DE CTR ACCEL Funding Opportunity for Clinical and Translational Pilot Grants Program
The mission of the Delaware CTR ACCEL Program is to accelerate clinical and translational research that addresses health outcomes of Delawareans. The CTR Pilot Projects Program annually solicits applications for funding of projects related to clinical and translational (C&T) research.
C&T Pilot grants may be either Regular C&T Pilots or Community Engagement C&T Pilots. Regular C&T Pilots will provide funds for a 1-year period; Community Engagement C&T Pilots will provide funds for an 18-mo period. A budget of up to $100,000 direct costs may be requested. Both types of Pilots are intended to allow a research team to develop a more substantial basis for independent external support from the NIH. Awards will start Jan 1, 2027.
A Preliminary application will be due January 19, 2026, describing your project and team and must be uploaded and submitted through the ACCEL website and project portal. Full instructions for this opportunity are available below. Please register as a user on our website at www.de-ctr.org to receive notifications.
Anticipated timeline for Clinical and Translation Pilot Grant proposals
| Date | Event |
| January 19, 2026 by 5:00 pm | Preliminary Application submission deadline (required to move forward into Full application) |
| February 11, 2026 | Invitations for Full Applications sent |
| May 11, 2026 by 5:00 pm | Full Application submission deadline |
| August 14, 2026 | Potential awardees notified |
| September 30, 2026 | Just-In-Time due (IRB/IACUC approval, human subjects certs due, HSCT forms, fully compliant biographical sketches) |
| November 13, 2026 | Proposals sent to NIH for approval |
| January 1, 2027 | Anticipated project start date |
For questions about the Pilot Grants Program submission and review process, please contact:
- Megan Wenner, PhD (mwenner@udel.edu) – ACCEL Pilot Projects Program Director
For specific questions related to ACCEL Core resources, please contact the appropriate Core Director:
- Robert Akins, PhD (robert.akins@nemours.org) and copy mentoring@de-ctr.org – Professional Development Core Director
- Claudine T. Jurkovitz, MD, MPH (cjurkovitz@christianacare.org) – Biostatistics, Epidemiology & Research Design Core Director
- Lee M. Pachter, DO (lee.pachter@christianacare.org) – Community Engagement & Outreach Core Director