Funding Opportunities
Internal and external funding opportunities collected by the CTSI.
CTSI PilotsThe Translational Pilot Program will solicit, review and award pilot grants designed to produce and test novel tools and methods to bridge translational gaps. |
Ignition FundsProviding ignition funding to accelerate progress for clinical and translational research projects. |
K12 FundingProviding 2-3 years of support for early-career research faculty from Wake Forest. |
Community Partnered Research AwardCommunity Engagement provides funding to support community and academic researchers via the Community Partnered Research Award. |
Special Populations Voucher FundsStudies that identify a financial need can request funds from the voucher program to help overcome barriers related to transportation, child care, etc. |
Team Grant AcceleratorSupporting planning, pre-award, and post-award stages to incentivize investigators to pursue new large awards. |
Recurring Funding Opportunities
The CTSI is proud to offer these funding mechanisms:
- Ignition Funding
Deadline: 11/04/25
- Research Salary Bridge Funding
Deadline: 01/01/26
- Early Career Salary Support
Deadline: 01/01/26
School of Medicine and Advocate Health 2024 Requests For Proposals
The Wake Forest University Program for Leadership and Character invites proposals from any Wake Forest University School of Medicine or AHWFB or Advocate Health System employee with ideas for character development programs for current and/or future clinicians (i.e. students) and/or care team members.
Character in Medicine Grant: The Character in Medicine Grant exists to empower employees of the Wake Forest University and Advocate Health System to design, implement, and/or more rigorously assess educational programs that promote participants’ character development.
This grant will fund proposals to launch pilot projects, revise existing programs, and/or implement research and/or assessment on programs to better understand their character growth impacts.
The Character in Medicine Grant is hosted by Wake Forest University’s Program for Leadership and Character, which “inspires, educates, and empowers leaders of character to serve humanity.” Toward this end, the Program develops and disseminates evidence-based educational programming that supports professionals’ growth as leaders of character. The Kern Family Foundation funds the work of the Program for Leadership and Character in medical education.
Funding amount will vary from $1,000 to $30,000. Any project over $7,500 will require assessment; see more info in the Application Questions section.
Any employee of the Wake Forest University School of Medicine and/or Advocate Health System whose job responsibilities include designing, delivering, and/or assessing educational programming may apply for a Character in Medicine grant. Award recipients must be connected to an office (or resources) that will be able to carry out all of the program spending, reimbursements and budget tracking.
The Program is currently accepting applications for projects that will:
- Have a start date at least 2 months out from application submission in order to allow time for review. Review periods can take between two to six weeks.
- Will have completed spending by March 2026
Applications for projects taking place after March 2026 will be available in Fall 2025.
Download Character in Medicine Grant Application.
Contact Suzanne Danhauer, PhD, Senior Associate Dean for Faculty Well-being at the Wake Forest School of Medicine, or Lauren Iley-Spear, Program for Leadership and Character in the Professional Schools, with questions.
October Deadlines
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Fall Pilot Common Deadline
Pilot funding opportunities are now available through the 2025 fall Common Deadline. For more details, please review the linked RFAs below.
All letters of intent are due October 8, 2025.
| Center RFA | LOI Deadline | Application Link | Award Amount |
| Center for Artificial Intelligence Research (CAIR) |
10/08/2025 at 11:59PM ET |
Apply Now | $40,000 |
| Center for Prevention Science in Child and Family Health (CPSCHFH) |
10/08/2025 at 11:59PM ET |
Apply Now | $40,000 |
| Center for Remote Health Monitoring (CRHM) |
10/08/2025 at 11:59PM ET |
Apply Now | $40,000 |
| Childress Institute for Pediatric Trauma (CIPT) |
10/08/2025 at 11:59PM ET |
Apply Now | $50,000 |
|
Wake Forest Clinical and Translational Science Institute (CTSI) Science of Translation |
10/08/2025 at 11:59PM ET |
Apply Now | $40,000 |
|
Wake Forest Clinical and Translational Science Institute (CTSI) Translational Research |
10/08/2025 at 11:59PM ET |
Apply Now | $40,000 |
| Critical Illness, Injury and Recovery Research Center (CIIRRC) |
10/08/2025 at 11:59PM ET |
Apply Now | $15,000 |
| Wake Forest Institute for Regenerative Medicine (WFIRM) |
10/08/2025 at 11:59PM ET |
Apply Now | $40,000 |
Center for Transformative Stroke Care
The Center for Transformative Stroke Care (CTSC) promotes stroke research to transform stroke care across the continuum with the aLHS approach. Pilot Applications should be related to topics of interest to the mission of the Center and will help jump start new areas or technologies for stroke research as well as to foster new or current collaborative efforts that will improve stroke care. Additional details can be found in the RFA. For questions about your research project, please contact Dr. Cheryl Bushnell or Alyson Caruso.
Successful pilots will receive up to $25,000 to be spent within a 12-month project period. These awards are open to all neuroscience investigators across Wake Forest University School of Medicine and the Advocate Health Enterprise, including all Atrium Health southeast region locations, Advocate, and Aurora hospitals in the Midwest. Collaborative projects across the Enterprise are encouraged. Wake Forest University faculty and all CTSI affiliated institutions with a Wake Forest co-investigator are also invited to apply. The application’s PI does not have to be a member of CTSC, but if the application is funded, the PI is expected to become a member of the Center and contribute to its mission. Applications should be submitted through the ePilot electronic submission system.
Deadline: October 14, 2025 by 5:00PM ET
November Deadlines
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Wake Forest Innovations Commercial Pathway Award Request for Projects
The mission of Wake Forest Innovations is to translate research into beneficial products and services. The Commercial Pathway Award furthers this mission by supporting members of the Wake Forest community by awarding financial support for milestone-driven commercially relevant projects in which the institution has a proprietary position. Projects should be designed to advance the intellectual property and commercial potential of technologies.
Examples of suitable projects include advanced proof-of-concept and feasibility studies, studies that enable go/no-go commercialization decisions, and studies designed to exceed commercially relevant value inflection points. Successful projects will receive up to $40,000 in direct costs, to be spent within a one-year project period.
Applications should fall into one of the following areas:
- Therapeutic/drug/biologic
- Diagnostic/Medical device
- Digital health
- Other (please describe)
These awards are open to investigators across Advocate Health. This includes Atrium Health, Atrium Health Navicent, and Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist, including Wake Forest University School of Medicine. Wake Forest University (Reynolda Campus) faculty are also encouraged to apply. Additional details are available in the RFP. To apply, click here.
Application Deadline: November 15, 2025 at 5:00PM ET
Research Centers
An Institutionally-Supported Research Center is an interdepartmental unit focused predominantly on translational, clinical and/or basic science research which facilitates development of a common, focused research agenda aligned with strategic priorities, coordinating contributions from multiple disciplines (other centers, divisions/departments, and programs). We are pleased to announce the following opportunities are now available:
Research Centers – The purpose of this RFA is to invite applications to develop an Institutionally-Supported Advocate Health/Wake Forest University School of Medicine Research Center. This document also provides the framework for a renewal application of an existing center. Research Centers support mature areas of research that reflect depth in translational, clinical and/or basic science research. View the full RFA for Research Centers here.
Emerging Research Centers - The purpose of this RFA is to invite applications to develop an Institutionally-Supported Advocate Health/Wake Forest University School of Medicine Emerging Research Center. This document also provides the framework for a renewal application of an existing center. Emerging Research Centers support new ideas in need of investment for growth. The investment is intended to catalyze the formation of a team for the specific purpose of developing a strategic vision in order to grow a critical base of extramurally funded research. This research can be established in translational, clinical and/or basic science research. View the full RFA for Emerging Research Centers here.
Direct questions and applications to Lynne Wagenknecht, Vice Dean for Population Health Research, and/or Lindsay Trost, CTSI Administrative Director.
Foundation Funding Opportunities
Interested applicants may contact the Foundation Relations Team.
| Cancer | Pershing Square Philanthropies | 2026 Pershing Square Sohn Cancer Prize LOI |
$750,000 | 11/3/2025 |
| Psychiatry, Psychology, Behavioral Health, Pediatrics | Klingenstein Third Generation Foundation | Transformation of Mental Health Care Program |
$200,000 | 12/15/2025 |
| Neurosciences, Geriatrics and Gerontology | Harrington Discovery Institute | Brain Health Medicines Scholar Award | $100,000 | 12/31/2025 |
View More Foundation Funding Opportunities
The Duke Endowment
The Duke Endowment has a long history of supporting our health system across the Carolinas. In accordance with the Endowment's request, all inquiries from the health system will be routed through the designated Philanthropy/Foundation representatives in each market. If you are based in the Charlotte market, please reach out to Rachel Ellis. Those in the Winston market, please contact Chad Daniel.
The Duke Endowment will not accept or review any applications submitted directly by faculty who have not coordinated with the Philanthropy/Foundation representative in their market. This ensures all submissions are properly managed and align with the Endowment's expectations and current funding priorities.
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Robert Wood Johnson Foundation
The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation is pleased to present the Exploring Equitable Futures LOI. The purpose of this call for proposals (CFP) is to support projects that seed new and unconventional ideas that could radically advance health challenges for generations to come. Preference will be given to applicants that are tax-exempt under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code and are not private foundations or Type III supporting organizations. Applicant organizations must be based in the United States or its territories. Submissions from teams that include both U.S. and international members are eligible.
These projects should address one or more of RWJF’s Prioritized Systems. We are particularly interested in projects that seed new and unconventional ideas within the Health Science Knowledge System—or that reimagine this system completely. At RWJF, we believe that the knowledge and evidence that’s needed to guide better decision making, as well as policies that influence health, must include wisdom generated and shared by communities.
For more information regarding project criteria, please visit the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation website. Faculty interested in applying should contact The Foundation Relations Team.
Deadline: October 15, 2025
Other
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NeuroNEXT Grant
The NeuroNEXT Network is designed to efficiently conduct Phase II Clinical Trials. NeuroNEXT Network is now accepting proposals. Applications for exploratory clinical trials of investigational agents (drugs, biologics, surgical therapies or devices) that may contribute to the justification for and provide the data required for designing a future trial, for biomarker validation studies, or for proof of mechanism clinical studies are encouraged. Successful applicants will be given access to the NeuroNEXT infrastructure to support the efficient implementation of the proposed study at multiple sites and statistical and data management.
If you are interested, please schedule a meeting to discuss your proposal with the NeuroNEXT Study Team. This opportunity is ongoing until 2028.
- Benefits of Partnering with NeuroNEXT
- Applying for a NeuroNEXT Grant
- Contact: Mysha Sissine, Program Manager
NIH
Professional Associations and Societies
Please refer to the individual Program or Funding Opportunity Announcement for deadline information.
- American Cancer Society
- The Triological Society
- American Heart Association
- American Gastroenterological Association
- American Federation for Aging Research
- Alzheimer's Association
- ALS Association
- American Diabetes Association
- Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation
- Thoracic Surgery Foundation for Research and Education
- Society for Pediatric Dermatology
Additional Resources
Listed below are some quick ways to find external funding opportunities through search mechanisms and announcement listservs.
Additional Resources
- For detailed information on funding opportunities, search www.grants.gov with keywords related to your research interests.
- National Institutes of Health (NIH)
- NIH Career Development Awards (K-Series)
- Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI)
- Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA)
- National Science Foundation (NSF)
- North Carolina Biotechnology Center