Notice Number: NOT-TR-15-005

Key Dates
Release Date: February 10, 2015
Estimated Publication Date of Announcement: February 2015
First Estimated Application Due Date: May 2015

Related Announcements
PAR-15-173
RFA-TR-14-009
NOT-TR-15-006

Issued by
National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences (NCATS)

Purpose

The National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences (NCATS) intends to promote a new initiative involving collaborative innovative research in both translational science and its methods, within the CTSA consortium. It is anticipated that the combined effort of three or more CTSA hubs in flexible networks will substantially enhance the effectiveness of the consortium to address high priority translational research questions.

Two companion Funding Opportunity Announcements (FOAs) for the Collaborative Innovation Awards are expected to be published in February 2015. These FOAs will utilize the X02 pre-application activity code, with pre-applications anticipated to be due in May 2015, and the U01 Research Project - Cooperative Agreement, with applications anticipated to be due in winter 2015.

This Notice is being provided to allow potential applicants sufficient time to develop meaningful collaborations and responsive projects for the X02 pre-application.

Research Initiative Details

This Notice encourages investigators with expertise and insights in the area of innovation in clinical and translational research to begin to consider applying for the X02 FOA.

The XO2 FOA invites pre-applications for innovative collaborative investigations (involving three or more CTSA sites) into improvements of the methods of translational research, at any step in the translational spectrum (T1-T4) that have the following characteristics:

First, such projects should develop a new technology, method, or approach that addresses a general roadblock in science and/or operations that limits the efficiency and effectiveness of translation. This FOA also supports innovative approaches to training or community/patient engagement that are focused on improving translation.

Second, such projects should demonstrate in one or more use cases whether the tool, method, or approach is effective in accelerating translation, utilizing clear and meaningful metrics and outcomes, when implemented across multiple CTSA hubs.

Third, such projects should advance collaboration, building on existing strengths and resources of CTSA hubs. Investigators who are not affiliated with a CTSA hub, but wish to bring an innovative project to the CTSA consortium, can participate in collaboration with a CTSA investigator. Whenever possible, projects should include partnerships between CTSA hubs and external stakeholders such as industry or patient organizations, so that there can be a hand-off of successful projects to the private sector when applicable.

Fourth, what constitutes success of the proposed project can be defined and measured.

No awards will be made in response to the X02 FOA; the pre-application process will provide feedback. Instead, X02 applications will be evaluated by outside experts, and applicants whose X02 pre-applications are found to be meritorious and programmatically relevant will be notified of the opportunity to submit a full application in response to the U01 FOA.

For the X02 pre-application, the evaluation will be primarily focused on the translational science problem to be addressed, the proposed innovative solution, the collaborative team and their respective contributions to the project, and outside partners, if any. No letters of Institutional commitment, documentation of human subjects protection or animal welfare assurance will need to be submitted. An overall budget for the project will be required, but detailed budget information will not be necessary.

Inquiries

Please direct all inquiries to:

Philip J. Brooks, Ph.D..
Division of Clinical Innovation
National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences (NCATS)
Telephone: 301-443-0513
Email: CTSAINNOVATIONFOAQuestions@mail.nih.gov