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: 10/6/2026
- Early Career Salary Support
Deadline: 10/1/2026
- Research Salary Bridge Funding
Deadline: 10/1/2026
School of Medicine and Advocate Health 2026 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 2026: 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.
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.
Fall Deadlines
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Center for Lung Health Early Career Ignition Funds
The Center for Lung Health (CLH) is seeking proposals for projects focused on benign and malignant conditions of the lung. The goals are to (1) support investigation that generates preliminary data toward extramural funding, or (2) perform critical experiments, access core facilities, or improve analyses that address specific critiques raised by reviewers for extramural funding. Additional information can be found in the RFA.
Eligibility
These awards are open to investigators with faculty rank of Instructor or Assistant Professor within 10 years of their terminal degree or clinical training across Advocate Health. Eligible applicants should not have already secured large, independent federal or major foundation research grants. If you have questions about your eligibility for this award, please contact Dr. Jessica Bon or Dr. Rajeev Dhupar.
Funding
The Center for Lung Health will fund two projects at $5,000 each. The funds will need to be spent within a 3-month period.
Applications should be submitted electronically to the application system by Friday, October 2, 2026 at 6:00PM ET.
Questions about your research project should be directed to Dr. Jessica Bon, MD, MS or Dr. Rajeev Dhupar, MD, MBA.
Deadlines:
|
Date |
Detail |
|
10/2/26, 6:00 PM ET |
Ignition Fund Application Deadline |
|
10/15/26 |
Selection of Awardees |
|
11/01/26 |
Project Start Sate |
Wake Forest Alzheimer's Disease Research Center RFA for Development Projects
We are pleased to announce the funding cycle for this year’s Development Projects from the Wake Forest Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center (ADRC). The primary goal of this funding is to develop research on Alzheimer's Disease and related disorders (ADRD) that will lead to publications and extramural research applications or produce resources useful to the WF ADRC community.
The scientific focus of the WF ADRC is the link between metabolic and vascular diseases and the transitions from normal aging to mild cognitive impairment (MCI), AD, and AD-related dementias (ADRD). Applications that align with the scientific focus of the WF ADRC and that propose using WF ADRC resources are strongly encouraged, but proposals on other topics will be considered. Examples of thematically related studies include the relationship of metabolic or vascular indices (e.g., fluid, imaging or neuropathological biomarkers, clinical variables, polygenic risk scores, health systems/electronic health records) to ADRD risk or progression. Projects can encompass basic, translational, clinical, or implementation science research.
Applications from early-stage investigators are encouraged, provided they will be at their institution for the duration of the funding period. Mid-level and senior faculty are also encouraged to apply if they do not have substantial prior experience in ADRD research or if they have a novel approach to ADRD research.
For additional information, please view the RFA. Letters of Intent (LOIs) should be emailed to the WF ADRC Development Project/Pilot Grant Committee via Dr. Sharon Letchworth by October 2, 2026. The Committee will send invitations to submit full applications by Friday, October 16, 2026. The full application deadline is December 11, 2026, 11:59 pm. Funding is anticipated to begin in July 2027.
A virtual information session was held on Tuesday, September 15, from 1:00-2:00pm to review the RFA, answer questions about this funding mechanism, and provide information on available resources. Please contact Brian Davis for a recording of the session.
Please email Dr. Sharon Letchworth, Program Manager of the Wake Forest ADRC and Leader of the WF ADRC Development Project/Pilot Grant Committee, if you have any questions.
LOI Deadline: October 2, 2026
W.M. Keck Foundation
The W. M. Keck Research Program seeks to benefit humanity by supporting Basic Science Research projects that are distinctive and novel in their approach, question the prevailing paradigm, or have the potential to break open new territory in their field. The W. M. Keck Foundation Research Program supports early-stage, high-risk basic science with the potential to open new fields or rewrite textbooks. They are not a funder of disease specific research, translational or applied work, optimization of existing techniques, or incremental extensions of established research directions or methods. They welcome work that other funders consider too early, too speculative, or too far from the prevailing paradigm. They do not require preliminary data or evidence that a federal agency has declined funding for the proposed work.
The W.M. Keck Foundation typically funds $1 – 1.3 million over a three-year period. This internal competition is open to investigators in the Advocate Health enterprise with a primary tenure-track faculty appointment at Wake Forest University School of Medicine. Up to three projects will be selected to submit an application to the foundation.
Interested applicants should follow the RFA instructions and submit proposals electronically to the application system by Friday, October 16, 2026, at 11:59PM ET. Questions regarding the application process should be directed to the Foundations Team. Questions regarding the electronic submission system should be directed to Katelyn Still.
Deadlines:
Internal Deadline: October 16, 2026 at 11:59PM ET
Selection of Applicants: November 1, 2026
External Deadline: December 7, 2026 at 4:30PM PT
2026 CTSI Science of Translation Pilot Request for Applications
The Clinical and Translational Science Pilot Program is now accepting applications for the 2026 Science of Translation RFA. This RFA aims to support innovative 1-year pilot projects that advance the science of translation. Projects must investigate a scientific or operational principle underlying a step in the translational process, with the goal of improving translational efficiency and accelerating the development of health-improving interventions. More information can be found in the RFA and on the CTSI Pilot Program webpage. Take a quick look at this award to understand how your project aligns with the Science of Translation.
ELIGIBILITY
These awards are open to investigators in the Advocate Health enterprise with a primary faculty appointment at Wake Forest University School of Medicine. Wake Forest University (Reynolda Campus) faculty and all CTSI affiliated institutions with a WFUSM co-investigator are also invited to apply. The CTSI will allow a Co-PI structure if both PIs have expertise relevant to the project with distinct contributions to its design and implementation. Non-Faculty Researchers (allied health disciplines) may serve as a Co-PI with a WFUSM faculty researcher. If you have a question about your eligibility, please contact Katelyn Still.
FUNDING
Up to four projects will be funded. Successful pilots will receive up to $40,000 in direct costs.
Projects that include one or more of the following criteria will receive up to an additional $10,000 resulting in an increased total award up to $50,000 in direct costs. Eligibility for additional funding will be assessed as part of the review process.
- Investigators with faculty rank from multiple regions and/or markets within the health system;
- Community partners as collaborators and/or project leaders;
- Demonstrates substantive contribution from the community partner (e.g., funds support community partner activities and roles).
A supplement to this award is being offered by the Center for Artificial Intelligence Research (CAIR). Details are listed in the RFA.
Letters of Intent should be submitted electronically to the application system by Friday, October 23rd, 2026 at 11:59PM ET. Questions should be directed to Katelyn Still.
|
Date |
Detail |
|
10/23/26, 11:59 pm |
Letter of Intent (LOI) Deadline |
|
11/13/26 |
Investigators Invited for Full Application |
|
11/16/26 – 11/30/26 |
Applicant–Pilot Leadership Meetings |
|
12/18/26, 11:59 pm |
Full Application Deadline |
|
03/01/27 |
Selection of Awardees |
|
05/31/27 |
If applicable, completed materials sent to NCATS for approval |
|
07/01/27 |
Project Start Date |
|
06/30/28 |
Project End Date |
Interested in learning more about the Science of Translation? The Wake Forest CTSI has launched a new self-paced module designed to help researchers better understand the process and move discoveries into practice.
Research “Shark Tank” Awards
The CTSI is looking for clinically relevant project ideas for consideration in a virtual “shark tank” competition, competing for a $5,000 investment and other research resources for the project. Selected applicants will be asked to give timed pitches limited to 5 minutes, followed by 10 minutes of active conversation with the “sharks” (researchers and administrators from the CTSI). More information can be found in the RFA.
Project Criteria
- Address an existing issue or problem currently affecting our patient population.
- Propose a new practice, treatment, tool, approach, etc. that has the potential to improve patient care.
- Consider ways to disseminate changes or new best practice to the affected patient population.
Applications should be submitted through the Research Shark Tank Submission system. Questions should be directed to Katelyn Still.
Deadlines:
Applications Due: Friday, October 30, 2026 at 11:59PM ET
Selection of Presenters: November 9, 2026
Virtual Research “Shark Tank:” Friday, November 20, 2026 at 3:00 – 4:30PM 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.
| Psychology, Psychiatry, Behavioral Health | American Foundation for Suicide Prevention | Early Career Researcher Innovation Grants |
$140,000 | 11/15/2026 |
| Cancer | Cancer Research Institute | CRI Technology Impact Award LOI | $600,000 | 11/16/2026 |
| Ophthalmology | Foundation Fighting Blindness | Career Development Award | $375,000 | 1/28/2027 |
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
- Sponsored Programs Information Network (SPIN)