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. |
Voucher AwardStudies 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: 12/02/25
- Research Salary Bridge Funding
Deadline: 01/01/26
- Early Career Salary Support
Deadline: 01/01/26
School of Medicine and Advocate Health 2025 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.
December Deadlines
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LAUNCH 2026: Healthy Aging & Alzheimer's Prevention Innovation Challenge
A Signature Incubator-Style Competition Hosted by the Healthy Aging & Alzheimer’s Prevention Philanthropy Board of Advisors, powered by the Center for Healthcare Innovation. The Healthy Aging & Alzheimer’s Prevention Innovation Challenge is the first competition powered by the Center for Healthcare Innovation (CHI) and the new addition to CHI's annual innovation incubator, competition and accelerator program.
The Sticht Center for Healthy Aging & Alzheimer’s Prevention Innovation Challenge is the new flagship annual initiative of the Healthy Aging & Alzheimer’s Prevention Philanthropy Board of Advisors. This incubator-style competition seeks bold, early-stage ideas that advance research, education, or clinical care for older adults. Eligible projects must involve at least one clinician, researcher, or trainee within the Section on Gerontology and Geriatric Medicine at Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist and Wake Forest University School of Medicine. Proposals focused on palliative care are also welcome.
The Wake Forest University School of Medicine Sticht Center for Healthy Aging & Alzheimer’s Prevention in collaboration with the Advocate Health System promotes promising innovative ideas that have potential for immediate impact on the health care and wellness of older adults.
- Overall Objective: To promote the rapid translation of innovative concepts from either research or clinical care into the larger health system spanning wellness and prevention to diagnosis, treatment or coordinated care for seniors.
- Key goal: Facilitating the development and testing novel interventions or care models. The program funds full pilot innovation projects that have a high probability for scaling to this and other health systems and communities.
Members of the health system, school of medicine, or training program may submit a Letter of Intent (LOI). Proposals may be initiated by or include professionals from all fields, including nursing, therapy, pharmacy, advanced practice providers, administrators, and both research and non-research faculty or staff.
For additional details, please review the RFA. All LOIs must be submitted through the REDCap submission link and must be received by December 1, 5:00pm EST.
Inquiries are strongly encouraged so that we can provide specific guidance in developing relevant and successful proposals. For additional information or clarification please contact: Laura Hayworth and Renee Woodard.
Letter of Intent Deadline: December 1, 2025 at 5:00PM ET
Center for Redox Biology and Medicine (CRBM) 2026 Pilot Request for Applications
The Center for Redox Biology and Medicine (CRBM) is seeking proposals for projects in need of support to advance research in redox biology and medicine aligned with the strategic areas of emphasis of our institution. Specific criteria include:
- Providing a high potential for submission of new multi-investigator extramural grants leveraging the new Team Grant Accelerator Program.
- Fostering clinical connections with research in redox biology and medicine.
- Building of new collaborations between members and among researchers from other centers at the Medical School or with Reynolda Campus faculty and centers.
- Supporting, through key preliminary data, specific plans to resubmit and secure extramural funding for studies close to the funding payline.
Successful pilots will receive up to $20,000, to be spent within a 12-month project period. These awards are open to investigators with faculty rank across the Southeast region of Advocate Health. This includes Atrium Health, Atrium Health Navicent, and Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist, including Wake Forest University School of Medicine. Collaborative projects involving other institutions such as Wake Forest University must include as PI or co-PI investigators at Advocate Health and/or Wake Forest University School of Medicine with a substantial, direct role on the project.
Additional information can be found in the RFA. Applications should be submitted through the ePilot electronic submission system.
Questions about your research project and/or proposal content should be directed to Cristina M. Furdui or Leslie B. Poole. Questions about the ePilot electronic submission system should be directed to Misty Allen.
Deadlines:
|
Date |
Detail |
|
12/10/25, 11:59 pm |
Full Application Deadline |
|
01/01/26 |
Project Start Date |
January Deadlines
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Improving Health Decision Making with Comparative Clinical Effectiveness Research: Retrospective Observational Studies Leveraging Existing Data Sources PCORI Funding Announcement - Cycle 1 2026
The Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI) intends to release a new PCORI Funding Announcement (PFA) Dec. 2, 2025 — Improving Health Decision Making With Comparative Clinical Effectiveness Research in Cancer, Pain, Substance Use, Maternal Health, Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities, Sensory Health, Endocrine and Metabolic Health, Mental and Behavioral Health, and Rare Diseases: Retrospective Observational Studies Leveraging Existing Data Sources.
PFA Overview
This PFA seeks to support well-designed, methodologically robust, retrospective observational patient-centered comparative clinical effectiveness research (CER) that will produce timely, impactful and patient-centered results to inform healthcare decision making and improve health outcomes.
Research Initiative Highlights
- Applicants must propose a clear comparative effectiveness question by leveraging well-established data sources and infrastructure, such as PCORnet®, ready for patient-centered CER.
- Given the retrospective observational nature of this PFA, applications are expected to compare existing interventions that represent a current decisional dilemma and have robust evidence of efficacy or are currently in widespread use.
- Clinical interventions (such as medications, diagnostic tests and procedures) and delivery system interventions (such as workforce, technologies and healthcare service delivery designs) are appropriate for these studies.
Important Dates and Resources:
December 2, 2025: Full announcement and application requirements are available at PCORI.org.
December 10, 2025: Applicant Town Hall, noon-1 pm (ET) —Register today!
January 6, 2026: LOI Deadline
For preliminary information, please review the preannouncement on the PCORI website. Questions may be directed to PCORI PFA. PCORI encourages sharing this information with others who may be interested.
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.
| Gastroenterology | Crohn's and Colitis Foundation | Senior Research Awards Pre-Application |
$130,000 | 12/2/2025 |
| Cancer, Pediatrics | Alex's Lemonade Stand | 2026 RARE Grant Program - Research Accelerating RUNX1 Exploration |
$250,000 | 12/11/2025 |
| Rheumatology | Arthritis National Research Foundation | Arthritis and Related Autoimmune Disease Research Grant | $250,000 | 1/9/2026 |
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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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