Research and Innovation Office

Extramural Coordinated Funding


UM Submission Instructions: Pathway to Stop Diabetes 2026

Sponsor: American Diabetes Association (ADA)
Award Title: Pathway to Stop Diabetes
Amount: $1.625M
Initiator Award: Up to $100,000 USD per year in Phase 1, Up to $325,000 USD per year in Phase 2 Indirect Costs: Up to 10% of direct costs in Phase 1, Up to 30% of direct costs in Phase 2 Award Term: Up to 7 years Accelerator Award: Maximum Requested Budget: $325,000 per year Indirect Costs: Up to 30% Award Term - up to 5 years
UM Deadline: 03/12/2026
Sponsor Deadline: 05/19/2026
Description:

Pathway to Stop Diabetes®

Pathway to Stop Diabetes® has a simple, yet revolutionary goal: to find scientists at the peak of their creativity and provide them with the flexibility and resources they need on the road to breakthrough discoveries. We attract and retain brilliant scientists in diabetes.

Our three areas of focus are key components of a unique formula to cultivate the next generation of leaders:

  • Awarding research grants
  • Providing access to scientific and career mentoring from leading diabetes researchers
  • Creating a diabetes think tank

To accelerate the research needed to stop this deadly disease, the American Diabetes Association’s bold transformational initiative is inspiring a new generation of diabetes researchers. Pathway provides crucial support to individuals focusing on innovative ideas and transformational approaches that will lead to ground-breaking discoveries in diabetes prevention, management, and cures. We are building a human pathway to tackle the toughest questions in diabetes by driving research innovations through 1:1 mentorship and the creation of a brain trust in diabetes.

Call for Nominations

This call for nominations will prioritize translational applications that move knowledge and discovery gained from basic research to its eventual translation into patient and population benefit. The ideal applicant will propose innovative research that will be an important step towards the eventual goal of improving the lives of people at risk of diabetes or living with the disease.

ADA will accept up to two (2) nominations per institution:

  • One (1) nomination spanning basic through preclinical research
  • One (1) nomination spanning clinical through public health research
Number of Applicants University is Allowed to submit: 2
Additional Requirements: None
Sponsor Guidelines: https://professional.diabetes.org/research-grants/current-funding-opportunities-pathway-stop-diabetes
UM Nominations Process:

Submission Instructions

Those interested in applying should submit the following as a single PDF document to collabor@umn.edu.

Deadline: no later than 4:00 PM on March 12, 2026


Required Documentation:

  1. Cover Page: Must include PI name, department, contact information, project title, and names/departments of any co-PIs.
    • Include a one-paragraph project abstract.
    • Specify the award type (Initiator or Accelerator).
    • Indicate research category: 1) Basic through preclinical, or 2) Clinical through public health.
  2. Project Summary: Include solicitation-specific information (not more than three pages).
  3. Biosketch of PI: 2–5 pages in NIH format.
  4. Reviewer Information:
    • 2–3 names of possible UMN reviewers (Note: These are not references and must have no Conflicts of Interest).
    • 5 keywords to be used as search terms for potential reviewers (may be added to the Cover Page).

Any questions can be submitted to collabor@umn.edu.

Peer Review Coordination: Research and Innovation Office contact email
Status: Open
Please note: To be considered for peer review and internal selection, faculty must follow the above submission guidelines and meet the UM deadline as set by the office coordinating the peer review for this opportunity.


General Information

  • Each posting has information about the external sponsor and opportunity as well as the internal application instructions.
  • Opportunities can be sorted by column headings; just click on the heading to re-sort by that column.
  • When a link redirects you to another site, it opens in a new browser window.
  • If you know of an opportunity that is not on the list, please contact Kristin Mead.
Internal Requirements

  • Sponsor: Name of funder.
  • Award Title: Funding opportunity nameAmount: Range/Maximum dollar amount awarded.
  • UMN Deadline: Submission deadline for internal proposal as determined by the coordinating office.
  • Sponsor Deadline: External deadline identified by the sponsor.
  • Description: General information about the sponsor and the funding opportunity. Usually describes the purpose of the funding opportunity, overview of what the sponsor is looking for, including distinctive criteria. This is not meant to take the place of the sponsor guidelines; please read the sponsor guidelines before deciding to apply.
  • Number of Applicants University is Allowed to Submit: The maximum number of applications the sponsor will allow the university to submit.
  • Additional Requirements: Identifies any special requirements such as cost sharing, partners, etc.
  • Sponsor Guidelines: Link to the sponsor’s funding opportunity website.
  • UMN Nominations Process: Contains specific internal submission requirements including internal proposal instructions, deadline, eligibility, internal nomination process, contact information.
  • Peer Review Coordination: The name and contact email of the office coordinating the funding opportunity. RIO coordinates most limited submissions, but opportunities coordinated by other offices or programs are also posted on this webpage.
  • Status:
    • Open: UM deadline has not passed and the opportunity is open for application.
    • Forecasted: The funder has not yet formally published the opportunity. The deadline has yet to be determined.
    • Archived: The opportunity has been archived by the funder.
    • Spots Remaining: UMN deadline has passed, with some applicant spots still available. Contact collabor@umn.edu if interested
    • First-Come, First-Served: Applicants accepted on a first-come, first-served basis. Contact collabor@umn.edu if interested
    • Contact Us: The internal deadline has passed, but no applicants were selected. Please contact the office coordinating the peer review for more information.
    • In Review: Peer review process is in progress for the opportunity.
    • PI Selected: The PI(s) have been selected as the official UMN nominees.
    • Closed: UMN is no longer accepting applications.
UMN Selection Process

  • Once the internal deadline has passed, if the number of applicants is less than or equal to the number of spots the university is allowed to send forward, the applicants automatically become the UMN nominee(s).
  • If the status of an opportunity is "First-Come, First-Served", there was not time to hold an internal review. Applicants will be accepted on a first-come, first-served basis.
  • If there are no applicants, the status will change to "Contact Us". At this point, the opportunity changes to a first-come, first-served opportunity.
  • If there are multiple applicants, the office coordinating the nomination will determine the review criteria and coordinate the review process. The status will change to "In Review".
  • Once the review has been completed all parties will be notified via email.
  • Nominees will be provided with an email from RIO (or the designated coordinating office) indicating that they are the university's nominee. This letter should accompany the nominee's proposal.
  • SPA is notified of the university's nominee(s) and the status is updated to "PI(s) Selected".


*If you have questions about the University's process related to extramural funding opportunities requiring nomination or if you have any technical issues with the site, contact collabor8@umn.edu.

For questions, please contact RIO's Research Advancement group.