2009 CTSA Rollout:
Questions and Answers

Last updated April 7, 2009

Questions and Answers

Q: Why is NCRR announcing only one CTSA award at this time?

A: The NCRR will be making additional CTSA awards later this year. While one grant is being awarded and announced at this time, additional awards will be made after NCRR's National Advisory Research Resources Council (NARRC) — which provides the second level of review — convenes for its next scheduled meeting in May 2009. The application being awarded now underwent the second level of review by the NARRC in February 2009.

Q: If a 2009 application was considered in the first review process, and was not awarded, will it automatically be considered for funding along with the applications reviewed in the second round of applications that are going to the May 2009 Council?

A: Yes.

Q: Why are there two rounds of review in FY 2009?

A: Because of the substantial time commitment to participate on a CTSA peer review panel, NCRR decided to divide the review into two sessions in an effort to reduce the burden on the reviewers. Thus for 2009, NCRR arranged two review sessions for the applications, and therefore, is announcing grants at two separate times.

Q: Will NCRR be continuing with a two cycle per year review process?

A: The purpose of two review cycles per year was to alleviate the burden on the external reviewers who spend many hours — in addition to several days away from their home institutions — in reviewing complex CTSA grant applications. However, since the vast majority of applicants submitted their grant proposals for the second review cycle, we determined that there is no benefit to the reviewers by holding two separate review cycles. Therefore, NCRR will return to one review cycle for FY 2010.

Q: Were applicants disadvantaged by the two cycle review process?

A: No. NCRR monitors the review process closely to ensure that the same criteria, standards and rigor are applied to each review panel session. Applications from both rounds will be considered before final funding decisions are made.

Q: Last year, NIH funded 14 new CTSAs. How many awards will be announced in FY 2009?

A: The final number of 2009 awards will not be determined until the second review process is complete (see above). NCRR will be making additional CTSA awards this year, adding to the current total of 39 funded CTSA institutions. The funding for 2009 is part of the long-term budgetary strategy that was developed when the program was launched. The program remains on course to build a national consortium of 60 CTSA institutions by 2012 at $500 million per year.

Q: What is the funding plan for 2011, given that the initial cohort will be seeking CTSA renewal funds, and there will be new applicants?

A: The initial 12 CTSAs from 2006 are eligible to re-compete; however, they must comply with the CTSA funding guidelines established in 2007. In addition, we expect to fund new awards.

Q: Will the re-competing/renewal-seeking applicants be reviewed along with the new applicants?

A: There will be two separate announcements: one for those seeking renewal of funding, and one for new applicants. The renewal applications will be reviewed together as a group, and the new applications will be reviewed together as a group. The Draft Review Criteria for Competing Renewal Applications are posted on this site, and the current review criteria for new applications are available at RFA-RM-08-002.html#SectionV.

Q: Is NIH still on track to fund 60 sites, at a total of $500M per year, by 2012? If so, what is the funding strategy to reach this goal?

A: NCRR expects to fulfill the charge to transform clinical and translational research within the current overall budget for the program. By 2012, at $500 million per year, the cohort of funded CTSAs will represent a significant increase in the infrastructure support for clinical research that exceeds the $340 million allocated to pre-existing NIH clinical research resources (i.e., NCRR K12, M01, NIH K30 and Roadmap T32 and K12 programs).

To reach the critical mass necessary to transform clinical and translational research, it was projected that 60 CTSAs are needed throughout the United States. Diversity in the size, scope and geographic location of participating institutions will not only strengthen the CTSA Consortium, it will enhance its national and regional collaborations. The optimal balance within the CTSA consortium will include a few large centers, with the majority being small to medium-sized centers across the country. CTSAs have been able to attract funding outside of NIH support, both from within their institutions and from other, external sources.

Contact Information

Please contact your NCRR Grants Management Specialist or your Program Officer if you have questions regarding this information.

Anthony R. Hayward, M.D., Ph.D.
Director
Division of Clinical Research Resources
National Center for Research Resources
National Institutes of Health
One Democracy Plaza, Room 906
6701 Democracy Boulevard, MSC 4874
Bethesda, Maryland 20892-4874 (20817 for express mail)
Telephone: 301-435-0790
Fax: 301-480-3661
HaywardA@mail.nih.gov