2026-2027 Stanford CTS Pilot Grants Program

★ UPDATE: Deadline Extension ★  Please note that the deadline for this RFA has been extended by one week. All applications must now be submitted by February 9, 2026, 11:59 PM PT.

Stanford CTS Pilot Grants Program Overview

The Stanford Clinical & Translational Science (CTS) Pilot Grants Program supports early-stage projects that advance the science of translation, emphasizing collaborative, transdisciplinary work and generalizable translational outcomes. The program provides pilot funding, mentorship, and innovation training to accelerate the translation of discoveries into better health outcomes. 

Projects should address mid- to late-stage (T2–T4) translational or clinical research in community health, with clearly articulated quantitative and/or qualitative outcomes that can lead to measurable improvements in health. We especially encourage research that includes meaningful collaboration with community partners and organizations.

Areas of Interest include: 

• The Science of Translation: Projects that develop or validate new approaches to improve the efficiency, effectiveness, or generalizability of the translational process.
• Health Policy in Translational Research: Investigations into policies or regulatory frameworks that influence translational success across multiple healthcare contexts

Examples of eligible projects include:

• Platform technologies that enable products with applications across multiple clinical specialties.  This can also include methods for increasing effectiveness of existing products, streamlining regulatory approval, scaling production, or adapting for a range of healthcare settings.
• Novel diagnostic tools that increase understanding of a disease and its mechanisms, and enable new therapeutic approaches for validation across multiple diseases, interoperability with existing systems, or frameworks for accelerating clinical adoption.
• Methods for streamlining prototype and product development, reducing fabrication and validation time and cost, and facilitating transition to manufacturing.
• Studies on policies, incentives, and process improvements that help de-risk innovation and make regulatory pathways more efficient and predictable.

Translational Science Focus and Requirements

Pilot projects must include a clear focus on translational science (TS) and address at least one mandatory NCATS Translational Science Principle:

• Produce Generalizable Solutions for Common and Persistent Challenges: Develop innovations that address persistent challenges to advancing translational progress that are found across multiple research initiatives or projects, or span research on multiple diseases or conditions.
• Enhance the Efficiency and Speed of Translational Research: Implement evidence-informed practices and scientific and operational innovations to accelerate the pace of translational research.

Projects that emphasize additional principles from the list below will receive priority during the review process:

• Prioritize Initiatives That Address Unmet Needs: Focus on pursuing scientific goals that address unmet scientific, patient or population health needs.
• Emphasize Creativity and Innovation: Leverage creativity and innovation in research design, conduct, and facilitating factors, with the goal of increasing the impact of the research.
• Leverage Cross-Disciplinary Team Science: Engage team members with expertise across disciplines, fields, and professions to produce research that advances translation along the translational research continuum.
• Utilize Boundary-Crossing Partnerships: Leverage collaborations across agencies and sectors and engage patients and communities in research to advance translational progress.
• Use Bold and Rigorous Research Approaches: Develop ambitious research questions and address them with rigorous and robust methods toward generating reproducible findings that contribute to advancing translation.

Award Management

Awards will be managed by one of the following Stanford programs:

• SPARK Translational Research Program is a novel drug and diagnostics discovery program that helps train academics in translational research and translational science. We teach an innovative, cost-effective way to overcome the hurdles associated with translating academic discoveries and speed the development of drugs and diagnostics that address real clinical needs.
• Stanford Mussallem Center for Biodesign educates trainees in biomedical technology innovation (medical devices, mobile technologies and device-based patient-specific (or point-of-care) diagnostic applications) and health policy through fellowships, courses, mentoring, and funding opportunities. Biodesign HealthTech pilot projects should develop generalizable insights into the translational process rather than focusing solely on product development. 

Amount and Period of Funding

The maximum funding amount is $50,000 for 10 months and must be completed in that timeframe. Funds must be applied to specific tasks that increase the probability of translational success in accordance with Spectrum and NIH-NCATS funding guidelines. Unexpended funds will be forfeited.

Important Dates

★ UPDATE: Deadline Extension ★  Please note that the deadline for this RFA has been extended by one week. All applications must now be submitted by February 9, 2026, 11:59 PM PT.

Selection and Award Process

Proposals will be evaluated by independent faculty and external reviewers based on selection criteria and scoring systems. Reviewers will prioritize applications that present bold, innovative approaches with significant potential for translational impact.

Awardees will receive preliminary notification of selection. Final awards will be granted only after all requirements are met. Teams that fail to meet requirements on time may forfeit their award to runner-up teams.

• Requirements include, but are not limited to:
  • Final budgets received from departmental finance;
  • NIH biosketches;
  • IRB approval, or determination that human subjects are not involved;
  • CITI training (Group 7) completed by project investigators and their research staff;
  • IACUC approval for animal studies;
  • NCATS prior approval for projects involving human subjects or vertebrate animals. Note: See below for more information on the NCATS prior approval process and timeline.

Evaluation Criteria

The research must relate directly to applications in healthcare, and the objectives of the project should include an outcome that will benefit patients. Evaluation of proposals will be on the basis of innovation and scientific merit, potential healthcare impact, and feasibility, as well as Translational Science Principles of generalizability,  and increasing efficiency and speed of translation. Priority will be given to projects that emphasize additional Translational Science principles.

NCATS Process for Prior Approval Requests for Human Subjects Research and Vertebrate Animal Research

Projects involving human subjects or vertebrate animals require NCATS prior approval before awards can be issued and funds released. This process ensures compliance with ethical and safety standards.

• Spectrum staff will assist awardees in compiling and submitting required documents to NCATS, which include IRB and/or IACUC approval.
• NCATS approval takes a minimum of 30 days, and funding cannot be disbursed until approval is secured.
• Preview the list of required NCATS documents here: CTS Pilot – NCATS Prior Approval Checklist.
  • Please note: Reviewing and gathering these materials helps you anticipate the requirements, but it does not initiate NCATS approval.
  • For answers to common questions, please see the NCATS’ FAQ page.

Restrictions

Projects will be deemed ineligible if they include:

• Cost-Sharing (per NIH NOT-TR-24-029) – Pilot projects must be fully supported with NIH funds awarded through this funding announcement (no other funding sources may be used to support these projects).
• Foreign Components (defined as scientific or research activities performed outside the United States that may result in co-authorship).
• Sole focus on translational research (advancing a specific therapy, drug, or intervention) rather than translational science.

Institutional Representatives

Not applicable. Because this is an internal Stanford funding opportunity, you do not have to submit your applications through your RPM in RMG or your CGO in OSR for their approval.

Grant Acknowledgment

The Stanford CTS Pilot Program is supported by the National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences of the NIH under Award Number UM1TR004921. 

See NCATS Strategic Plan 2025-2030 for further information (https://ncats.nih.gov/about/ncats-overview/strategic-plan).