ICTR continually updates the pilot awards program to include new initiatives and funding opportunities, including our Novel Methods in Translational Science Pilot Award and Supplements for Dissemination activities. Below is information about our current award programs. The ICTR Pilot Awards Program incorporates the T0 to T4 research classifications. Targeted research areas will continue to include basic discovery research, patient-based clinical research, patient-centered outcomes research, dissemination and implementation research, and community engaged research.
We also offer four career development awards, the KL2 Scholars Program, the TL1 Postdoctoral Training Program, and the TL1 Predoctoral Training Program. Other career development programs include ADEPT, AHEAD, and STRIDE. More information about career development at ICTR.
Our Pilot Awards Program is made possible with the support of the NIH National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences, the Wisconsin Partnership Program of the UW School of Medicine & Public Health, and other institutional partners in Madison and Marshfield.
- Advancing Health Equity and Diversity
- Clinical & Community Outcomes Research
- Collaborative Health Equity Research
- Dissemination & Implementation Research
- Evidence to Implementation
- Learning Health Systems
- Marshfield Clinic-UW Collaborative Research
- Novel Methods in Translational Science
- Stakeholder & Patient Engaged Research
- Translational Basic & Clinical Research
Advancing Health Equity and Diversity (AHEAD) Pilot Award – 2024 RFA Released
Status: Currently accepting applications
Mandatory Letter of Intent Due Date: October 20, 2023 (by 5 pm CST)
Application Due Date: December 4, 2023 (by 5 pm CST)
Informational Session: Access the recording at this link before October 20, 2023 (link goes to Canvas)
Q&A Session (optional): October 2, 2023, 12-1 pm. Fill out a registration form.
Contact: Amy Filut, filut@wisc.edu
AHEAD Projects Begin: March 1, 2024, earliest
2024 AHEAD Pilot RFA (Docx)
FAQs for the AHEAD Pilot Award (PDF)
Helpful documents:
Clinical & Community Outcomes Research (CCOR) Award – 2024 RFA Released
Status: Currently accepting applications
Q&A Session (optional): October 2, 2023, 12-1 pm. Fill out a registration form.
Informational Session: Access the recording at this link before October 20, 2023 (link goes to Canvas)
Letter of Intent Due Date: October 20, 2023 by 5 pm CST
Application Due Date: December 4, 2023 by 5 pm CST
Earliest Grant Start Date: March 1, 2024
Contact: Melinda Verdone, verdone@wisc.edu
Summary of Terms: Up to $75,000 for 12 months of direct support
FAQs for the CCOR Pilot Award (PDF)
Goal: To support excellent, community-partnered health research that solves problems translating knowledge into improvements in clinical practice, community programs and health policy. This pilot award may also support the development of interventions that require individual, organizational, or system behavior change.
We welcome applications that address contemporary and(or) emerging health crises and/or disparities in health among high-risk populations including underrepresented racial and ethnic groups.
Deliverable: The successful grantee will use pilot data to seek further, external peer-reviewed funding in support of a research career trajectory. This award is not intended to support a project that is independent of an investigator’s career path.
Helpful reference articles:
- Thabane et al. (2010). A tutorial on pilot studies: the what, why and how. BMC Medical Research Methodology. 10(1):1-10.
- Arain et al. (2010). What is a pilot or feasibility study? A review of current practice and editorial policy. BMC Medical Research Methodology. 10(67):1-7.
- Kistin & Silverstein. (2010). Pilot studies: A critical but potentially misused component of interventional research. JAMA. 314(15):1561-1562.
Collaborative Health Equity Research (CHER) – 2024 RFA Released
Status: Currently accepting applications
Q&A Session (optional): October 2, 2023, 12-1 pm. Fill out a registration form.
Informational Session: Access the recording at this link before October 20, 2023 (link goes to Canvas)
Letter of Intent Due Date: October 20, 2023 by 5 pm CST
Application Due Date: December 4, 2023 by 5 pm CST
Earliest Grant Start Date: March 1, 2024
Contact: Melinda Verdone, verdone@wisc.edu
Summary of Terms: Up to $75,000 for 12 months of direct support
FAQs for the CHER Pilot Award (PDF)
Goal: To support new community-engaged research projects focused on health disparities/inequities wherein the PI is an early stage investigator, e.g., assistant professor, and a senior co-investigator is engaged to ensure a mentored experience and to connect the research team with relevant stakeholders.
Deliverable: The successful grantee will use pilot data to seek further, external peer-reviewed funding in support of a research career trajectory. This award is not intended to support a project that is independent of an investigator’s career path.
Dissemination & Implementation (D&I) Research Award – 2023 RFA Released
Status: Not currently accepting applications
Letter of Intent Due Date: Nov 23, 2022 by 5 pm CST
Application Due Date: Jan 11, 2023 by 5 pm CST
Earliest Grant Start Date: July 1, 2023
Mandatory Grant Workshop: Nov 3, 2022, 8-9 am or 12-1 pm (Registration required)
Contact: Chris Sorkness, casorkness@medicine.wisc.edu.
Summary of Terms: Up to $150,000 for 18 months of direct support
2023 D&I RFA
2023 D&I Application Forms
Goal: To support research that addresses how to best ensure that evidence-based or evidence-informed strategies, interventions, and programs are effectively delivered in clinical and community health practice settings and impact policy.
We welcome applications that address contemporary and(or) emerging health crises and/or disparities in health among high-risk populations including underrepresented racial and ethnic groups.
Deliverable: The successful grantee will use the results of this award to seek further extramural peer-reviewed funding for the research.
Review Process for Community-Engaged Research (Word Doc).
Funded Projects in Previous Rounds – Descriptions
Evidence to Implementation Award (E2I) – 2023 RFA Released
Status: Not currently accepting applications
Required Workshop (Virtual or Recording): View the Recording
Pre Proposal Receipt Date: May 12, 2023
Mandatory D&I Project Analysis Meetings: May – June 2023
Final Application Date: June 30, 2023
Grant Start Date: September 1, 2023
Contact: D&I Launchpad, di-launchpad@ictr.wisc.edu
Summary of Terms: Up to $75,000 for 18 months of direct support
Goal: The purpose of the E2I award is to expedite dissemination of evidence based practices, interventions, and innovations to appropriate end-users using the D&I Launchpad Program. These include self-management or other health promotion workshops and interventions, and health services innovations that improve delivery of care in the health care or community setting.
Deliverable: This award supports the creation of a Launchpad Package to support the dissemination and implementation of the evidence-based intervention or innovation. The elements of the Launchpad Package will be unique to each project, but may include a business plan, value proposition, marketing, sales, financials, intellectual property review, and the necessary tools and materials to support it.
Learning Health Systems (LHS) – 2024 Program Announcement Released
Status: Currently accepting letters of intent
Pre-Application Letter of Intent Receipt Date: Dec. 8, 2023
Mandatory IRB Meetings (for accepted Letters of Intent): Jan. 8-March 10, 2024
Final Application Date: June 2, 2024
Demonstration Project Start Date: Sept. 1, 2024
Contact: Learning Health Systems, lhs@ictr.wisc.edu
Summary of Terms: Up to $150,000 for 12 months of direct support
2024 LHS Request for Applications (PDF)
FAQs about this opportunity (PDF)
The goal of the LHS Demonstration Program is to demonstrate an implementation-focused and data-driven learning health system that uses patient experiences and care information to iteratively inform decisions and interventions at the point of care. The projects should be pragmatic and focus on an established, ongoing UW Health system priority and not a novel intervention or PI-initiated research question.
Marshfield Clinic Research Institute & UW-Madison Collaborative Award – 2023 RFA Released
Status: Not currently accepting applications
Letter of Intent Receipt Date: June 19, 2023 by 5 pm CST
Application Due Date: July 31, 2023 by 5 pm CST
Contact: Before submitting this LOI, contact Melinda Verdone, verdone@wisc.edu.
Summary of Terms:
Track 1 – Up to $50,000 for 12 months of direct support
Track 2 – Up to $100,000 for 18 months of direct support (for previously established Marshfield Clinic/UW-Madison collaborations)
2023 MC/MCRI/UW RFA (download Word doc)
2023 MC/MCRI/UW Application Forms (download Word doc)
The MCRI & UW-Madison Collaborative Award will provide support for proposals that build upon the research interests and infrastructure support of both partners. Projects must be led by Co-Principal Investigators (PIs), one from Marshfield and one from UW-Madison. This award particularly focuses on projects that address contemporary and/or emerging rural health crises.
Funded Project Descriptions from Previous Rounds (download Word doc)
Rural Health Resources (download Word doc)
Novel Methods in Translational Science Award – 2022 RFA Released
formerly known as the Novel Methods Award
Status: Not currently accepting applications
Letter of Intent Receipt Date: Nov 18, 2022 by 5 pm CST
Application Due Date: Dec 19, 2022 by 5 pm CST
Contact: Before submitting this LOI, contact Peggy Hatfield, pmhatfie@wisc.edu.
Summary of Terms: Up to $50,000 for 12 months of direct support
2022 Novel Methods RFA
2022 Novel Methods Application Forms
The goal of this RFA is to support innovative processes and methods to advance translation across the research spectrum. The proposed method should NOT be solely project-specific; successful methods will be generalizable to other projects. Methods also must be truly novel, but not novel applications of existing methods. Applicants will choose one of three tracks (Learning Health Systems, Health Disparities Methods, Pre-Clinical Novel Methods) to submit their grant proposal. We will fund at least one award per track, provided the applications are scientifically meritorious.
Stakeholder & Patient Engaged Research (SPER) – 2024 RFA Released
Status: Currently accepting applications
Q&A Session (optional): October 2, 2023, 12-1 pm. Fill out a registration form.
Informational Session: Access the recording at this link before October 20, 2023 (link goes to Canvas)
Letter of Intent Due Date: October 20, 2023 by 5 pm CST
Application Due Date: December 4, 2023 by 5 pm CST
Earliest Grant Start Date: March 1, 2024
Contact: Melinda Verdone, verdone@wisc.edu
Summary of Terms: Up to $100,000 for 12 months of direct support
FAQs for the SPER Pilot Award (PDF)
Goal: The Stakeholder and Patient Engaged Research (SPER) RFA provides support for activities that will strengthen a competitive application for external funding for research requiring strong stakeholder engagement methodology as a foundation for a success.
We welcome applications that address contemporary and(or) emerging health crises and/or disparities in health among high-risk populations including underrepresented racial and ethnic groups.
Deliverable: The successful grantee will use pilot data to seek further, external peer-reviewed funding in support of a research career trajectory. This award is not intended to support a project that is independent of an investigator’s career path.
Resources:
Translational Basic & Clinical Research Pilot Award – 2022 RFA Released
Status: Not currently accepting applications
Letter of Intent Receipt Date: Dec 19, 2022, by 5 pm CST
Application Due Date: Feb 6, 2023, by 5 pm CST
Grant Start Date: July 1, 2023
Mandatory Letter of Intent: Please submit to Peggy Hatfield, pmhatfie@wisc.edu
Summary of Terms: Up to $50,000 for 12 months of direct support
2022 Translational Basic & Clinical Research RFA
2022 Translational Basic & Clinical Research Pilot Application Forms
These awards address translational basic discovery activities (biological, social, behavioral mechanisms that underlie disease); development of biomarkers, target and lead molecules, and devices (mechanical, computational); preclinical and animal models; and translation of discovery to patients (new diagnostic, treatment, and prevention methods; Phase 1 and Phase 2 clinical trials).
Pilot applications MUST have two PIs from different scientific disciplines. Applicants will need to provide justification/evidence the PI team meets this qualification. Differences will also be inferred from areas of specialization and (or) degree training or departmental affiliation.
Additional Requirements and Information
- PIs or Co-PIs can only apply to a single ICTR Pilot RFA per funding cycle.
- Key Terms for Community Engaged Research (PDF)
- NIH Biosketch Format
- NIH Definition of a Clinical Trial (Nov 1, 2017)
- Research Grant Terms & Conditions
- Review Process for Community-Engaged Research (Word Doc)
- WPP Supplanting Policy