Awards Supporting Cutting-Edge Technologies for Translational Science (ASCETTS) (R21 Clinical Trials Not Allowed)

The National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences (NCATS), part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), has announced the Awards Supporting Cutting-Edge Technologies for Translational Science (ASCETTS) funding opportunity under the R21 Exploratory/Developmental Research Grant mechanism. This grant aims to foster the early-stage development of innovative technologies with the potential to transform translational science, particularly in therapeutic development. The focus is on high-risk, high-reward projects that may not yet have preliminary data but propose strong rationales and innovative frameworks. The ultimate goal is to accelerate the development and market readiness of new technologies that can significantly enhance the efficiency of therapeutic development and translational research. ASCETTS is intended for technology concepts that address systemic bottlenecks across multiple diseases rather than single-disease-focused innovations. Supported projects might include platforms for cell engineering, drug delivery systems, large-scale data solutions, algorithmic and software tools, or novel instrumentation. NCATS emphasizes that successful applications should aim to develop prototypes or early technologies that, by the end of the two-year project period, are sufficiently mature to attract further investment or support from NIH or external stakeholders. Eligibility for this opportunity includes a wide range of U.S.-based organizations such as higher education institutions, non-profits, small and large businesses, various governmental entities, tribal organizations, and housing authorities. However, foreign organizations and non-domestic components of U.S. organizations are not eligible to apply. Applicant organizations must be registered with the System for Award Management (SAM), eRA Commons, and Grants.gov, among others. Individuals designated as Program Directors or Principal Investigators must also have an eRA Commons account. The grant allows a maximum budget of $275,000 in direct costs over a two-year project period, with no more than $200,000 allowed in any single year. This funding instrument does not support clinical trials. Applications must include three mandatory one-page attachments: a Feasibility statement, a Validation Plan, and Future Plans for technology development. Applications missing any of these documents will not be reviewed. The ASCETTS opportunity was updated on March 31, 2025, to align with current agency priorities. The earliest submission date is May 19, 2025. Upcoming application deadlines include June 19, 2025, and June 18, 2026. Reviews will follow the standard NIH peer review process, emphasizing the significance, innovation, feasibility, and the qualifications of investigators and institutional support. The anticipated start dates for awarded projects are in April 2026 and April 2027, respectively. Interested applicants should direct scientific inquiries to Dr. Kihwa Kang (kihwa.kang@nih.gov, 301-827-5634) and grants management questions to Rachel Renee Ratz (rachel.ratz@nih.gov, 301-451-4765).

Ensure compliance with all mandatory instructions and include the three one-page attachments. Applications missing these components will not be reviewed.