Cedars-Sinai / Caltech Collaborative (C3) Research Pilot Grant Program
I. Program Overview
The Cedars-Sinai / Caltech Collaborative (C3) Research Pilot Grant Program supports innovative, high-impact collaborative research that brings together the complementary strengths of two leading research institutions. The program is designed to catalyze projects that benefit from the integration of clinical insight, engineering, and fundamental biological discovery—supporting research that would be difficult to achieve within either of our single institutions.
Cedars-Sinai combines a robust basic and translational research enterprise with access to large and diverse patient populations, biospecimens, and state-of-the-art clinical infrastructure. Caltech contributes strengths in engineering, computational modeling, and quantitative biosciences, alongside cutting-edge research in molecular, cellular, and systems biology.
Successful projects will demonstrate true cross-institutional synergy, drawing meaningfully on the resources, expertise, and perspectives unique to each partner.
II. Goals and Scope
This program seeks to:
- Stimulate new, interdisciplinary collaborations between Cedars-Sinai and Caltech investigators
- Support research that integrates biomedical, clinical, computational, and engineering approaches
- Leverage the scientific and technological ecosystems of both institutions
- Seed projects with the potential for long-term collaboration and external funding
Projects may span a wide range of topics, including but not limited to:
- Mechanistic or translational studies in human biology or disease
- Development of new technologies, models, or analytical tools
- Systems-level or computational approaches to biomedical problems
- Integrated wet/dry lab research, clinical trial readiness, and/or early prototyping
III. Funding Details
- Award Amount: Up to $250,000 total per project (direct costs only)
- Project Duration: 12 months
- Number of Awards: 2–4 anticipated
- Start Date: February 1, 2026
Funds must be split between investigators at Cedars-Sinai and Caltech, with up to $125,000 going to each institution's project component. No indirect costs will be provided.
IV. Eligibility
- Each application must include one lead PI from Cedars-Sinai and one from Caltech.
- PIs must hold faculty-level or equivalent appointments at their respective institutions.
- Teams may include other collaborators, but only one lead PI per institution.
- Early-career investigators are strongly encouraged to apply.
- Research requiring IRB, IACUC, IBC approvals or MTAs can commence only after the approvals (or exemptions, as applicable) are obtained.
V. Application Instructions
Full Proposal – Due December 1, 2025
All applications must be submitted as a single PDF.
Required Application Components:
(Please follow NIH guidelines for font, line-spacing and margins)
- Project Title and PI Information.
- Scientific Rationale and Specific Aims. Define the biomedical knowledge gap or unmet medical need that your project addresses and discuss its importance, such as in improving current standard of care or revolutionizing our understanding of a disease mechanism. (1-page limit)
- Research Approach. Summarize preliminary data (if applicable) and outline the project plan, including milestones and project timeline. (2-page limit)
- Collaborative Synergy Statement.
- Future Directions.
Additional Required Attachments:
- NIH-format Biosketches for both PIs (5-page limit each)
- 1-page Budget and Justification (template provided)
- For the Caltech component, a signed Division Approval Form
Budget Notes:
- Maximum total: $250,000 (combined across both institutions)
- Direct costs only (no indirect/F&A costs)
- Allowable expenses: personnel (including trainees), supplies, minor equipment (<$5,000), travel
VI. Review Criteria
Applications will be reviewed by a joint Cedars-Sinai / Caltech committee and evaluated based on:
- Scientific merit and innovation
- Feasibility of approach
- Strength of cross-institutional synergy
- Relevance to program goals
- Potential for sustained collaboration and extramural funding
VII. Award Terms
- Awards will begin February 1, 2026.
- The project period is 1 year, with opportunity for a second year of funding with competitive renewal.
- A brief midpoint progress report and final report will be required
- Awardees may be invited to present at a Cedars-Sinai / Caltech symposium
- Publications and presentations must acknowledge program support
VIII. Submission Instructions
- Combine all materials into a single PDF with filename format:
CS-LastName1_CiT-LastName2_C3Grant2025.pdf
- Submit the application PDF as an attachment on a single email addressed to both:
Sue Marone ([email protected]) & Liz Demeter ([email protected])
- Submission deadline: December 1, 2025 at 11:59 PM PT
IX. Contact Information
For general questions, please contact:
- Cedars-Sinai Research Office: Jeffrey Golden, [email protected]
- Merkin Institute of Translational Research at Caltech: Jennifer Treweek (MITR Scientific Director), [email protected]