Opportunity Information: Apply for RFA HG 13 009
Apply for RFA HG 13 009
- The National Institutes of Health in the education environment food and nutrition health income security and social services sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Centers of Excellence for Big Data Computing in the Biomedical Sciences (U54)" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 93.113 Environmental Health 93.121 Oral Diseases and Disorders Research 93.172 Human Genome Research 93.173 Research Related to Deafness and Communication Disorders 93.213 Research and Training in Complementary and Integrative Health 93.233 National Center on Sleep Disorders Research 93.242 Mental Health Research Grants 93.273 Alcohol Research Programs 93.279 Drug Abuse and Addiction Research Programs 93.286 Discovery and Applied Research for Technological Innovations to Improve Human Health 93.307 Minority Health and Health Disparities Research 93.350 National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences 93.351 Research Infrastructure Programs 93.361 Nursing Research 93.393 Cancer Cause and Prevention Research 93.394 Cancer Detection and Diagnosis Research 93.395 Cancer Treatment Research 93.396 Cancer Biology Research 93.397 Cancer Centers Support Grants 93.399 Cancer Control 93.837 Cardiovascular Diseases Research 93.838 Lung Diseases Research 93.839 Blood Diseases and Resources Research 93.846 Arthritis, Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases Research 93.847 Diabetes, Digestive, and Kidney Diseases Extramural Research 93.853 Extramural Research Programs in the Neurosciences and Neurological Disorders 93.855 Allergy and Infectious Diseases Research 93.856 Microbiology and Infectious Diseases Research 93.859 Biomedical Research and Research Training 93.865 Child Health and Human Development Extramural Research 93.866 Aging Research 93.867 Vision Research 93.879 Medical Library Assistance.
- This funding opportunity was created on Jul 22, 2013 and posted on Jul 22, 2013.
- Applicants must submit their applications by Nov 20, 2013. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
- The funding agency has allocated a total of $24,000,000.00 to eligible and selected applicants.
- Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $2,000,000.00 in funding.
- Eligible applicants include: Small businesses Public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities Independent school districts Nonprofits having a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education Native American tribal organizations (other than Federally recognized tribal governments) Native American tribal governments (Federally recognized) Public and State controlled institutions of higher education Special district governments For profit organizations other than small businesses Nonprofits that do not have a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education City or township governments State governments County governments Private institutions of higher education Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification).
- Other Eligible Applicants include the following Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian Serving Institutions Asian American Native American Pacific Islander Serving Institutions (AANAPISISs) Faith based or Community based Organizations Hispanic serving Institutions Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) Indian/Native American Tribal Governments (Other than Federally Recognized) Regional Organizations Tribally Controlled Colleges and Universities (TCCUs) U.S. Territory or Possession Non domestic (non U.S.) Entities (Foreign Institutions) are not eligible to apply. Non domestic (non U.S.) components of U.S. Organizations are not eligible to apply. Foreign components, as defined in the NIH Grants Policy Statement, are allowed.
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Opportunity Summary:
The NIH funding opportunity RFA-HG-13-009, titled "Centers of Excellence for Big Data Computing in the Biomedical Sciences (U54)," was created to help biomedical and behavioral researchers deal with the growing reality that modern research is driven by very large, complex, and highly varied data sets. As research teams generate and pull together genomics data, imaging, clinical records, sensor and wearable data, population-level cohorts, and many other data types, they often run into the same bottlenecks: it can be hard to find the right data, hard to compute on it at scale, hard to combine different data sources correctly, and hard to use the necessary software without specialized expertise. NIH framed this program as part of its Big Data to Knowledge (BD2K) initiative, which aimed to close those gaps by improving the methods, tools, and training that make big biomedical data genuinely usable.
This FOA supports the creation of BD2K Centers of Excellence using the U54 cooperative agreement mechanism. In practical terms, NIH was not just looking to fund isolated software projects or one-off analytic pipelines. The goal was to establish centers that can do sustained, coordinated work to advance the science of biomedical big data computing, and then translate that work into broadly usable resources for the larger research community. The emphasis is on innovation plus utility: centers are expected to conduct research that pushes the state of the art (new computational approaches, new analytic methods, improved data management strategies, scalable software and tools), while also producing tangible outputs that move along a development path from early-stage concepts to more mature, robust resources that researchers can adopt widely.
A key feature of the program is its focus on accessibility and community impact. The problem statement behind the FOA is not only that big data is large, but that the ecosystem around it is often fragmented: tools are unevenly documented, data access can be cumbersome, workflows are hard to reproduce, and many biomedical scientists lack training in scalable computation. The Centers of Excellence were therefore envisioned as hubs that improve the ability of the entire biomedical research enterprise to locate, analyze, and interact with complex data and the software needed to work with it. Although the announcement summary highlights tools, methods, software, and related resources, the broader framing strongly signals a desire for outputs that are discoverable, usable, and reusable by others rather than confined to a single lab or disease area.
The opportunity falls under the discretionary category and uses a cooperative agreement funding instrument, which typically indicates substantial NIH program involvement during the life of the award compared with a standard research grant. The activity category listed spans education, environment, food and nutrition, health, and social services, reflecting how data-intensive approaches cut across many biomedical and public health domains. The FOA is associated with a wide range of CFDA numbers, including human genome research, cancer research, cardiovascular and lung diseases, mental health, substance use, aging, neurological disorders, infectious diseases, minority health and health disparities, translational sciences, and research infrastructure programs. That breadth underscores that NIH intended these centers to create foundational capabilities that can serve many institutes and many research communities, not just one specialized niche.
In terms of funding scale, the FOA listed an estimated total funding amount of $24,000,000, with an award ceiling of $2,000,000. It did not require cost sharing or matching. The announcement was posted July 22, 2013, with an original and current closing date of November 20, 2013, and it was archived December 21, 2013. Even though it is an older, archived opportunity, it is still a useful reference point for how NIH has structured large, center-style investments in data science infrastructure and community-facing tool development.
Eligibility was broad across U.S.-based organizations. Eligible applicants included public and private institutions of higher education, nonprofit organizations (including 501(c)(3) and non-501(c)(3) entities), for-profit organizations (including those other than small businesses), state and local governments (state, county, city or township), special district governments, independent school districts, public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities, and tribal governments and tribal organizations. The FOA also explicitly included a variety of mission-serving institutions and community-based organizations as eligible, such as HBCUs, Hispanic-serving institutions, AANAPISIs, Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian serving institutions, tribally controlled colleges and universities, and faith-based or community-based organizations, among others. At the same time, non-U.S. (foreign) institutions and non-U.S. components of U.S. organizations were not eligible to apply, although foreign components as defined by NIH policy were allowed, which typically means discrete parts of a project may be conducted abroad under NIH rules while the applicant organization remains U.S.-based.
Overall, this grant opportunity was designed to stand up multidisciplinary, center-scale efforts that make biomedical big data more workable in the real world. NIH sought teams that could combine deep technical expertise in computation and data science with a clear understanding of biomedical research needs, producing scalable and well-engineered tools, methods, and resources that could be adopted broadly and help close persistent gaps in usability, accessibility, and training across the research community.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What is the funding opportunity RFA-HG-13-009?
RFA-HG-13-009 is an NIH funding opportunity titled "Centers of Excellence for Big Data Computing in the Biomedical Sciences (U54)." It was created to support center-scale efforts that help biomedical and behavioral researchers work effectively with very large, complex, and highly diverse data sets.
What is the main purpose of this FOA?
The FOA aims to establish BD2K Centers of Excellence that advance the science of biomedical big data computing and translate that work into broadly usable resources for the larger research community. The focus is on solving common bottlenecks in finding, computing on, combining, and using complex biomedical data and the software needed to analyze it.
What kinds of problems was NIH trying to address with these Centers of Excellence?
NIH highlighted persistent barriers that many research teams face when working with big biomedical data, including difficulty locating the right data, scaling computation to large data volumes, correctly integrating different data sources, and using specialized software without extensive technical expertise. The FOA also points to ecosystem issues like fragmented tools, uneven documentation, cumbersome data access, hard-to-reproduce workflows, and training gaps in scalable computation.
How does this opportunity relate to NIH's BD2K initiative?
This FOA was framed as part of NIH's Big Data to Knowledge (BD2K) initiative, which sought to close gaps by improving methods, tools, and training so that big biomedical data becomes genuinely usable by the research community.
What funding mechanism does this FOA use?
The program uses the U54 cooperative agreement mechanism. A cooperative agreement typically means NIH has substantial program involvement during the award period compared with a standard research grant.
What is NIH looking for beyond a single software tool or a one-off pipeline?
NIH was not looking to fund isolated projects. The FOA emphasizes sustained, coordinated center-based work that both advances the state of the art (innovation) and produces tangible outputs that move from early concepts to mature, robust resources that others can adopt widely (utility).
What kinds of activities or outputs are expected from a BD2K Center of Excellence?
Based on the FOA description, expected outputs include advances in computational approaches, analytic methods, data management strategies, and scalable software/tools, along with community-facing resources intended to be discoverable, usable, and reusable beyond a single lab or disease area.
Does the FOA emphasize community accessibility and broader impact?
Yes. A central theme is accessibility and community impact. The Centers were envisioned as hubs that improve how the wider biomedical research enterprise can locate, analyze, and interact with complex data and the software needed to work with it.
Is this opportunity limited to a specific disease area or NIH institute?
No. The FOA spans a wide range of biomedical and public health domains, underscoring that NIH intended these centers to create foundational capabilities useful across many institutes and research communities, rather than serving a single specialized niche.
What activity areas are associated with this FOA?
The activity category listed spans education, environment, food and nutrition, health, and social services, reflecting that data-intensive approaches cut across many domains relevant to biomedical and public health research.
What CFDA areas were associated with this FOA?
The FOA is associated with many CFDA areas, including human genome research, cancer research, cardiovascular and lung diseases, mental health, substance use, aging, neurological disorders, infectious diseases, minority health and health disparities, translational sciences, and research infrastructure programs, among others.
How much funding was available under this FOA?
The FOA listed an estimated total funding amount of $24,000,000.
What was the maximum award amount (award ceiling)?
The award ceiling was $2,000,000.
Was cost sharing or matching required?
No. The FOA did not require cost sharing or matching.
When was the FOA posted and when did it close?
The announcement was posted on July 22, 2013. The original and current closing date was November 20, 2013.
Is this FOA still open?
No. It is an older, archived opportunity. The FOA was archived on December 21, 2013.
Why might an archived FOA still be useful?
Even though it is archived, it can still serve as a reference point for how NIH has structured large, center-style investments in data science infrastructure and community-facing tool development.
Who was eligible to apply?
Eligibility was broad across U.S.-based organizations. Eligible applicants included public and private institutions of higher education, nonprofit organizations (including 501(c)(3) and non-501(c)(3) entities), for-profit organizations (including those other than small businesses), and various government entities (state and local governments, special district governments, independent school districts, public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities), as well as tribal governments and tribal organizations.
Were minority-serving and community-based institutions included in eligibility?
Yes. The FOA explicitly included a variety of mission-serving institutions and community-based organizations as eligible, including HBCUs, Hispanic-serving institutions, AANAPISIs, Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian serving institutions, tribally controlled colleges and universities, and faith-based or community-based organizations, among others.
Were non-U.S. (foreign) institutions eligible to apply?
No. Non-U.S. (foreign) institutions and non-U.S. components of U.S. organizations were not eligible to apply.
Are foreign components allowed under this FOA?
Yes. Foreign components, as defined by NIH policy, were allowed. This generally means certain discrete parts of a project may be conducted abroad under NIH rules while the applicant organization remains U.S.-based.
What does NIH mean by building a "Center of Excellence" in this context?
In this FOA, a Center of Excellence refers to a multidisciplinary, center-scale effort designed for sustained and coordinated work that advances biomedical big data computing and delivers community-facing tools, methods, and resources intended for broad adoption.
What balance does the FOA strike between innovation and practical usability?
The FOA emphasizes both. Centers are expected to push the state of the art through innovative research while also producing tangible, well-engineered outputs that progress toward robust resources that can be adopted widely by researchers.
What overall outcomes was NIH aiming for across the research community?
NIH aimed to make biomedical big data more workable in real-world research by improving usability, accessibility, reproducibility, and training across the broader biomedical research enterprise, supported by scalable tools and methods developed through coordinated centers.
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Applicants who have applied for this opportunity (RFA HG 13 009) also looked into and applied for these:
| Funding Opportunity |
|---|
| Research Project Grant (Parent R01) Apply for PA 13 302 Funding Number: PA 13 302 Agency: National Institutes of Health Category: Education Environment Food and Nutrition Health Income Security and Social Services Funding Amount: Case Dependent |
| Behavioral and Social Science Research on Understanding and Reducing Health Disparities (R01) Apply for PA 13 292 Funding Number: PA 13 292 Agency: National Institutes of Health Category: Education Environment Food and Nutrition Health Income Security and Social Services Funding Amount: Case Dependent |
| NIH Support for Conferences and Scientific Meetings (Parent R13/U13) Apply for PA 13 347 Funding Number: PA 13 347 Agency: National Institutes of Health Category: Education Environment Food and Nutrition Health Income Security and Social Services Funding Amount: Case Dependent |
| Academic Research Enhancement Award (Parent R15) Apply for PA 13 313 Funding Number: PA 13 313 Agency: National Institutes of Health Category: Education Environment Food and Nutrition Health Income Security and Social Services Funding Amount: $300,000 |
| BD2K LINCS Perturbation Data Coordination and Integration Center (DCIC) (U54) Apply for RFA HG 14 001 Funding Number: RFA HG 14 001 Agency: National Institutes of Health Category: Education Environment Food and Nutrition Health Income Security and Social Services Funding Amount: $3,000,000 |
| Ruth L. Kirschstein National Research Service Award (NRSA) Institutional Research Training Grant (Parent T32) Apply for PA 14 015 Funding Number: PA 14 015 Agency: National Institutes of Health Category: Education Environment Food and Nutrition Health Income Security and Social Services Funding Amount: Case Dependent |
| Administrative Supplements for Research on Sex/Gender Differences (Admin Supp) Apply for PA 14 027 Funding Number: PA 14 027 Agency: National Institutes of Health Category: Education Environment Food and Nutrition Health Income Security and Social Services Funding Amount: Case Dependent |
| NIH Pathway to Independence Award (Parent K99/R00) Apply for PA 14 042 Funding Number: PA 14 042 Agency: National Institutes of Health Category: Education Environment Food and Nutrition Health Income Security and Social Services Funding Amount: Case Dependent |
| Mentored Clinical Scientist Research Career Development Award (Parent K08) Apply for PA 14 046 Funding Number: PA 14 046 Agency: National Institutes of Health Category: Education Environment Food and Nutrition Health Income Security and Social Services Funding Amount: Case Dependent |
| Midcareer Investigator Award in Patient Oriented Research (Parent K24) Apply for PA 14 047 Funding Number: PA 14 047 Agency: National Institutes of Health Category: Education Environment Food and Nutrition Health Income Security and Social Services Funding Amount: Case Dependent |
| Mentored Quantitative Research Development Award (Parent K25) Apply for PA 14 048 Funding Number: PA 14 048 Agency: National Institutes of Health Category: Education Environment Food and Nutrition Health Income Security and Social Services Funding Amount: Case Dependent |
| Mentored Patient Oriented Research Career Development Award (Parent K23) Apply for PA 14 049 Funding Number: PA 14 049 Agency: National Institutes of Health Category: Education Environment Food and Nutrition Health Income Security and Social Services Funding Amount: Case Dependent |
| Mentored Career Development Award in Biomedical Big Data Science for Clinicians and Doctorally Prepared Scientists (K01) Apply for RFA HG 14 007 Funding Number: RFA HG 14 007 Agency: National Institutes of Health Category: Education Environment Food and Nutrition Health Income Security and Social Services Funding Amount: Case Dependent |
| Courses for Skills Development in Biomedical Big Data Science (R25) Apply for RFA HG 14 008 Funding Number: RFA HG 14 008 Agency: National Institutes of Health Category: Education Environment Food and Nutrition Health Income Security and Social Services Funding Amount: $150,000 |
| Open Educational Resources for Biomedical Big Data (R25) Apply for RFA HG 14 009 Funding Number: RFA HG 14 009 Agency: National Institutes of Health Category: Education Environment Food and Nutrition Health Income Security and Social Services Funding Amount: $200,000 |
| PHS 2014 02 Omnibus Solicitation of the NIH for Small Business Technology Transfer Grant Applications (Parent STTR R41/R42 Apply for PA 14 072 Funding Number: PA 14 072 Agency: National Institutes of Health Category: Education Environment Food and Nutrition Health Income Security and Social Services Funding Amount: Case Dependent |
| PHS 2014 02 Omnibus Solicitation of the NIH, CDC, FDA and ACF for Small Business Innovation Research Grant Applications (Parent SBIR R43/R44) Apply for PA 14 071 Funding Number: PA 14 071 Agency: National Institutes of Health Category: Education Environment Food and Nutrition Health Income Security and Social Services Funding Amount: Case Dependent |
| Change of Grantee Organization (Type 7 Parent) Apply for PA 14 078 Funding Number: PA 14 078 Agency: National Institutes of Health Category: Education Environment Food and Nutrition Health Income Security and Social Services Funding Amount: Case Dependent |
| Successor in Interest (Type 6 Parent) Apply for PA 14 079 Funding Number: PA 14 079 Agency: National Institutes of Health Category: Education Environment Food and Nutrition Health Income Security and Social Services Funding Amount: Case Dependent |
| Administrative Supplements to Existing NIH Grants and Cooperative Agreements (Parent Admin Supp) Apply for PA 14 077 Funding Number: PA 14 077 Agency: National Institutes of Health Category: Education Environment Food and Nutrition Health Income Security and Social Services Funding Amount: Case Dependent |
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