The Clinical and Translational Science Collaborative (CTSC) of Northern Ohio is a partnership among Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland Clinic, MetroHealth, University Hospitals, VA Northeast Ohio Healthcare System, the University of Toledo, and Northeast Ohio Medical University. Together, these institutions work to advance high-quality clinical and translational research at the local and national levels.
Beginning in Fiscal Year 2027, NIH Forms J will no longer allow letters of support. Instead, NIH will require letters of collaboration to document contributions from individuals who are not listed in the application as senior/key personnel or other significant contributors. Letters of collaboration may also be used to document other contributions relevant to a project’s success, such as Material Transfer Agreements.
As part of this mission, the CTSC is pleased to provide letters of collaboration for grant applications involving CTSC resources or partnerships.
The CTSC:
- Trains and cultivates the translational science workforce
- Catalyzes translational science
- Engages patients and communities in every phase of the translational process
- Promotes the integration of special underserved populations in translational research across the human lifespan
- Innovates processes to increase the quality and efficiency of translational research, particularly for multisite trials
- Advances the use of cutting-edge informatics
Guidelines for Requests for CTSC Letters of Collaboration
For all applications due on or after October 1, 2026. Investigators requesting a CTSC letter of collaboration should complete the following steps:
- Submit a request through SPARC for a Letter of Collaboration.
- Upload to SPARC the relevant section(s) of your application that describe how CTSC resources will be used or committed.
- Upload to SPARC a completed statement using the appropriate template below.
- For all applications except fellowships:
“If the application submitted by [Organization Name, with PD/PI Name as Program Director/Principal Investigator], entitled [Grant Application Title], is selected for funding by NIH, it is my intent to collaborate and/or commit resources as detailed in the application.” - For fellowship applications:
“If the fellowship application submitted by [Fellow Name], entitled [Fellowship Application Title], is selected for funding by NIH, it is my intent to collaborate and/or commit resources as detailed in the application.”