peer-reviewed, and only meritorious application(s) will be considered for funding.
Who can apply
Eligible applicants
How to apply
Application links
Key dates & requirements
Required documents
- SF-424 (federal application form)
- Project narrative and specific aims
- Budget and budget justification
- Institutional commitment letters
- NIH biosketch for key personnel
- Letters of collaboration from partner organizations
Program contact
- 👤 Division of Clinical Innovation, NCATS
- 📧 ctsa_collaborativeinnovation@mail.nih.gov
- 📞 Please contact via e-mail.
Funding track record
Recent awards under CFDA 93.350 from the last 3 years — real organizations that won funding through this same program.
Top 10 Largest Recent Awards
-
$139,753,636
-
$118,592,298
-
$118,098,707
-
$112,138,469
-
$102,903,347
-
$102,422,256
-
$100,095,982
-
$99,978,264
-
$98,955,036
-
$97,784,066
Top States by Funding
- CA 13 awards $652.0M
- NY 11 awards $506.1M
- MA 6 awards $321.4M
- NC 5 awards $313.7M
- OH 5 awards $162.0M
Source: USAspending.gov — federal spending transparency. Data covers last 3 years.
Funding history
Annual funding for this program — Federal obligations (CFDA 93.350). How funding has trended year over year.
| 2024 | $595,597,945 | |
| 2025 | $626,227,752 |
FAQ
Who is eligible to apply for this CTSA Collaborative and Innovative Acceleration Award?
This is a limited competition. Only eligible CTSA Program institutions and their collaborative partners can apply. Contact your institution's CTSA hub coordinator for invitation status.
What is the application deadline?
The deadline is February 16, 2027. This is a fixed deadline, not rolling acceptance.
What activities are supported by this award?
The award supports development of innovative approaches, technologies, and models that enhance translational science. Examples include tools, methods, and collaborative frameworks that accelerate research translation.
Is cost-sharing required?
No. Cost-sharing is not required for this cooperative agreement award.
How competitive is this funding opportunity?
This is NIH peer-reviewed funding with meritorious applications competing for limited awards. Scientific innovation, institutional capacity, and demonstrated translation potential strengthen applications.
💡 Tips for applicants
- Emphasize the collaborative nature of your approach. Show how your innovation synergizes existing CTSA resources and partnerships.
- Connect your proposed work directly to patient and public health impact. Explain how faster translation benefits patient care.
- Highlight institutional commitment. Include letters of support from CTSA leadership and partner organizations.
- Focus on scalability and sustainability. Demonstrate how your model or tool can be adopted across CTSA hubs.
- Detail metrics for success. Include clear benchmarks for measuring translational impact and innovation adoption.
⚠️ Common mistakes
Applications lack clear connection to the CTSA Program's existing infrastructure and networks. Proposals focus on single-institution research rather than collaborative, synergistic approaches. Applicants underestimate the translation timeline or overstate impact without evidence of institutional capacity.
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