Limited Competition: Exploratory CTSA Collaborative Innovation Awards (R21 Clinical Trial Optional) | PAR 18 245

Opportunity Information: Apply for PAR 18 245

The Limited Competition: Exploratory CTSA Collaborative Innovation Awards (R21 Clinical Trial Optional) funding opportunity (PAR-18-245) is a National Institutes of Health (NIH) grant program designed to spark highly innovative, early-stage, and collaborative research projects within the NCATS Clinical and Translational Science Award (CTSA) ecosystem. Its central aim is not to fund large, fully mature studies, but to give CTSA-linked teams a way to quickly test a new idea and generate initial evidence about whether a proposed innovation is useful and feasible. In practice, this means projects should be exploratory in nature, focused on proof-of-concept, prototyping, piloting, or other early validation activities that can de-risk a promising approach and position it for larger follow-on funding. Clinical trials are permitted but not required, reflecting the "Clinical Trial Optional" design.

This opportunity sits in the NIH health research funding category (CFDA 93.350) and uses the R21 mechanism, which is commonly used for exploratory and developmental research. The award ceiling listed for this FOA is $200,000, reinforcing that the intent is to support smaller, targeted projects rather than long, resource-intensive programs. The program emphasizes collaboration across the CTSA program, so applications are expected to bring together partners who can jointly develop, test, and evaluate an innovation that advances clinical and translational science. The end product could be a new method, tool, workflow, platform, or implementation approach that improves how translation is done, but the key expectation is that the work will directly assess real-world utility and feasibility rather than remain purely theoretical.

Eligibility is broad across U.S.-based organizations and governmental entities, including state, county, city or township governments, special district governments, and independent school districts, as well as public and state-controlled institutions of higher education and private institutions of higher education. It also includes federally recognized Native American tribal governments, public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities, and Native American tribal organizations other than federally recognized tribal governments. Nonprofit organizations are eligible whether or not they hold 501(c)(3) status, and both for-profit organizations (other than small businesses) and small businesses may apply as well. The FOA also highlights additional eligible applicant types, including Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian Serving Institutions, Asian American Native American Pacific Islander Serving Institutions (AANAPISISs), Hispanic-serving Institutions, Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), Tribally Controlled Colleges and Universities (TCCUs), faith-based or community-based organizations, regional organizations, U.S. territories or possessions, and certain eligible federal government agencies.

At the same time, the FOA draws clear lines around foreign involvement. Non-domestic (non-U.S.) entities (foreign institutions) are not eligible to apply, and non-domestic components of U.S. organizations are not eligible to apply. However, "foreign components" as defined under the NIH Grants Policy Statement are allowed, meaning a U.S.-based applicant may include specific foreign elements in the project if they meet NIH policy definitions and are appropriately justified, even though a foreign institution cannot serve as the applicant organization. Applicants are directed to the full FOA text for the precise eligibility rules and definitions.

Administratively, the sponsoring agency is NIH, and the opportunity is categorized as a discretionary grant. The source data lists an original closing date of November 29, 2018, and a creation date of November 21, 2017. Overall, this FOA is best understood as a targeted NIH pathway for CTSA-associated teams that want to test a bold translational innovation quickly, generate early feasibility/utility data, and build the foundation for larger-scale validation or implementation efforts later.

• The National Institutes of Health in the health sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Limited Competition: Exploratory CTSA Collaborative Innovation Awards (R21 Clinical Trial Optional)" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 93.350.
• This funding opportunity was created on 2017-11-21.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2018-11-29. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
• Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $200,000.00 in funding.
• Eligible applicants include: State governments, County governments, City or township governments, Special district governments, Independent school districts, Public and State controlled institutions of higher education, Native American tribal governments (Federally recognized), Public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities, Native American tribal organizations (other than Federally recognized tribal governments), Nonprofits having a 501 (c) (3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education, Nonprofits that do not have a 501 (c) (3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education, Private institutions of higher education, For-profit organizations other than small businesses, Small businesses, Others.

Apply for PAR 18 245

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