The UW–Madison Institute for Clinical and Translational Research (ICTR) announces a Clinical and Translational Science (CTS) Request for Concept Proposals.
We are seeking Concept Proposals that address significant challenges to efficient translation of a health intervention to sustainable adoption in a health system or community. This opportunity is a good fit for investigators with bold ideas that stand to make a sizable impact in their field. These should be ideas that, in their implementation, would develop generalizable CTS innovations or insights that can be applied to other translational research projects, thereby increasing the overall efficiency or effectiveness of translation more broadly.
By this mechanism, this initiative endeavors to advance the field of translational science, which seeks to understand and address common causes of inefficiency and failure in clinical and translational research projects.
This request is issued in connection with ICTR’s upcoming renewal application for its Clinical and Translational Science Award (CTSA) from the National Institutes of Health’s National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences (NCATS). The renewal application will be submitted in September 2026.
One full proposal that is co-developed by the principal investigator and ICTR—deeply engaging with ICTR programs, staff, and resources—will be included in the renewal application as part of the component called “Element E.” PIs submitting proposals should expect to work collaboratively and iteratively with ICTR during the course of their project.
Eligibility and deadlines
UW–Madison faculty from ICTR’s partner schools and college, noted below, are invited to submit brief, two-page Concept Proposals by 11:00 p.m. on Jan. 15, 2026. A live Q&A session will be held via Zoom on Jan. 8 from 4:00-5:00 p.m.; find details and a registration link in the bottom section of this article.
Full, ten-page proposals, from those invited to submit them, will be due in May 2026. Proposed projects should run for two to three years (from July 1, 2027, to no later than June 30, 2030). Funding is up to $125,000 per year for direct costs only.
ICTR partner schools/college:
- School of Medicine & Public Health
- School of Nursing
- School of Pharmacy
- School of Veterinary Medicine
- School of Education
- College of Engineering
Funding of the proposal is contingent upon successful renewal of ICTR’s Clinical and Translational Science Award.
Questions
Interested researchers should carefully review the Request for Concept Proposals document and send questions to info@ictr.wisc.edu.
There will also be a live Q&A session with ICTR leaders Allan Brasier, Beth Burnside, and Christine Sorkness on Thursday, Jan. 8, 2026, from 4:00 – 5:00 p.m. Registration is required, including submitting question(s) for the session.