Monday, May 18, at 9 a.m. is the deadline to submit letters of intent (LOIs) for the UB Clinical and Translational Science Institute (CTSI) spring 2026 Translational Pilot Studies Program; see request for proposals (RFP) here. With local institutional support and an award from the National Institutes of Health, the program provides seed money to advance promising new technologies and therapeutics from the conceptual stage to clinical trials. 

Since 2015, the CTSI pilot studies program has made 137 awards to 536 early career/established investigators from UB and Buffalo Translational Consortium (BTC) institutions.

CTSI Director Sanjay Sethi, MD, SUNY Distinguished Professor, Senior Associate Dean for Clinical and Translational Research, Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, says CTSI pilot studies emphasize themes of multidisciplinary research, mentor-mentee relationships, and clinical and translational science. They also lead to a greater chance of future funding success.

“Funding proposals fare better when there is substantial pilot data, as evidenced by the approximately 10:1 return to date we have had in subsequent federal funding of investigators of our pilot studies,” Sethi explains. “Pilot studies lead to improved design and execution of the definitive studies that follow; they allow for assessment of feasibility and refinement of methods and more accurate sample size estimation; and they provide better future resource management and for training and experience of the research team.”

As outlined below, the latest RFP includes dedicated funding for pilot studies proposals with an emphasis on entrepreneurship and economic development. CTSI Pilot Studies Program Director Elizabeth A. Griffiths, MD, Professor, Department of Medicine, Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center, believes this new element is an important addition.

“Encouraging entrepreneurship enhances our ability to fund projects that improve health for all,” Griffiths explains. “We are very excited to see new technologies from our applicants that bridge the gap between innovation and societal impact.”

Per Stromhaug, PhD, is UB’s Senior Associate Vice President for Economic Development and oversees the Business and Entrepreneur Partnerships (BEP) team. He says partnering with the CTSI will help provide researchers with the support and pathways they need to turn breakthroughs into treatments, tools, and technologies that improve health outcomes.

“Science only fulfills its promise when it reaches the patient. BEP is excited to support CTSI's technology development focus and help UB's researchers take that crucial next step — from discovery to real clinical impact.”

With the LOI deadline approaching, prospective applicants can learn about the program, the process, and the support that is available. Here are 10 things to know before applying:

1. Funding cycle: The funding cycle for awarded pilot studies for is January 1 to December 31, 2027.
2. Eligibility guidelines: To be eligible to apply for and receive pilot studies funding, applicants must be a full-time faculty member at UB or at an affiliated BTC partner institution and agree, if called upon, to serve as a reviewer for proposals submitted for a current or future rounds of CTSI pilot studies funding.
3. Full RFP and timeline: The spring 2026 Request for Proposals and full timeline are available here. 
4. The application process: The pilot studies application process, explained here, features seven steps: RFP, LOIs, full proposals, scientific review and funding priorities, funding proposals, NIH's National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences (NCATS) prior approval, and account setup and tracking.
5. A Zoom information session will be held on April 29: An introduction to the pilot studies program will be held at 10 a.m. on Wednesday, April 29; register here to attend. 
6. New for 2026 is the encouragement of technology development projects: As stated in the RFP, “Advance commercialization readiness of biomedical innovations and technologies, with the potential for regional entrepreneurship or industry licensing with support of The Office of Business Entrepreneur Partnerships (BEP) under the Office of the Senior Vice President for Research, Innovation and Economic Development.” Learn more about the BEP here.
7. Additional RFP details: Priority is given to applications that address adverse health outcomes in populations in the Western New York region and/or promote multi-disciplinary collaborations; pilot study applications must articulate a clear plan for future substantive extramural funding; and applications pairing “early stage” principal investigators (PIs) with established co-investigators are encouraged.
8. Applicants are encouraged to make use of CTSI research resources and services: The CTSI offers an array of pre-award research resources and services at no cost to investigators with primary appointments or positions at UB and BTC institutions. 
9. Awardees present their research at the CTSI Pilot Studies Colloquium: The annual CTSI event — next scheduled for December 10, 2026 — features oral presentation and question-and-answer opportunities highlighting the research projects that received pilot studies funding.
10. Past PIs and co-investigators come from multiple UB schools and Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center: See the full list of projects awarded pilot studies funding, sorted by year and highlighting the awardees, BTC institution, and title of project here.

The CTSI pilot studies program is supported by the National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences of the National Institutes of Health under award number UM1TR005296 to the University at Buffalo, as well as: UB’s Office of the Provost, Office of the Vice President for Research and Economic Development, and Office of the Vice President for Health Sciences; Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center; and the deans of UB’s Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, School of Dental Medicine, School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, School of Public Health and Health Professions, and School of Nursing.

Have questions about your application or the pilot studies process? Write to ctsa-pilot-studies@buffalo.edu.