Clinical Research Investigator-Initiated Awards

The Crohn's & Colitis Foundation, a nonprofit organization dedicated to curing Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis and improving the quality of life of affected individuals, offers the Clinical Research Investigator-Initiated Awards program to support impactful clinical research. This funding mechanism encompasses two award types: the Career Development Award and the Senior Research Award. The program is designed to advance clinical knowledge and improve patient outcomes by supporting studies that directly involve human subjects or analyze large-scale human data sources such as administrative or claims databases. The primary objective of the program is to address meaningful clinical questions that can directly influence patient care practices. Funded projects are expected to produce significant scholarly contributions, including highly cited publications, incorporation into clinical guidelines, and the potential to secure subsequent funding for continued research. Priority is given to proposals that align with established research priorities in inflammatory bowel disease, particularly those identified in the Pragmatic Clinical Research publication within the Challenges in IBD Research framework. Applications proposing research outside these priority areas must provide strong clinical justification. Eligibility for the program is broad but clearly defined. Principal Investigators and Co-Principal Investigators must be affiliated with institutions engaged in healthcare or health-related research, including public and private nonprofit organizations as well as government entities. International applicants are permitted, and there are no geographic limitations on where research may be conducted. Specific eligibility requirements differ by award type: the Senior Research Award requires established faculty with a proven track record in funded clinical research, while the Career Development Award targets junior faculty who are early in their independent research careers and committed to advancing in IBD research. The funding structure allows applicants to request up to 250000 dollars per year in total costs, including a maximum of 10 percent for indirect costs, for a period of up to three years. Continued funding is contingent upon the achievement of predefined scientific and administrative milestones. The Foundation does not permit budget requests exceeding this cap, reinforcing a structured and disciplined approach to project funding and oversight. The application process is conducted through the Proposal Central system and follows a two-stage submission model. Applicants must first submit a pre-application, after which selected applicants are invited to submit a full proposal. The submission timeline includes a portal opening in early October, a pre-application deadline in early December, and a full proposal deadline in January for invited applicants. Applications undergo review in the spring, with funding decisions announced in early summer. This structured timeline ensures a competitive and rigorous selection process. Applicants are restricted to submitting one proposal per cycle and must avoid overlapping submissions with other Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation funding programs on the same research topic. Additional restrictions apply to prevent concurrent holding of similar awards, although applicants nearing the end of an existing grant may submit proposals for new projects within a defined window. For inquiries related to the program, applicants may contact Foundation staff directly via the provided grant email address or designated administrative contact.

Applications must be submitted through the Proposal Central system, where all instructions and policies are available.