Opportunity Overview
The UAB Center for Clinical and Translational Science (CCTS) has released its 2026 Clinical & Translational Science Pilot Program NOFO. The program supports feasibility and proof-of-concept projects that address generalizable barriers in clinical and translational science through new research methodologies, technologies, tools, resources, therapies, or training paradigms.
The required pre-application is due October 19, 2026 at 5:00 p.m. CT. Invited full applications are due December 18, 2026 at 5:00 p.m. CT. The anticipated award period is May 1, 2027 through April 30, 2028.
Eligibility and Funding
Eligible principal investigators are full-time assistant or associate professors, or institutional equivalents, employed at a CCTS Partner Network institution. Full professors may participate only as co-investigators or mentors. Postdoctoral fellows, staff scientists, clinical fellows, residents, research professionals, health-system administrators, and trainees are not eligible to serve as PI/MPI. Applicants must also satisfy the NOFO’s restrictions concerning prior pilot awards, overlapping aims, and one-proposal-per-faculty limits.
CCTS has committed $240,000 in direct NIH support across the program. Each applicant may request up to $30,000 in direct costs for a 12-month project. Cost sharing is not allowed. No-cost extensions and carryover are not supported.
Allowable budget categories include limited faculty/key-personnel salary and fringe, other personnel salary and fringe, supplies, and justified other expenses, services, and participant incentives. Capital equipment costing $10,000 or more is unallowable, as are ancillary travel/conferences, administrative support, office supplies, books/subscriptions/publications, alterations/renovations/research space, and subawards beyond the Partner Network. Tuition and consultant costs are generally unallowable.
Healthcare and Translational Relevance
The NOFO is intentionally focused on translational-science barriers rather than disease-specific efficacy studies. Examples include barriers involving remotely delivered health interventions and the fidelity of remote health measurement and data collection. Projects may develop or demonstrate a new research technology or tool, but proposals focused exclusively on a single target or disease, quality-improvement/evaluation projects, and other listed ineligible categories are excluded.
N9+ and Dr. Miltie Fit
N9+ Fit: 86/100, qualified. A remote physical-examination platform could legitimately fit when used as a research method, technology, or tool to investigate a generalizable translational barrier such as remote measurement fidelity, feasibility, workflow, or data quality. It should not be framed as a product-efficacy trial for one disease. Because capital equipment at or above $10,000 is unallowable, any N9+ technology, supplies, or service costs require careful budget classification and justification under the NOFO.
Dr. Miltie, LLC is not a direct eligible PI applicant. The NOFO specifically advises applicants to connect with vendors early for guidance and quotes, creating a legitimate potential vendor/collaborator role when the research design and institutional procurement requirements support it.
Submission, Forms, and Contacts
The pre-application is submitted through RED-ASSIST as one flattened PDF using NIH formatting. Required elements include the short project narrative, a two-page research plan, applicable human-subjects information, and a SciENcv PI biosketch. Invited applicants receive a unique RED-ASSIST link for the full application and must submit a detailed PHS 398 Form Page 4 budget with justification, project timeline, and other required materials.
Program contacts include Thomas Buford, PhD (twbuford@uabmc.edu), Richard Myers, PhD (rmyers@hudsonalpha.org), program administrator Anne Russell, PhD (anneruss@uab.edu), and QA/QC contact Cari Oliver (croliver@uab.edu). General CCTS contact: ccts@uab.edu / 205-934-7442.
Atlas Status
Atlas Opportunity Score: 90/100. This is an open Alabama-centered translational-science opportunity with explicit support for research technologies/tools and remote-measurement barriers, a clear $30,000 direct-cost ceiling, no required cost share, and an authoritative submission process. A strong Alabama applicant is Brandon Oubre, PhD, a UAB Assistant Professor whose current research includes mobile health, health informatics, sensors, and quantitative behavioral assessment. Applicant fit: 94/100, subject to CCTS confirmation of prior-award and overlapping-aim eligibility.
Official sources: UAB CCTS Pilot Program and 2026 NOFO.