The Limited Competition: Small Grant Program for the NCATS Clinical and Translational Science Award (CTSA) Program (R03 Clinical Trial Optional), administered by the National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences (NCATS) under the National Institutes of Health (NIH), supports small, self-contained research projects in translational science. This funding opportunity is exclusively open to KL2/K12 scholars who were directly supported by the NCATS CTSA Program and have completed their KL2/K12 appointments within the past two years. The grant aims to facilitate the transition of these scholars into independent academic researchers by enabling them to pursue focused research efforts with limited resources.
The core purpose of this Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) is to address general roadblocks in science and operations that hinder the efficiency and effectiveness of translational research. The projects should develop, demonstrate, and/or disseminate innovative solutions or treatments that can be generalized to one or more diseases. These projects may include pilot studies, feasibility research, data analysis, methodology development, or new research technology creation. While not all projects need to be disease-specific, they should align with the NCATS Translational Science Principles and show potential to accelerate the translation of research into improved health outcomes.
Funding for the R03 program is limited to $50,000 per year in direct costs for a maximum of two years. It is expected that this funding will help generate preliminary data necessary for submitting a larger R01 or equivalent grant application. All awardees must also budget for travel to an annual meeting to present their research. Applications may be submitted under new or resubmission types and are subject to scientific merit review and advisory council evaluation.
Eligible applicants must be KL2/K12 scholars who received direct support from NCATS through CTSA Program grants. Applications must be submitted within two years of completing the KL2/K12 appointment, and only single PD/PI applications are accepted. Institutional support letters, mentor letters, and documentation of eligibility are required as part of the submission. Additionally, all standard NIH registration requirements and application components must be met.
The submission process involves multiple due dates across each year, including deadlines in February, June, and October, with corresponding review and award cycles. The earliest submission date for this reissued opportunity is January 17, 2025, and the application expiration date is October 20, 2026. While a letter of intent is not mandatory, it is strongly encouraged and should be submitted by the first due date.
Applications will be evaluated based on the significance of the research, rigor and feasibility of the approach, and the capabilities of the applicant and their institutional environment. Reviewers will specifically assess how well the project addresses translational roadblocks, the innovation of the proposed solution, and the extent to which the research supports the scholar’s progression to independence.
