The SW CACTI funds three (3) individual institutional and one (1) collaborative (UA/UNM) Pilot Project Awards each year that utilize the SW CACTI infrastructure to produce preliminary data for competitive NIH grant proposals in clinical and translational science (CTS).

These Pilot Project Awards are open to University of Arizona faculty members whose focus is on advancing CTS by promoting the development, demonstration, and dissemination of innovative practices to improve health outcomes, reduce health disparities, and address urgent public health needs across the Southwest region.

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences (NCATS) defines Translational Science as "the field of investigation focused on understanding the scientific and operational principles underlying each step of the translational process.” The goal of Translational Science is to develop generalizable principles to accelerate translational research” thereby turning “science into health.”

Application Process

Application Release Date: August 3, 2026

Pilot Pre-proposal due to SW CACTI: October 9, 2026, by 12 noon (Mountain Time)

SW CACTI invitation to submit full application: October 28, 2026

Full Application Deadline: January 8, 2027, by 12 noon (Mountain Time)

IRB Submission Deadline: January 8, 2027

IRB Approval Deadline for NIH Review: April 2, 2027

Notice of Intent to Fund/Decline: April 16, 2027

Notice of Award: June 11, 2027

Funding Cycle: July 1, 2027, through June 30, 2028

1. Choose a Funding Opportunity
2. Submit a Pilot Pre-Proposal
   • Pilot Pre-proposals are limited to 2 pages
   • The pre-proposal should include a title, description of objectives/aims, the most innovative and novel aspects of your proposed translational science project, description of how the project can be completed in 12 months and must directly address how the project meets the definition of Translational Science.
   • Utilization of SW CACTI Core services is strongly encouraged and will be a review of consideration. It is important that you schedule a meeting with the SW CACTI Translational Science Navigator. All requests for consultations and services are made through a centralized request form.
     1. Additional documents (not included in the 2-page limit):
     2. NIH formatted biosketch for the PI
     3. A letter of support from your Department Chair/Dean noting your qualifications, availability of protected time, and the potential impact of your work.
3. Investigators with highly qualified pre-proposals will be invited to submit a full research proposal on October 28, 2026.
4. Instructions on how to prepare a full research proposal will be provided by email with the invitation to participate.
5. Full proposals will be due by noon on January 8, 2027.

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Cite the Grant: This project is supported by an award from the National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences, National Institutes of Health under grant number UM1TR005466.
Link the Grant: To your publication in NCBI My Bibliography (Pandhi, Radovick; PIs)

SW CACTI provides a variety of Requests for Pilot Funding that distribute intramural funding for clinical and translational research at the Health Sciences Center, including two rounds of funding for our standard RFAs annually. If you have questions, please contact the SW CACTI Translational Science Navigator.

CONTACT OUR TRANSLATIONAL SCIENCE NAVIGATOR