Opportunity Overview
Advance RI-CTR has opened its 2026-2027 Health Research Core Call for Applications for clinical and translational research addressing health needs in Rhode Island and beyond. The call includes Pilot Project Awards, Developmental Project Awards, and Mentored Scholar Advancement Awards. Cross-institutional collaboration among Brown University, the University of Rhode Island, and affiliated healthcare systems is strongly encouraged.
Funding and Deadlines
Pilot Project Awards: up to $100,000 for 12 months. Developmental Project Awards: up to $100,000 per year for two years, or $200,000 total. Mentored Scholar Advancement Awards: up to 25 percent FTE support for the scholar, capped at $40,000 per year, plus up to 5 percent FTE support for the mentor, capped at $10,000.
Preliminary applications are due October 9, 2026 at 5:00 PM ET. Applicants without a Brown email address must request UFunds access by September 25, 2026. Invited full proposals are due December 14, 2026 at 5:00 PM ET.
Eligibility
Principal investigators must generally hold a PhD or MD in a health professional or research discipline, hold a Brown University or University of Rhode Island faculty appointment when the award begins except for the stated clinical fellow exception, and be affiliated with Brown University Health, Care New England, VA Providence, Brown University, or URI. Applicants may not have overlapping COBRE or other IDeA mechanism funding at project start and may not have significant scientific or budgetary overlap with other funded projects.
Program Requirements
All prospective applicants must complete the required consultation with the Research Design, Compliance, and Data Management Core. Projects involving community engagement must also consult with the Community Engagement and Outreach Core. Preliminary applications require academic details, award category selection, a structured one page research overview, references, and NIH biosketches. Invited full proposals use an abbreviated NIH PHS 398 format with a six page research plan, budget justification, support letters, lay summary, and applicable regulatory materials.
Applicant Fit and Project Allowability
Eligible investigator-led projects may include technology, clinical support, consortium, or subcontract costs only when they are scientifically necessary, allowable under the current RFA, and properly justified in the research plan and budget. Applicants should follow the current solicitation’s cost, regulatory, and project-design requirements rather than assume a particular technology expense is eligible.
Atlas Assessment
This is a substantial Rhode Island clinical and translational research opportunity with priorities that include healthcare access, mental health, substance use, maternal and child health, and chronic disease. The appropriate path is through an eligible Brown, URI, or partner-health-system investigator with a project that meets the current RFA.
How to Apply
Applications are submitted through Brown University’s UFunds portal. Non Brown users must request portal access from advanceri@brown.edu by September 25, 2026.
Controlling source: Advance RI-CTR, Brown University, Health Research Core Awards. Verified September 13, 2026.