Opportunity Information: Apply for RFA FD 11 006
Apply for RFA FD 11 006
- The Food Drug Administration in the agriculture business and commerce education employment, labor and training environment health natural resources regional development science and technology and other research and development sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Analgesic Clinical Trials Innovations, Opportunities, and Networks (ACTION)" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 93.103 Food and Drug AdministrationResearch.
- This funding opportunity was created on Apr 21, 2011 and posted on Apr 21, 2011.
- Applicants must submit their applications by Jun 9, 2011. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
- The funding agency has allocated a total of $1,000,000.00 to eligible and selected applicants.
- Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $1,000,000.00 in funding.
- The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 1 candidate(s).
- Eligible applicants include: Nonprofits having a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education Public and State controlled institutions of higher education Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification) Nonprofits that do not have a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education.
- Addtionally Eligibilities Tribally Controlled College and Universities (TCCUs) Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian Serving Institutions Hispanic serving Institutions Historically Black college and Universities (HBCUs)
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Opportunity Summary:
The Analgesic Clinical Trials Innovations, Opportunities, and Networks (ACTION) funding opportunity (RFA-FD-11-006) was a Food and Drug Administration (FDA) cooperative agreement designed to build and sustain the organizational backbone for a broad public-private partnership focused on improving how analgesic (pain-relief) therapies are tested in clinical trials. Rather than being a typical research grant aimed at a single hypothesis or discrete study, this award emphasized creating the infrastructure needed to coordinate stakeholders, streamline collaboration, and advance better clinical trial methods for pain treatments under the FDA ACTION Initiative. In addition to supporting this coordinating infrastructure, the announcement also allowed for the possibility that specific projects carried out under the ACTION Initiative could receive support, meaning the award could cover both the partnership framework and selected initiative-related activities.
Mechanistically, the award used a cooperative agreement funding instrument, which typically signals a more hands-on, collaborative role for the government compared with a standard grant. In practical terms, that structure usually implies ongoing coordination with FDA staff, shared planning or oversight, and alignment with agency priorities to ensure the partnership produces usable outputs for the field. The intent was to create a durable platform that could bring together public and private entities to tackle recurring challenges in analgesic clinical development, such as trial design, endpoints, measurement tools, operational consistency across sites, and approaches that improve the interpretability and reliability of pain-related outcomes.
Financially, the opportunity was relatively focused and singular: FDA anticipated making one award with an estimated total funding amount of $1,000,000, with both the award floor and ceiling set at $1,000,000. That setup indicates the agency expected one recipient organization to serve as the central hub for the partnership rather than distributing smaller awards across multiple institutions. There was no cost sharing or matching requirement, which lowered barriers for eligible applicants and positioned the funding as full support for the proposed infrastructure and related activities.
In terms of timing, the announcement was posted on April 21, 2011, with an original and final application closing date of June 9, 2011, and an archive date of July 9, 2011. The program is associated with CFDA number 93.103 (Food and Drug Administration Research), situating it within FDA research-related assistance rather than a regulatory or purely operational procurement vehicle.
Eligibility was fairly broad across the nonprofit and higher education landscape. Eligible applicants included 501(c)(3) nonprofits (other than institutions of higher education), nonprofits without 501(c)(3) status (also other than higher education), public and state-controlled institutions of higher education, and additional categories noted in the announcement text. The eligibility list explicitly mentioned several institution types, including Tribally Controlled Colleges and Universities (TCCUs), Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian Serving Institutions, Hispanic Serving Institutions, and Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs). This breadth suggests FDA was open to a wide range of capable coordinating entities, provided they could credibly manage a complex, multi-stakeholder partnership and support the scientific and operational needs of a national initiative.
Overall, ACTION (as reflected in this opportunity) was essentially a capacity-building and network-enabling award: it aimed to create the governance, coordination mechanisms, and operational systems needed for a sustained public-private partnership focused on innovating analgesic clinical trials. The deliverable implied by the announcement was not just research results from one study, but a functioning, maintained infrastructure that could support multiple efforts under the ACTION umbrella and help the field converge on better, more efficient, and more informative approaches to evaluating pain therapies in humans.
For applicants or interested parties at the time, the point of contact listed for access issues was Vieda Hubbard, Grants Management Specialist at FDA (301-827-7177; vieda.hubbard@fda.hhs.gov), and the full announcement was referenced via the NIH Guide for Grants and Contracts link.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What is the ACTION funding opportunity (RFA-FD-11-006)?
The Analgesic Clinical Trials Innovations, Opportunities, and Networks (ACTION) funding opportunity (RFA-FD-11-006) was an FDA cooperative agreement intended to build and sustain the organizational backbone for a broad public-private partnership. The partnership focus was improving how analgesic (pain-relief) therapies are tested in clinical trials under the FDA ACTION Initiative.
What was the main purpose of this award?
The central purpose was capacity-building: creating durable infrastructure to coordinate stakeholders, streamline collaboration, and advance better clinical trial methods for pain treatments. It was designed to establish governance, coordination mechanisms, and operational systems that could support multiple efforts under the ACTION umbrella.
Was this a typical research grant focused on a single study or hypothesis?
No. This opportunity was not described as a typical research grant aimed at one hypothesis or a single discrete study. It emphasized building and maintaining coordinating infrastructure for a broader partnership focused on analgesic clinical trial innovation.
Could the award also support specific projects under the ACTION Initiative?
Yes. In addition to supporting the coordinating infrastructure, the announcement allowed for the possibility that specific projects carried out under the ACTION Initiative could receive support. That means the award could cover both the partnership framework and selected initiative-related activities.
What funding mechanism did FDA use for this opportunity?
FDA used a cooperative agreement. This type of funding instrument typically indicates a more collaborative and hands-on role for the government compared with a standard grant.
What does a cooperative agreement generally imply about FDA's role?
Based on the description provided, the cooperative agreement structure usually implies ongoing coordination with FDA staff, shared planning or oversight, and alignment with agency priorities so the partnership produces usable outputs for the field.
What types of clinical trial challenges was ACTION intended to address?
The initiative aimed to tackle recurring challenges in analgesic clinical development, including trial design, endpoints, measurement tools, operational consistency across sites, and approaches that improve the interpretability and reliability of pain-related outcomes.
How many awards did FDA anticipate making?
FDA anticipated making one award, indicating an expectation that a single recipient organization would serve as the central hub for the partnership.
What was the total funding amount for the award?
The estimated total funding amount was $1,000,000. The award floor and ceiling were both set at $1,000,000.
Was there a cost sharing or matching requirement?
No. The opportunity stated there was no cost sharing or matching requirement.
When was the opportunity posted?
The announcement was posted on April 21, 2011.
What were the application deadline(s)?
The original and final application closing date was June 9, 2011.
When was the opportunity archived?
The archive date was July 9, 2011.
What CFDA number was associated with this program?
The opportunity was associated with CFDA number 93.103 (Food and Drug Administration Research).
Who was eligible to apply?
Eligibility included a broad range of nonprofit and higher education entities, including 501(c)(3) nonprofits (other than institutions of higher education), nonprofits without 501(c)(3) status (also other than higher education), and public and state-controlled institutions of higher education, along with additional categories noted in the announcement text.
Did the eligibility list include minority-serving and tribally controlled institutions?
Yes. The eligibility list explicitly mentioned several institution types, including Tribally Controlled Colleges and Universities (TCCUs), Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian Serving Institutions, Hispanic Serving Institutions, and Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs).
What kind of organization did FDA appear to be looking for as the recipient?
The description suggests FDA was open to a wide range of capable coordinating entities, as long as the applicant could credibly manage a complex, multi-stakeholder public-private partnership and support the scientific and operational needs of a national initiative.
What was the expected deliverable or outcome of the award?
The implied deliverable was not just results from a single study. Instead, it was a functioning, maintained infrastructure and coordinating platform that could support multiple activities under the ACTION Initiative and help the field converge on better, more efficient, and more informative approaches to evaluating pain therapies in humans.
How was the full announcement referenced?
The full announcement was referenced via the NIH Guide for Grants and Contracts link.
Who was the point of contact for access issues?
The point of contact listed for access issues was Vieda Hubbard, Grants Management Specialist at FDA. Phone: 301-827-7177. Email: vieda.hubbard@fda.hhs.gov.
Was this opportunity positioned as research assistance rather than a procurement contract?
Yes. The opportunity was situated within FDA research-related assistance (CFDA 93.103), rather than being described as a regulatory action or a procurement vehicle.
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