Opportunity Overview
The University of Minnesota Clinical and Translational Science Institute (CTSI), through the Office of Community Engagement to Advance Research and Community Health (CEARCH), is accepting Fall 2026 applications for its Community Partnership Seed Grant. The program supports newly established community and University research partnerships that address health issues identified by Minnesota communities and lay groundwork for future community-engaged research.
Funding and Deadline
CTSI will award up to $5,000 to as many as four partnerships for projects lasting up to 12 months. Fall 2026 applications are due September 25, 2026 at 12:00 p.m. The current program page and RFA publish the clock time but do not state a time zone, so Atlas does not infer one.
Eligibility
Each application must identify one community research co-lead and one University of Minnesota research co-lead. The community co-lead must be based in a Minnesota community and affiliated with a Minnesota-based community organization that serves Minnesota communities as a primary mission and has current Minnesota incorporation, a local chapter, or a physical base of operations in Minnesota. Examples include nonprofits, local public-health organizations, community clinics, neighborhood associations, Tribal governments, and Tribally led organizations. The University co-lead must be an eligible University of Minnesota researcher, including qualifying faculty, postdoctoral researchers, or PhD research associates.
Eligible Project Focus
Projects must address community-identified health issues, focus on populations experiencing preventable health differences or barriers to optimal health, and meaningfully use community strengths. Supported work is partnership-building and research-development activity such as community dialogues, focus groups, adapting interventions or tools for a community context, research-agenda development, partnership protocols, and community advisory structures.
Funding Restrictions and Match
The RFA does not state a required applicant match or cost share. Funds cannot support ongoing program-service delivery, equipment purchases, durable medical equipment, capital expenses, or direct support of graduate-student thesis research. A partner may be principal investigator on only one CEARCH application at a time, current grantees cannot hold overlapping CEARCH grants, and this award is not renewable.
Application Requirements
Applications are submitted online through the University of Minnesota InfoReady system. No attachments are required. The application includes short narrative sections covering the health topic and target community, idea development, project summary, partnership roles, SMART goals, activities, evaluation, timeline, and a budget narrative. Review is point-based, with preference for meaningful community involvement and a community-engaged research approach.
Atlas Analysis
Atlas Opportunity Score: 86/100. This is a well-defined Minnesota health-equity and community-engaged research seed opportunity with a modest award size but a useful pathway for clinics, public-health organizations, Tribal organizations, and nonprofits that already have an eligible University research partner.
N9+ Fit Score: 0/100. The RFA expressly prohibits equipment and durable medical equipment purchases, so Atlas does not force a Nonagon N9+ role into this opportunity. QC Healthcare Fit: 5/100. Any role would be limited to a legitimately eligible research-development collaboration rather than funded clinical-service delivery. Dr. Miltie, LLC is not a qualifying direct applicant because the required community co-lead must meet Minnesota community-organization criteria and the application must also include an eligible University of Minnesota research co-lead.
Required Next Action
Confirm both required co-leads are eligible and that the proposed work is a newly established community-University research partnership; develop the community-identified health question, partnership plan, SMART goals, activities, evaluation, timeline, and compliant budget; and submit through InfoReady by September 25, 2026 at 12:00 p.m. Confirm the portal time-zone convention before the deadline because the current public program page and RFA do not state a time zone.
Verified source: University of Minnesota CTSI Community Partnership Seed Grant program page and Fall 2026 CEARCH RFA, verified September 13, 2026.