CTSI AI Seed Grant

Co-sponsored by CTSI and the UCLA Center for AI and Smart Health

Th application submission period is open until 5PM on December 5, 2025.

The UCLA Center for AI and Smart Health in partnership with the Clinical and Translational Science Institute are requesting pilot applications focused on artificial intelligence through the CTSI Translational Pilot Grant mechanism. This pilot will support up to $50,000 in funding. 

For the purposes of this seed grant program, artificial intelligence (AI) should be defined broadly to include machine learning, predictive modeling, natural language processing, computer vision, generative AI, and related computational methods.

The focus of this call is specifically around the use of Generative AI for Discovery and Innovation. Projects that apply generative AI techniques to accelerate discovery or create new tools in clinical research. Areas of interest include but are not limited to:

  • Generative models for novel biomarkers, therapeutic candidates, or molecular design
  • Synthetic data generation to augment scarce datasets while preserving privacy
  • AI-driven hypothesis generation, trial simulation, or patient engagement tools
  • Generative AI approaches to translational science barriers.

The goal of this pilot funding is to catalyze innovative uses of AI with the goal to support early-stage projects that will generate preliminary data, foster collaborations, and position investigators for future extramural funding. 

Important Dates
Application Window Opens: October 30, 2025
Applications Due: 5 PM, December 5, 2025
Funding Announcement: December 19, 2025
Funding Start Date: January 4, 2026

Applications

Applications should be submitted to ctsicatalyst@mednet.ucla.edu no later than 5PM on Friday, December 5, 2025. Submit a single PDF file that includes the following:

  1. Cover Page with Name, Department, and Contact Information
  2. A 1-page Specific Aims Page
  3. A 1-page Budget and Budget Justification
  4. A 1-page Feasibility Description describing how project can be completed in 6 months from the time of funding with a project timeline and milestones.
  5. Biosketch or CV
Contact us

For questions regarding the content, scope or eligibility of this opportunity

About UCLA CTSI

The UCLA Clinical and Translational Science Institute (CTSI) is a research partnership of UCLA, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Charles R. Drew University of Medicine and Science and the Lundquist Institute for Biomedical Innovation at Harbor-UCLA Medical Center. Its mission is to bring biomedical innovations to bear on the greatest health needs of Los Angeles—one of the most ethnically and economically diverse counties in the United States. Our vision is to catalyze research that translates discoveries into tangible improvements in health care, disease prevention and health in our community. The UCLA CTSI is one of more than 50 research hubs supported by the Clinical and Translational Sciences Award (CTSA) program of National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences (NCATS). NCATS—one of 27 Institutes and Centers at the National Institutes of Health (NIH)—was established to transform the translational process so that new treatments and cures for disease can be delivered to patients faster.

 

 

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