Request for Proposals Center for Translational Medicine Pilot Grants
Key Due Dates:
Letter of intent: Friday, March 20, 2026 by 5pm
Invitation for full applications: March 25, 2026
Full Applications due: Monday, May 1, 2026 by 5pm
RTM-REACH Pitch Workshop: April 22-24, 2026 (time TBD)
RTM-REACH Pitch Practice Sessions: May 5-6, 2026
Pitch Competition: Tuesday, May 19, 2026 1-4 pm
Anticipated selection date: Friday, May 29, 2026
Project Management Integration, June 1-15, 2026
Anticipated Funding Start date: June 15, 2026
Funding Period: 1 year
Description:
The Center for Translational Medicine (CTM) at the 猎奇重口 is a multi-disciplinary research center that assists faculty, staff, and students in the translation of research ideas from bench to bedside. The CTM anticipates funding multiple Pilot Projects totaling up to $100,000 for each award (direct costs). Pilot Projects will provide support to generate preliminary data for a future extramural research grant applications (see General Terms and Conditions below). Applicants who submit an NIH R01 grant (or equivalent) during the project performance period will be eligible to apply for an additional 1 year of bridge funding while grant is being reviewed. Applicants must submit a Letter of Intent (LOI) outlining the proposed research, how it relates to translational medicine, and plans for securing extramural funding. Invited applicants will be asked to submit a full research proposal due on May 1, 2026.
CTM is partnering with the Rocky Mountain Research Evaluation And Commercialization Hub (RMT-REACH), an NIH-funded translational program in the L.S. Skaggs Institute for Health Innovation, to provide pitch training and pitch practice sessions. RMT-REACH will also provide project management support for the two awarded projects. Applicants may apply to both the CTM Pilot Grant Program and the RMT-REACH Pilot Awards, as the programs have complementary goals and distinct review criteria.
Funding:
Up to $100,000 (direct cost), multiple awards anticipated. A second year of bridge funding may be available for applicants who achieve project milestones and submit an NIH R01 grant (or equivalent) through CTM during the project period.
Eligibility:
We encourage postdocs, staff, and faculty (nontenure-track and tenure-track) at the 猎奇重口 to apply for a CTM Pilot Grant. To be eligible, applicants must be an affiliate member of the CTM and eligible to apply for extramural funding at UM. Multi-PI (Co-PI) applications are acceptable. Applicants that have received support from a CTM Pilot Grant within the past two years are ineligible to apply.
Criteria for evaluation:
Application should be written with the basic review criteria for NIH or NSF grant proposals in mind. Additional review criteria include:
- Likelihood of the project becoming competitive for independent NIH, DoD or NSF funding;
- Likelihood of producing a publishable result within the one-year time frame;
- Likelihood of producing a patent application within the one-year time frame;
- Presentation of research project and translational/commercial potential (“the pitch”);
- Relevance to translational medicine (builds on basic research advances (studies of biological processes using cell cultures, for example, or animal models) and uses them to develop new therapies, devices or medical procedures.
- PI agrees to submit extramural grant application(s) based on data or results obtained from the CTM Pilot Project research through the CTM (Center recovers IDCs) within 6 months of the end of the 1-year project period.
- Grant funds may be used for personnel support, consumable supplies, core facility user fees, services, small laboratory hardware, and equipment. Preference will be given to applications that name specific individuals who will be on-site and eligible to work at the beginning of the funding period. Travel costs are limited to project related travel. Tuition costs are allowable as per standard institutional policies.
- Quotes must be provided for all equipment purchases >$5000. A detailed budget justification is required for all equipment purchases. Equipment purchases will not be allowed unless they are specifically requested and adequately justified in the Pilot Grant Application.
- All applicants must present a 15-minute confidential project pitch to the CTM Pilot Grant Project Review Team.
- Pitch slide deck templates and training/guidance will be provided by RMT-REACH.
- The Pitch Practice Sessions are a mandatory component of the application. Please notify program staff if you are unable to make these dates.
- Submit a Letter of Intent
Due on Friday, March 20 by 5pm (email to jay.evans@umontana.edu).
- 1 page limit (not including references)
- Describe the proposed research project, how it relates to translational medicine (unmet medical need and commercial potential) and plans for securing extramural funding.
- Submit Complete Application upon invitation
- Full application due by Monday, May 1, 2026 at 5pm
- Use Arial 11 font, single space with 0.5” margins
- Application should include the following:
- Research strategy/approach (up to 6 pages in length)
- Background
- Innovation
- Specific aims
- Approach
- Unmet medical need, intellectual property and commercialization potential
- Detailed budget spreadsheet (University indirect rates do not apply)
- Budget justification
- Description of IRB and IACUC approvals or status - as necessary (approvals must be obtained before the funding start date)
- References
- Include an up-to-date NIH Biosketch
- List of 3 potential reviewers with expertise in subject area
- Letters of Support (collaborators, proprietary reagents, mentored applicants)
- Research strategy/approach (up to 6 pages in length)
- Completed application must be received as a single PDF document (email to conroy@umontana.edu) by Monday, May 1, 2026 at 5pm.
- All applicants will be invited to present the proposed project (“the pitch”) as a 15-minute presentation to the CTM Pilot Grant Project Review Team on Tuesday, May 19, 1-4 pm.
- Full Proposal Review Process
- Review will consist of 2 parts
- 75% from research project proposal review. Scientific reviewers may be selected from UM faculty or external reviewers (NDA will be required for all external reviewers).
- 25% from project presentation “the pitch” (overall strategy, commercial potential, unmet medical need).
- Review will consist of 2 parts
Please address any questions to Jay Evans (jay.evans@umontana.edu).