Ohio — CTSC 2027 Annual Pilot Award Program
Case Western Reserve University’s Clinical and Translational Science Collaborative (CTSC), supported by the NIH National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences through award UM1TR004528, invites competitive Letters of Intent for its 2027 Clinical and Translational Science Annual Pilot Award Program. This is an institutional research-grant competition for qualified investigators at participating Northeast Ohio institutions, not a general-purpose grant for all nonprofits or a procurement solicitation.
Individual funding and controlling deadlines
Up to eight individual pilot awards of up to $50,000 each in direct costs are expected for projects running July 1, 2027 through June 30, 2028. The Letter of Intent must be submitted October 26, 2026 by 11:59 p.m. Eastern time; the funder’s announcement labels the deadline “EST,” although the region observes daylight time on that date. Invited full applications are due February 1, 2027; expected award announcements are April 5, 2027. No universal mandatory matching-fund percentage is stated in the 2027 RFA.
Strict applicant eligibility
The principal investigator must be an NIH-grant-eligible Case Western Reserve University faculty member based at CWRU, Cleveland Clinic, MetroHealth Medical Center, University Hospitals, or the VA Northeast Ohio Healthcare System, as defined in the RFA. Every application must involve at least two CTSC partner institutions. Co-investigators may include appropriate faculty, community health leaders and collaborators, but that does not make unaffiliated organizations independently eligible as principal applicants. Collaborative teams are especially encouraged.
Eligible research and major limitations
Projects must advance clinical or translational research or translational science, including one specific aim that generates generalizable knowledge about the process of translation. Priorities include rural Ohio health, multi-center clinical research, implementation science, reproducibility, community-engaged health, and related innovative approaches. The 12-month project must be methodologically feasible, with a clear path to future externally funded research. Established investigators with active NIH PI or co-PI support are not eligible for their own salary support; other established investigators are limited to $5,000 in salary support, with separate early-stage investigator rules. The RFA prohibits travel, equipment and computers, tuition, publications, construction and renovation, general office and furniture expenses, and other listed costs. Required research-ethics and human-subject approvals must be obtained before expenditure as applicable, with IRB approval expected in place by May 31, 2027.
Two-stage application
Investigators first submit a maximum two-page Letter of Intent via the CTSC InfoReady competition, covering participating institutions and investigators, study question, innovation, translational aim, feasibility, up to three project milestones, budget summary and ethics or subaward disclosures. Successful LOIs are invited to submit full proposals with supporting documents, detailed budgets and biosketches. Check the official CTSC application page and controlling 2027 RFA (PDF) for full eligibility, allowable-cost and submission rules. Research verified October 26, 2026.