Implementation research development pilot grant funding opportunity

The Center for Clinical and Translational Science believes health research should raise people’s overall well-being in Chicago and beyond. We help UIC researchers bring health breakthroughs into the world faster.

The Center for Clinical and Translational Science (CCTS) announces the availability of pilot grant funding for research project development that incorporates implementation research to address health disparities. These pilot grant awards will be for one-year, up to $30,000, with funding starting in October 2023.

The CCTS Pilot Grant Program seeks to:

·    foster outstanding new clinical and translational health research at UIC by supporting the development of preliminary data that can be used to launch new NIH or other externally-funded research proposals;

·    encourage interdisciplinary teams of investigators that spans across colleges and campus to develop collaborations or new research avenues;

·    promote interactions between basic, clinical and public health scientists; and

·    support research collaborations with community partners and organizations.

The expectation at the end of the 12-month grant cycle is that awardees will have an NIH-level grant proposal using implementation science that is ready for submission or that has already been submitted with these pilot funds providing additional preliminary studies or data in response to prior critiques.

We will consider a range of potential research ideas across the full translational spectrum. We expect most of the work proposed will be formative. Potential research foci include:

·    Formative work leading to the development of a testable implementation research logic model

·    Focus groups or key informant interviews to guide implementation planning

·    Adaptation work to prepare an intervention for testing in a new or different population or environment

·    Adaptation work and pilot testing to prepare for data collection in a new or different population or environment

·    Testing of delivery mechanisms to enhance patient adherence or tolerability of treatment regimens (a patient-centric focus is encouraged)

·    Acceptability and feasibility testing of telehealth, mHealth, and alternative clinical care formats

PI Eligibility

Principal Investigators must be clinical, research, or tenure track UIC faculty or Senior Scientists at UIC. Although adjunct faculty cannot serve as PIs, they may serve as named investigators, collaborators, or key personnel. Post-doctoral fellows may also serve as key personnel but cannot be PIs.

Application Process

This application has an accelerated application timeline. Unlike the standard pilot program cycle, there is no Letter of Intent phase. Applications will ONLY be accepted via electronic submission in the Awards system CCTS Awards System. Please note, the application cycle is currently under construction and will be open for applications in June 2023. However, we invite you to submit your email address on the CCTS Awards System to be notified when applications are open.

Application Timeline:

• RFA Release date: Monday, May 1, 2023
• Applications due: Monday, July 31, 2023 by 5:00 PM CST
• Award Notification: Friday, September 15, 2023
• Award Start Date: Monday, October 16, 2023

Questions? Contact Mary Campbell at mcampb22@uic.edu.