Limited Competition: High Impact Specialized Innovation Programs in Clinical and Translational Science
🏛 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 participating in the Clinical and Translational Science Award (CTSA) Program. Only eligible CTSA Program Hubs can apply; this is a limited competition. Applications must address critical gaps or roadblocks in clinical and translational science through specialized innovation platforms, research resources, or hub capabilities. Awards support infrastructure development and infrastructure to accelerate translation of discoveries into clinical practice and community health interventions.
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Key dates
- Jul 20, 2026 Applications open
- Jan 25, 2027 Application deadline in 187 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 High Impact Specialized Innovation Programs (SIPs) is to support the development and demonstration of unique hub capabilities, research platforms and/or resources to address in a timely manner critical gap areas and/or roadblocks in clinical and translational science at awarded CTSA Program Hubs.
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.
How to apply
Application links
Key dates & requirements
Required documents
- SF-424 (R&R) form
- Project Narrative/Research Plan
- Budget Justification
- Institutional Endorsement/Biosketches
- Letters of Support (if multi-institutional)
Program contact
- 👤 Division of Clinical Innovation, NCATS
- 📧 RC2NOFO@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
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$139,753,636
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$118,592,298
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$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 grant?
Only designated CTSA Program Hubs can apply. This is a limited competition open exclusively to current members of the national CTSA network. Check with your institution's CTSA administration to confirm eligibility.
What types of projects are funded?
Projects must develop and demonstrate specialized innovation platforms, research resources, or hub capabilities. They should address critical gaps in clinical and translational science. Support focuses on infrastructure and tools that enable clinical translation.
What is the application deadline?
The fixed deadline is January 25, 2027. Mark this date early and allow sufficient time for internal approvals and institutional submissions.
Can we fund personnel salaries with this award?
The description doesn't specify salary allowability. Contact the NIH grants office listed in the RFP to confirm whether personnel costs are permissible before budget planning.
What is the funding range for awards?
Specific award amounts are not detailed in this announcement. Budget size may depend on the scope of your proposed innovation platform. Request funding information from NIH prior to submission.
💡 Tips for applicants
- Verify your institution is a current CTSA Program Hub before investing application effort. Limited competition means only designated sites are invited.
- Focus on addressing genuine roadblocks or gaps in clinical and translational research. Align your project with CTSA network priorities and unmet needs.
- Emphasize the innovation platform or resource you will create and how it serves the broader CTSA community, not just your institution.
- Provide clear evidence of existing infrastructure and expertise. Reviewers will assess feasibility and sustainability of proposed capabilities.
- Build strong partnerships with other CTSA Hubs if your platform serves multiple sites. Demonstrate collaborative intent and coordination mechanisms.
⚠️ Common mistakes
Applications fail when they propose incremental improvements rather than innovative platforms or resources addressing critical gaps. Weak applications lack clear evidence that the proposed hub capability is unique and needed across the CTSA network. Many rejected proposals underestimate implementation complexity or fail to demonstrate institutional commitment and infrastructure readiness.
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