Awards Supporting Cutting-Edge Technologies for Translational Science (ASCETTS) (R21 Clinical Trials Not Allowed) (PAR-23-177)

The National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences (NCATS) invites applications for the Awards Supporting Cutting-Edge Technologies for Translational Science (ASCETTS) Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) to foster investigator-initiated development of highly innovative technologies to address barriers, limitations, or bottlenecks in translational science – particularly for therapeutic development. This program will support the early-stage proof of concept, high-risk and potentially high-reward studies for feasibility and exploratory technology development, which can transform or significantly improve the efficiency of therapeutic development to achieve NCATS ultimate goals - more treatments to all people more quickly. The research proposed should be for the development of technology that can break new ground or extend present technology toward new directions or novel applications. With this initiative, we expect to support the development and/or prototyping of new technologies that will lead to improved efficiency in the therapeutic development pipeline.