Limited Competition: Clinical and Translational Science Award (CTSA) Program: Collaborative and Innovative Acceleration Award (UG3/UH3 Clinical Trial Optional) | PAR 22 167

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

What is this NIH funding opportunity?

This is a limited competition NIH funding opportunity for the Clinical and Translational Science Award (CTSA) Program: Collaborative and Innovative Acceleration Award (CCIA). It supports projects intended to speed up and strengthen the translational research pipeline by funding collaborative teams that can solve common, cross-cutting problems that slow translation across many disease areas.

What is the FOA number and official program name?

The funding opportunity is titled "Clinical and Translational Science Award (CTSA) Program: Collaborative and Innovative Acceleration Award (CCIA)" and the FOA number is PAR-22-167.

Who is the sponsoring agency?

The sponsoring agency is the National Institutes of Health (NIH).

What type of funding instrument is used?

This opportunity uses a cooperative agreement funding instrument and specifically a UG3/UH3 mechanism.

What does it mean that this is a cooperative agreement?

A cooperative agreement generally means NIH expects substantial involvement during the project. Compared with a standard research grant, this typically includes more active scientific and programmatic partnership from NIH staff, milestone-driven management, and coordinated efforts across participating groups.

What does the UG3/UH3 phased mechanism mean?

The UG3/UH3 structure is a phased approach. The UG3 phase commonly supports planning, feasibility, and early proof-of-concept work. If predefined milestones are met, the project may transition to the UH3 phase, which is focused on implementation.

Are clinical trials required?

No. The opportunity is labeled "clinical trial optional," meaning a project may include a clinical trial if appropriate, but a clinical trial is not required. Applicants can propose non-trial translational infrastructure, methods, or process innovations as long as they align with program goals.

What is the main purpose of the CCIA program?

The purpose is to accelerate translation by funding teams that can work across organizational boundaries to develop, demonstrate, and disseminate solutions to shared inefficiencies in translational science. The emphasis is on solutions that can be reused, scaled, and broadly adopted to help get more interventions to more people faster.

Is the program focused on a specific disease area?

No. The program is intentionally not centered on a single disease. It focuses on cross-cutting, system-level solutions that apply across conditions and disease areas.

Is the program intended to improve operations at just one institution?

No. While a project may be anchored at a specific site or hub, the stated goal is not a local improvement only. Projects are expected to produce innovations that can move the field forward and be disseminated so others can adopt them broadly.

What kinds of problems is NIH looking for teams to address?

NIH is looking for teams to identify common translational inefficiencies that show up across conditions and propose practical solutions. Examples mentioned include bottlenecks in study start-up, challenges in participant recruitment and retention, inconsistent data standards, delays in regulatory workflows, limited interoperability across systems, and barriers to equitable access.

What types of projects fit this opportunity?

Projects that develop, demonstrate, and disseminate innovative approaches that transform translational science fit this opportunity. This can include methods, infrastructure, process improvements, and collaborative approaches designed to be scalable and adoptable beyond the originating group.

What does "collaborative and innovative acceleration" imply for applicants?

It implies that applications should emphasize synergy and collaboration across organizational boundaries, particularly among CTSA Program hubs, relevant NIH Institutes, Centers, and Offices (ICOs), and potentially external stakeholders. The focus is on solutions that can be tested and then shared for wider use.

Who is eligible to apply?

Eligibility is limited and primarily geared toward U.S.-based public and state-controlled institutions of higher education, consistent with the "limited competition" nature and the CTSA hub-centered collaboration model.

Are foreign institutions eligible to apply?

No. Foreign institutions are not eligible to apply under the information provided.

Are non-U.S. components of U.S. organizations eligible to apply?

No. Non-U.S. components of U.S. organizations are also not eligible to apply.

Are foreign components allowed in the project?

Yes. Foreign components (as NIH defines them in the NIH Grants Policy Statement) are allowed, meaning certain internationally based elements may be included when justified and compliant, even though the applicant organization must be eligible and U.S.-based.

What is meant by "limited competition" in this context?

Based on the listing, "limited competition" indicates that eligibility is restricted (rather than open to all organization types). The provided information also suggests the program is structured around CTSA hub-centered collaboration.

What is the role of CTSA Program hubs in this opportunity?

The opportunity is designed for collaborative science among CTSA Program hubs and other partners. Projects are expected to be anchored in the CTSA ecosystem, with an emphasis on solutions that can be disseminated and adopted broadly.

What are NIH ICOs and why are they mentioned?

The opportunity emphasizes collaboration not only among CTSA hubs but also with relevant NIH Institutes, Centers, and Offices (ICOs). This signals NIH interest in coordinated, cross-cutting efforts and alignment with NIH stakeholders who may help guide, integrate, or disseminate the work.

What outcomes or impacts are projects expected to demonstrate?

Competitive projects are likely to emphasize measurable acceleration outcomes, such as reduced cycle times, improved quality or reproducibility, increased reach or equity, and better interoperability, along with evidence the approach is workable and ready for broader adoption.

Is there an expectation to disseminate the solution beyond the award team?

Yes. A core expectation described is that solutions should be designed for broad dissemination so other groups can reuse, scale, and adopt them, rather than remaining a one-off local improvement.

What is the original closing date shown for this opportunity?

The original closing date shown is 2024-10-17.

Are the award ceiling and number of awards known from the information provided?

No. The award ceiling and expected number of awards are not specified in the provided source data. Applicants would need to consult the full FOA text or NIH notices for budget limits, project period expectations, and any cohort size targets.

How is this opportunity categorized administratively?

It is categorized as a discretionary opportunity and uses a cooperative agreement funding instrument. The activity category is listed under Health, Income Security and Social Services.

What CFDA numbers are associated with this listing?

The associated CFDA numbers include 93.121, 93.307, 93.313, 93.350, 93.846, 93.859, and 93.865.

What makes an application more competitive based on the description provided?

Based on the description, stronger applications will likely feature clear multi-site or multi-stakeholder collaboration, milestone-driven planning consistent with the UG3/UH3 phases, measurable improvements to translational efficiency, and a realistic plan for dissemination and adoption beyond the originating hub or partnership.