Slots: 1
Deadlines
Internal Deadline: Friday, January 24th, 2025, 5pm PT
LOI: N/A
External Deadline: March 13, 2025
Recurring Deadlines: May 28, 2025; September 29, 2025; January 28, 2026; May 28, 2026; September 28, 2026; January 28, 2027; May 28, 2027; September 28, 2027
Award Information
Award Type: Grant
Estimated Number of Awards: The number of awards is contingent upon NIH appropriations and the submission of a sufficient number of meritorious applications.
Who May Serve as PI: The PD/PI should be an established investigator in the scientific area in which the application is targeted and capable of providing both administrative and scientific leadership to the development and implementation of the proposed program. The PD/PI will be responsible for the selection and appointment of trainees to the approved research training program, and for the overall direction, management, administration, and evaluation of the program. The PD/PI will be expected to monitor and assess the program and submit all documents and reports as required. The PD/PI has responsibility for the day to day administration of the program and is responsible for appointing members of the Advisory Committee (when applicable), using their recommendations to determine the appropriate allotment of funds.
The UM1 PD(s)/PI(s) may not be a PD(s)/PI(s) on the T32 application or award in order to ensure the PD(s)/PI(s) have adequate time to devote to the respective programs.
Link to Award: https://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/pa-files/PAR-25-194.html
Process for Limited Submissions
PIs must submit their application as a Limited Submission through the Research Initiatives and Infrastructure (RII) Application Portal: https://rii.usc.edu/oor-portal/. Use the template provided here: RII Limited Submission Applicant Template
Materials to submit include:
- (1) Two-Page Proposal Summary (1” margins; single-spaced; standard font type, e.g. Arial, Helvetica, Times New Roman, or Georgia typeface; font size: 11 pt). Page limit includes references and illustrations. Pages that exceed the 2-page limit will be excluded from review. You must use the template linked above.
- (2) CV – (5 pages maximum)
Note: The portal requires information about the PIs in addition to department and contact information, including the 10-digit USC ID#. Please have this material prepared before beginning this application.
Purpose
Purpose and Background Information
The NRSA program has been the primary means of supporting predoctoral and postdoctoral research training programs since enactment of the NRSA legislation in 1974. Research training activities can be in basic biomedical or clinical sciences, in behavioral or social sciences, in health services research, or in any other discipline relevant to the NIH mission.
Institutional NRSA programs allow the Training Program Director/Principal Investigator (Training PD/PI) to select the trainees and develop a program of coursework, research experiences, and technical and/or professional skills development appropriate for the selected trainees. Each program should provide high-quality research training and offer opportunities in addition to conducting mentored research. Trainees should develop the ability to work effectively in teams with colleagues from a variety of cultural and scientific backgrounds, and to promote inclusive and supportive scientific research environments. The grant offsets the cost of stipends, tuition and fees, and training related expenses, including health insurance, for the appointed trainees in accordance with agency-approved support levels.
This Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) provides an opportunity for the Hub to create, provide, and disseminate clinical and translational science training and career support programs for translational scientists and to support meaningful translational science research projects that address demonstrable needs among stakeholder communities.
Program Objective
The goal of the Ruth L. Kirschstein National Research Service Award (NRSA) Institutional Predoctoral Research Training Grant for the Clinical and Translational Science Awards (CTSA) Program is to equip trainees with the knowledge, skills and abilities (KSAs) to advance diagnostics, therapeutics, clinical interventions, and behavioral modifications that improve health.
The National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences (NCATS) at the National Institutes of Health (NIH), is transforming the translational science process so that new treatments and cures for disease can be delivered to patients faster. NCATS strives to develop innovations to reduce, remove or bypass costly and time-consuming bottlenecks in the translational research pipeline in an effort to speed the delivery of new drugs, diagnostics and medical devices to patients.
Translation, translational research, and translational science are related but different. Translation turns observations in the laboratory, clinic, and community into diagnostics, therapeutics, medical procedures, and behavioral changes that improve people’s health. Translational research moves a project to the next step in the translational process. Translational science enables these projects to reach their goals faster and more efficiently. At NCATS, we define translational science as the field that generates scientific and operational innovations that overcome the long-standing barriers along the translational research pipeline. With its focus on improving the process, translational science ultimately leads to more treatments for all people more quickly.
The NCATS Translational Science Principles characterize effective approaches for advancing translational progress. These principles are described on the NCATS website (https://ncats.nih.gov/about/about-translational-science/principles). These principles are intentionally broad and apply to research anywhere along the translational continuum. While they exemplify translational science approaches, they are not intended to be comprehensive.
The NCATS Clinical and Translational Science Awards (CTSA) Program is designed to develop innovative solutions that will improve the efficiency, quality and impact of the process for turning observations in the laboratory, clinic and community into interventions that improve the health of individuals and the public. Sustaining a vibrant clinical and translational research enterprise requires a 21st century workforce that can advance clinical and translational science (CTS) that will, in turn, increase the efficiency and efficacy of translation, with the ultimate goal of getting more treatments to more patients more quickly.
Clinical and translational scientists will possess both deep scientific domain expertise and systems understanding, and their research is expected to be designed to produce discoveries that are simultaneously important for their discipline(s) and contribute to other disciplines, thus intentionally advancing the translational process as a whole. These characteristics will be required to successfully prepare trainees to transition into the many and varied productive career paths available to clinical and translational scientists within the translational science spectrum. Proposed training programs are expected to help trainees develop the following characteristics independent of their particular area(s) of expertise:
- Domain Expert: Possesses deep disciplinary knowledge and expertise within one or more of the domains of the translational science spectrum ranging from basic to clinical to public health research and domains in between.
- Boundary Crosser: Breaks down disciplinary silos and collaborates with others across research areas and professions to collectively advance the development of a medical intervention.
- Team Player: Practices a team science approach by leveraging the strengths and expertise and valuing the contributions of all players on the translational science team. Has the ability to work effectively with colleagues from a variety of cultural and scientific backgrounds, and to promote inclusive, safe and supportive scientific research and training environments.
- Process Innovator: Seeks to better understand the scientific and operational principles underlying the translational process and innovates to overcome bottlenecks and accelerate that process.
- Skilled Communicator: Communicates clearly with all stakeholders in the translational process across social, cultural, economic, and scientific backgrounds, including patients and community members.
- Systems Thinker: Evaluates the complex external forces, interactions, and relationships impacting the development of medical interventions, including patient needs and preferences, regulatory requirements, current standards of care, and market and business demands.
- Rigorous Researcher: Conducts research at the highest levels of rigor and transparency within their field of expertise, possesses strong statistical analysis skills, and designs research projects to maximize reproducibility.
Visit our Institutionally Limited Submission webpage for more updates and other announcements.