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:
- Translational Pilot Program Ignition Funds
Deadline: 6/03/25
- Research Salary Bridge Funding
Deadline: 7/01/25
- Early Career Salary Support
Deadline: 7/01/25
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, including developing:
- Compassion for Self and Others
- Intellectual Humility
- Respect for Diversity
- Curiosity
- Teamwork/Collaborativeness
- Belonging
- Connection to Purpose
- Resilience
- Trustworthiness in Relationships with Care Team Members and Patients
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 (see bulleted list above for character growth examples).
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.
May Deadlines
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Wake Forest Pepper Pilot Studies Program RFA
The Wake Forest Pepper Pilot Studies Program promotes promising new research ideas by providing funds for generation of preliminary data for development of grant applications leading to external funding of larger, definitive studies. Overall objective is to promote translational research to assess biological, behavioral, cognitive, genomic, metabolic, and other factors which contribute to age-related physical function decline, or progression to disability. Key goal is facilitating the development and testing in clinical/pre-clinical studies of novel interventions targeting age-related decline in physical function to prevent/reverse progression to disability. The program funds full pilot studies, proposals with plans to add measures to existing studies, and exploratory analyses of existing databases and archived biofluid and tissue samples.
Innovative, multidisciplinary, geroscience-based, and translational approaches are encouraged, as are involvement of junior faculty as well as faculty from outside fields interested in aging research. For additional information, please view the RFA.
Here is the submission procedure. Inquiries are strongly encouraged so that we can provide specific guidance in developing relevant and successful proposals. For additional information or clarification please contact: Dr. Tom Register, Dr. Dalane Kitzman or Dr. Tina Brinkley. Administrative inquiries are to be directed to Abby Archer.
Application Process Timeline
- Full Application deadline: Friday, May 30, 2025 by 5:00 pm
- Funding decisions communicated: August 2025
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 Foundations Relations team at foundations@wakehealth.edu.
| Cancer, Pediatrics | Kids Beating Cancer | Robert G. Owens Memorial Leukemia Research Grant (AML Emphasis) LOI |
$100,000 | 7/1/2025 |
| Neurology, Neuroscience, Radiology | Michael J. Fox Foundation | Molecular MRI Biomarker Program |
$400,000 | 7/14/2025 |
| PHS, Varied | Robert Wood Johnson Foundation | Exploring Equitable Futures LOI |
$500,000 | 10/15/2025 |
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.
ADDF-Harrington Discovery Institute
Opportunity: ADDF-Harrington Scholars Award LOI
Deadline: 6/2/2025
Funding: $600,000 over two years
Eligibility:
- MD or PhD (or equivalent)
- Faculty position at an accredited academic medical center, university or research institution in the US, Canada or the UK, and conduct the majority of his/her/their research at that institution
- A project must have only a single Principal Investigator (PI), who is responsible for project oversight and financial management. The PI may engage collaborators, core labs or commercial CROs to execute any portion of the project.
- Past recipients of Harrington awards may submit new and distinct proposals but may not seek additional support for previously funded projects.
Overview: Proposals should support the development of a therapeutic that could treat, prevent, or slow Alzheimer’s disease or related dementias The ADDF-Harrington Scholar award selection committee seeks breakthrough discoveries that demonstrate innovation, creativity and potential for clinical impact, including:
- Discoveries deemed to address unmet medical needs
- Modulators of novel targets
- Potential to be developed into a commercial program
- Strong intellectual property (IP) or protection strategy
- May be either a small molecule, biologic, or other therapeutic modality
- Diagnostics or devices only acceptable as part of a therapeutic development project
Faculty interested in applying should contact the Foundation Relations team.
Other
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2026 Harold S. Geneen Charitable Trust Awards Program for Coronary Heart Disease Research
The Harold S. Geneen Charitable Trust Awards Program for Coronary Heart Disease Research supports research in the area of the prevention of coronary heart disease or circulatory failure and improving care for these patients. The program focuses on basic and translational scientific research. Clinical studies are currently ineligible.
Each invited institution may only submit one application to the program which meets the eligibility requirements for the 2026 Grant Cycle. Applicants must be a full-time faculty member. Junior faculty are encouraged to apply. For more information, please visit the Harold S. Geneen website.
Interested applications should submit pre-proposals following the Limited Submission Pre-Proposal Instructions electronically to the application system by Friday, June 6, 2025, at 11:59PM ET. Questions should be directed to Katelyn Still.
Deadlines:
Internal Deadline: June 6, 2025, at 11:59 pm ET
Selection of Applicants: Monday, June 23rd
External Deadline: Tuesday, July 8, 2025, by 12:00 pm ET
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American Diabetes Association: Pathway to Stop Diabetes 2025
The American Diabetes Association will prioritize translational applications that move knowledge and discovery gained from basic research to its eventual translation into patient and population benefit. The ideal applicant will propose innovative research that will be an important step towards the eventual goal of improving the lives of people at risk of diabetes or living with the disease - and the pathway to this impact is clear.
ADA will accept up to two (2) nominations per institution with one (1) nomination spanning basic through preclinical research and one (1) nomination spanning clinical through public health research. The ADA offers two funding mechanisms: the Accelerator Award and the Initiator Award. Applicants must meet the eligibility criteria outlined in the RFA to apply for either mechanism.
Interested applications should submit pre-proposals following the Limited Submission Pre-Proposal Instructions electronically to the application system by Friday, June 13, 2025, at 11:59PM ET. Questions should be directed to Katelyn Still.
Deadlines:
Internal Deadline: June 13, 2025, at 11:59 pm ET
Selection of Applicants: Monday, June 30th
External Deadline: Wednesday, July 23, 2025
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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