Purpose

The purpose of the program is to provide funding for clinical and translational pilot projects from investigators of the OSCTR member institutions including the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences (Oklahoma City), University of Oklahoma (Norman Campus), University of Oklahoma (Tulsa campus), Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation, Oklahoma Physician Resources/Research Network, Southern Plains Tribal Health Board, Veteran’s Affairs Medical Center (Oklahoma City), Oklahoma State University (Stillwater), Oklahoma State University Center for Health Sciences, Chickasaw Nation, Cherokee Nation, Choctaw Nation, Absentee Shawnee Tribe, Kiowa Nation, Oklahoma City Indian Clinic, Oklahoma State Health Department, Laureate Institute for Brain Research, University of Tulsa, Oklahoma Blood Institute, Public Health Institutes of Oklahoma, and Dean McGee Eye Institute. Preference is given to investigators who qualify as NIH New or Early Stage Investigators, or to investigators who are transitioning to clinical and translational research.

The program seeks to support proposals designed to generate preliminary data that will result in improved health and/or health outcomes for citizens of Oklahoma and other IDeA states and enhance the competitiveness of the investigator for future extramural funding. The program also seeks to fund innovative concepts, approaches, and methodologies that bring fresh new ideas to solving the health issues of those living in Oklahoma and collaborating IDeA states. Projects that focus on chronic diseases and on health concerns prevalent within Oklahoma and our OSCTR partners will be a priority. Only projects which meet the NIH definition of clinical and/or translational research will be accepted. Clinical research includes 1) Patient-oriented research. Research conducted with human subjects (or on material of human origin, such as tissues, specimens, and cognitive phenomena) for which an investigator (or colleague) directly interacts with human subjects. Excluded from this definition are in vitro studies that use human tissues that cannot be linked to a living individual. This definition includes (a) mechanisms of human disease, (b) therapeutic interventions, (c) clinical trials, or (d) development of new technologies which can be applied to human samples or data from human samples. 2). Epidemiologic and behavioral studies, 3) Outcomes research and health services research. Translational research is the process of turning observations in the laboratory, clinic, and community into interventions that improve the health of individuals and the public, from diagnostics and therapeutics to medical procedures and behavioral changes. 

The OSCTR pilot project expects to fund a minimum of 5-10 proposals. The total budget (direct and indirect costs) may not exceed $71,500 for the one year needed to successfully complete the proposed project (for OU Health Sciences applicants, this would be $50,000 in direct costs). If the applicant has secured matching funds from their institution to supplement this project, please notate in your budget justification and/or research plan but do not include in the detailed budget pages.

Approved CTRP grants will be funded for a period starting January 1, 2026 contingent on NIH approval of just in time (JIT) information. All funds are required to be expended by December 31, 2026.

Eligibility 

The Principal Investigator submitting an application must hold an institutional equivalent of a full-time faculty appointment at the applicant or partnering institution. At a non-academic institution, this would include senior research scientists or clinicians with a terminal degree who are eligible to apply for independent research funding. Individuals who lack independent status and who would not qualify to apply for a peer-reviewed investigator-initiated research project grant from their institution are not eligible. Principal Investigators with modified faculty titles need a letter of support from their departmental chairperson (or equivalent) indicating support for the development of their independent research career. Investigators currently supported as a CoBRE/INBRE junior investigator or pilot recipient are not eligible for support as the Principal Investigator (or MPI) on this award per NIH rules. Previous recipients of an OSCTR pilot grant are not eligible to apply as PI. However, they may serve as a Co-investigator or mentor on an application

Priority for funding will include:

• Applications from investigators who qualify for NIH early-stage/new investigator status and are candidates who plan to apply for K08/K23 NIH Career Development awards or other independent federal awards (e.g. R01, R21, etc) with projects of importance to the health challenges of Oklahomans.
• Projects led or co-led by investigators at OSCTR community partner organizations.
• Multi-institutional and multi-disciplinary projects between junior and established faculty at two or more OSCTR institutions.
• Established investigators wishing to transition into a new CTR-focused research area. Priority will be given to projects involving new collaborations that focus on solving the health issues of medically underserved populations living in Oklahoma and collaborating IDeA states.

Format for Full Proposal

Applications should be prepared using Arial (11 point, 10 pitch font), single spaced, with minimum 0.5 inch margins and should not exceed the page limits indicated below. The submission must be on current NIH PHS 398 forms and follow PHS 398 instructions 

The forms, instructions, and submission link can be found at:  http://osctr.ouhsc.edu/researchers/pilots2025

1. NIH Form page 1 (NIH grant application face page)
2. NIH Form page 2 (Project summary and key personnel)
3. NIH Form page 3 (Table of contents)
4. NIH Form page 4 (Detailed budget for initial period)
   1. Include budgets pertaining to any contractual agreements (subcontract or subrecipients)
   2. Budget justification (on NIH PHS398 continuation pages)
   3. Funds may not be requested for clerical support, office supplies, purchase of books and periodicals, or foreign travel. Laboratory equipment equal to or over $5,000 is not permitted. Travel expenses may not exceed $1,500.
5. NIH Biographical sketch for the PI and Co-PIs only (5 pages max.) (please use the new format)
   1. All publications and employment in chronological order (most recent last)
   2. PMCID numbers for NIH-funded publications accepted since April 8, 2008. In press articles require either “PMC Journal-In process” or NIHMSID.
   3. For all non-NIH funded articles from that date, include either [Research support, Non-U.S. gov’t], [Research support, Non-PHS], or [No research support].
   4. Please see the example biosketch on the OSCTR website for instructions.
6. Research Plan (single document containing the following)
   1. Specific Aims (1 page maximum)
   2. Research strategy (3 pages maximum)
      1. Significance
      2. Innovation
      3. Approach  (including supporting preliminary data, expected outcomes, potential problems and alternate experiments)
      4. Relevance (potential impact on issues of Oklahoma health)
   3. Bibliography and references cited.
7. PHS Human Subjects and Clinical Trials Information Form
8. Other Documents
   1. Vertebrate animals, if applicable (no page limit)
   2. Select agent research, if applicable (no page limit)
   3. Consortium/contractual arrangements, if applicable (Letter of intent to subcontract or similar notice)
   4. Resource sharing plan, if applicable (no page limit)
   5. Letters of support
      1. Junior investigators should include a supporting letter(s) from a department chair/section chief/division head.
      2. Junior investigators may wish to include a supporting letter(s) from a senior investigator willing to serve as a mentor
      3. All investigators intending to use any of the OSCTR cores should provide a letter of support from the Director of that Core
   6. IRB, IACUC or IBC letters (if research already approved)
9. Plan for independent research funding (2 pages maximum)
   1. Detailed time-frame for completion of work on the project. 
   2. Future grant submission plans to expand the data from this study that will define your plans for future independent funding.

Submission Timeline

Deadlines for submission:  Friday, July 11, 2025 at 5:00 PM CDT

Late applications will be returned without review.

The Pilot Proposal application should be submitted as PDF forms at the OSCTR Piestar RFx site (https://osctr.piestar-rfx.com). The site will require you to generate a username and password the first time you use it. 

Institutional Assurances

Proof of approval of IRB and other regulatory requirements are not required at time of submission. However, proof of approvals must be submitted to the NIH before conducting research on any items that require approval.

Terms of Award

1. Documented verification of all institutional assurances before commencement of any work on the project that requires them
2. Declaration by PI that he/she is not receiving funds from another source to support any portion of the proposed research
3. The applicant will be required to meet with the OSCTR mentoring committee monthly to review progress, address financial considerations, and identify potential future funding opportunities.
4. A 1-2 page progress report is required at the end of 3 months from the start date of the project and at the end of the funding period to describe progress to date. Please use the NIH progress report format and forms.
   1. Summarize work accomplished 
   2. Identify any significant problems
   3. Provide a list of publications, meeting presentations, abstracts, news highlights
   4. Provide a list of grant submissions/planned submissions
5. The applicant is expected to participate in the monthly scholars mentoring luncheons
6. Publications and meeting abstracts must acknowledge funding from the Oklahoma Shared Clinical and Translational Resources and cite grant number NIGMS U54GM104938.  
7. Investigators of the pilot projects will be asked to complete a short questionnaire regarding the mentoring support they received. 
8. A completed annual impact survey form will be required from each funded investigator for 10 years following the completion of the project

Questions

If you have any technical questions about the grant submission process or grant eligibility please contact the OSCTR Research Navigator Service at osctr@ouhsc.edu or call 405-271-3480.