The Clinical and Translational Science Collaborative (CTSC) of Case Western Reserve University offers Core Utilization Pilot Awards to support investigator use of eligible Core facilities at our partner institutions. These awards, up to $10,000, are intended to help generate preliminary data that can lead to extramural funding and/or peer-reviewed publications. The program encourages use of the advanced technologies and expertise available through participating cores.
Ideal uses include testing previously collected specimens, developing cross-disciplinary collaborations, developing enabling technologies, advancing new diagnostic, therapeutic, or outcomes assessment approaches and/or devices, fostering basic and clinical researcher partnerships; and promoting community-based research.
The applicant must clearly demonstrate that the proposed pilot represents a new research direction and that CTSC Core Utilization funding is essential to make the project competitive for long-term extramural support.
Funds for CTSC Core Utilization awards are directly provided to Investigators by the CTSC partner institutions after CTSC approval.
- Funds can only be spent in an eligible Core facility. Budget requests for anything other than Core services are not allowed and will be denied.
- If you would like to use a core that is not currently included on the list please have the lab contact, Anna Thornton Matos, Administrative Lead for the CTSC Research Pilot Programs to apply to be added to the list.
Applying for a Core Utilization Pilot Grant is a two-step process:
- You will first need an ID number for your project from SPARCRequest (called a "Project ID"). Visit SPARCRequest and add "Core Utilization Pilot" under Pilot Funding Opportunities to your cart and continue through the prompts to complete your submission.
- Once you have obtained your "Project ID", continue to InfoReady to submit your Core Utilization Pilot application
Eligibility
Principal Investigator must have a primary appointment at Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland Clinic, MetroHealth Medical Center, University Hospitals Cleveland Medical Center, and/or The Louis Stokes Cleveland VA Medical Center, and must be eligible to submit an application to a larger source of federal or non-federal support.
Terms of Award
Proposed projects must be completed within six months of the award date.
Applications can be submitted through InfoReady at any time. The program has a monthly deadline format. Applications received by the first of the month will be reviewed and the results returned to the investigator before the 1st of the subsequent month. Applications must be received by 11:59 pm on the first day of the month.
Submission must be made by the PI or on behalf of the PI. Submissions made under anyone else’s name will not be accepted.
Multiple Awards
Investigators may be listed as PI or co-investigator on multiple applications. However, if an applicant received a Core Utilization award that ended within the past 24 months, they must provide documentation outlining how the new project differs from the previously funded proposal. Only projects that demonstrate a new line of research will be considered.
Translational Research Types:
Pre-clinical research connects the basic science of disease with human medicine. During this stage, scientists develop model interventions to further understand the basis of a disease or disorder and find ways to treat it. Testing is carried out using cell or animal models of disease; samples of human or animal tissues; or computer-assisted simulations of drug, device or diagnostic interactions within living systems.
Clinical research includes studies to better understand a disease in humans and relate this knowledge to findings in cell or animal models; testing and refinement of new technologies in people; testing of interventions for safety and effectiveness in those with or without disease; behavioral and observational studies; and outcomes and health services research. The goal of many clinical trials is to obtain data to support regulatory approval for an intervention.
The clinical implementation stage of translation involves the adoption of interventions that have been demonstrated to be useful in a research environment into routine clinical care for the general population. This stage also includes implementation research to evaluate the results of clinical trials and to identify new clinical questions and gaps in care.