Botanical Dietary Supplement Research Centers (P50) | Apply Online

FAQs: Botanical Dietary Supplement Research Centers (P50) - RFA-OD-14-001

What is the Botanical Dietary Supplement Research Centers (P50) opportunity?

This opportunity (Funding Opportunity Number RFA-OD-14-001) is a National Institutes of Health (NIH) center grant that supports multidisciplinary research centers focused on botanicals used as ingredients in dietary supplements. It uses the P50 research center structure to build coordinated, integrated research programs rather than isolated, single-project efforts.

What problem is NIH trying to solve with this program?

The program targets a recurring gap in the botanical dietary supplement space: many botanical products are widely used for health maintenance, but the mechanistic and preclinical evidence needed to design strong, definitive clinical studies is often incomplete. NIH is funding centers to generate rigorous, integrated science that clarifies how complex botanical mixtures interact with biology and which formulations and doses are sensible to test in people later.

Is this funding mainly for basic science, preclinical work, or clinical trials?

The heart of the FOA is basic and preclinical research, emphasizing cutting edge, transdisciplinary approaches. It is intentionally not a clinical trials mechanism, and large clinical efficacy trials are not the focus.

Are any human subjects studies allowed?

Yes, but only in a strictly limited way. Human subjects research may be included when it addresses foundational translational questions rather than efficacy testing, such as in vivo mechanisms, safety, pharmacokinetics, or reasons for individual differences in metabolism or response.

What kinds of human-focused questions fit the FOA?

Permitted human-focused aims are those that help explain how a botanical behaves in the body, including how it is processed (metabolism), what exposure levels are achieved (pharmacokinetics), whether there are safety signals to understand, or why individuals may differ in metabolism or response.

What types of research approaches does NIH expect centers to integrate?

Applicants are expected to combine expertise across disciplines such as botany and pharmacognosy, phytochemistry and analytical chemistry, and biological testing platforms spanning computational (in silico), cell-based (in vitro), and whole-organism (in vivo) models.

Does the FOA encourage studying single purified compounds?

No. The intent is not to fund isolated projects examining a single compound in a vacuum. Instead, the FOA supports coordinated programs that address botanicals as they are actually used: multi-constituent mixtures with variability arising from species identity, growing conditions, processing, and formulation.

What kinds of outputs or advances is NIH looking for?

A major expected output is a clearer picture of mechanisms of action, including how botanical constituents or metabolite profiles link to measurable biological pathways and outcomes. The overall aim is to strengthen the mechanistic and preclinical foundation needed before expensive definitive clinical trials are justified.

What scientific themes are emphasized in the announcement?

The FOA highlights research on botanicals traditionally used for health maintenance and botanicals with strong evidence of promise for improving objective, quantitative measures of organism resilience.

What does "organism resilience" mean in the context of this FOA?

In practical terms, resilience refers to measurable indicators of physiological performance that can be quantified, such as stress response, immune robustness, metabolic flexibility, or other objective measures of how an organism responds to challenges.

Are animal or other model systems encouraged?

Yes. The FOA strongly encourages using relevant vertebrate and invertebrate models to enable rigorous, experimentally tractable studies that can probe mechanisms and dose-response relationships efficiently while maintaining biological relevance.

What makes this a "center" grant rather than a standard research grant?

The P50 structure is used to create multidisciplinary, coordinated research hubs. The FOA is designed to support integrated research programs capable of linking botanical composition and quality to biological mechanism, exposure, and measurable functional outcomes.

What is the Funding Opportunity Number (FOA number) for this program?

The Funding Opportunity Number is RFA-OD-14-001.

Which agency sponsors this opportunity?

The sponsoring agency is the National Institutes of Health (NIH), and the announcement was hosted through the NIH grants guide.

What is the CFDA number and program category?

The opportunity is listed under CFDA 93.213, titled Research and Training in Complementary and Integrative Health, and is described as a discretionary grant in the health category.

Is cost sharing or matching required?

No. Cost sharing or matching is not required.

What is the award ceiling listed in the announcement?

The award ceiling listed is $1,250,000.

Who is eligible to apply?

The eligible applicant pool is broad and includes state and local governments, tribal governments and tribal organizations, public and private institutions of higher education, nonprofit organizations (with or without 501(c)(3) status), for-profit organizations other than small businesses, and small businesses, among others.

Are minority-serving institutions and community-based organizations included in the eligible applicant types?

Yes. The FOA explicitly includes eligibility for institution types such as HBCUs, Hispanic-serving institutions, AANAPISIs, TCCUs, Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian Serving Institutions, and faith-based or community-based organizations.

Are federal agencies eligible to apply?

Yes. The FOA indicates eligible federal agencies are included among eligible applicants.

Can a non-U.S. (foreign) institution apply directly?

No. Non-U.S. (foreign) institutions are not eligible to apply directly.

Can a U.S. organization include non-U.S. components?

No. Non-U.S. components of U.S. organizations are not eligible. However, foreign components (as NIH defines them) are allowed, meaning specific, justified international collaborations can be included within an otherwise eligible U.S.-led application.

When was the FOA posted, and what were the key dates?

The FOA was posted on December 5, 2013. The original and current closing date listed is June 6, 2014, and the archive date is July 7, 2014.

Is this opportunity still open?

Based on the dates provided, the closing date was June 6, 2014, and the FOA was archived on July 7, 2014.

What is the overall purpose of the program in plain terms?

The program aims to professionalize and deepen the evidence base for botanical dietary supplements by funding integrated research centers that can connect botanical composition and quality to mechanisms, exposure, and measurable functional outcomes, laying the groundwork for better-designed future clinical research.