CTSI Catalyst Awards

UCLA CTSI Catalyst Grants support team-building activities that advance translational science and promote collaborations across disciplines and CTSI institutions.

Awards can be up to $5,000, depending on the nature scope of the project. CTSI invites applications for Catalyst Grants during the below timeframes.

Catalyst Grant projects include:

Events ($1,000 to $5,000)

Lunchtime seminars, daylong symposia with faculty and community presenters from inside and outside UCLA, student-organized poster sessions, conferences and workshops. Events should be broadly available to UCLA and CTSI-affiliated faculty, staff, students and community partners. CTSI support must be acknowledged in all advertising and onsite. Proposal must include a list of speakers and the location. Awardees must complete a post-event report.
 

Team/ Proposal Development ($1,000 to $5,000)

Meetings related to development of new translational courses, publication development, proposal development and industry partnerships. Interactions must be multidisciplinary and involve at least two UCLA-CTSI-affiliated institutions. Proposals must state how the activity will promote team development and outline next steps. Awardees will be required to complete a post-activity report and may be required to provide progress reports, depending on the nature of the activity. Agendas are expected to reflect inclusiveness, in keeping with the NIH Director’s announcement, “Time to End the Manel Tradition.” Please note, the Catalyst mechanism is not intended to fund research projects. 

Eligibility

All CTSI-associated faculty in any series are eligible to apply as PI, including adjunct and professional research series. Post-doctoral scholars, residents and clinical fellows are eligible to apply as PI. Community-based partners may apply with a faculty Co-PI. 

Requirements

Proposals for Catalyst Grants are limited to a maximum of 5,000 characters. Proposals must describe how the project will advance translational science and promote collaborations. In addition, applicants must provide metrics for determining the success of the proposed event or activity. 

Applicant PIs and Co-PIs must provide a biosketch. Community-based Co-PIs may provide a CV or resume instead of a biosketch. 

Catalyst Grant proposals exceeding $100 require cost sharing with at least one half of the total budget coming from non-CTSI sources. Funds from NIH grants or other federal agencies are not eligible matching funds. As available funds are limited, budgets must be justified. Food is a permissible expense. Travel expenses may also be considered if appropriately justified, e.g. speaker travel. Salary support for co-investigators or personnel or funds for CTSI consultation services are not allowed.

Several budgetary items that could be considered while developing your budget for  symposia, workshop, conference or seminar series include:

• # of attendees (how large an audience do you anticipate)
• Venue cost (depending on the size needed and place)
• Will refreshments be provided?
• Will there be honorarium or travel costs anticipated for external speakers? 

Note: due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on events and team development, some budgetary guidelines may be subject to change. 

Deadlines and Selection

The application deadlines are posted above and future cycles will be posted on this page. Priority will be given to applicants who have not previously received Catalyst Grants. Proposals that facilitate research across UCLA CTSI partner institutions or national CTSA consortium institutions will receive the highest priority. 

Award notifications will be issued within 4-6 weeks of each deadline. 

Successful applicants must provide their field of specialization, their NIH Commons ID and their IRB and/or IACUC numbers, if applicable, before funds are released. Recipients must credit NCATS and cite grant number UL1TR001881 in publications that result from Catalyst Grants. Applicants must acknowledge CTSI support in all materials (e.g., symposia fliers). Catalyst awardees must report the following information to the UCLA CTSI by Nov. 30 each year: (1) all publications that resulted from CTSI-supported research, with PubMed ID; and (2) all PHS and non-PHS federal support that contributed to the CTSI-supported research.