Opportunity Information: Apply for RFA AI 12 044

  • The National Institutes of Health in the health sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Centers of Excellence for Translational Research (CETR) (U19)" and is now available to receive applicants.
  • Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 93.855 Allergy and Infectious Diseases Research 93.856 Microbiology and Infectious Diseases Research.
  • This funding opportunity was created on Nov 23, 2012 and posted on Nov 23, 2012.
  • Applicants must submit their applications by Mar 26, 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 $75,000,000.00 to eligible and selected applicants.
  • Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $4,000,000.00 in funding.
  • Eligible applicants include: Private institutions of higher education Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification) Public and State controlled institutions of higher education Native American tribal organizations (other than Federally recognized tribal governments) Public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities County governments Special district governments For profit organizations other than small businesses Native American tribal governments (Federally recognized) Nonprofits having a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education City or township governments Independent school districts State governments Nonprofits that do not have a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education Small businesses.
  • Other Eligible Applicants include the following Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian Serving Institutions Asian American Native American Pacific Islander Serving Institutions (AANAPISISs) Eligible Agencies of the Federal Government Faith based or Community based Organizations Hispanic serving Institutions Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) Indian/Native American Tribal Governments (Other than Federally Recognized) Non domestic (non U.S.) Entities (Foreign Organizations) Regional Organizations Tribally Controlled Colleges and Universities (TCCUs) U.S. Territory or Possession Non domestic (non U.S.) Entities (Foreign Institutions) are eligible to apply. Non domestic (non U.S.) components of U.S. Organizations are eligible to apply. Foreign components, as defined in the NIH Grants Policy Statement, are allowed.
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Opportunity Summary:

The Centers of Excellence for Translational Research (CETR) (U19) funding opportunity (RFA-AI-12-044) is a National Institutes of Health program led by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) that was designed to build and support multidisciplinary translational research centers. The central aim is to speed the creation and advancement of medical countermeasures for NIAID-priority emerging and re-emerging infectious diseases. In practical terms, the announcement is focused on moving promising ideas from earlier-stage discovery into more advanced, applied development by supporting teams that can generate candidate countermeasures, validate them with appropriate studies, and push them forward along the translational pipeline. The program is structured to encourage integrated, center-based efforts rather than isolated projects, so applicants are expected to bring together the range of expertise needed to tackle complex infectious disease threats, such as microbiology, immunology, preclinical development, product development strategy, and other disciplines relevant to countermeasure development.

This opportunity uses the NIH cooperative agreement mechanism (U19), which signals a more collaborative relationship with the funding agency than a standard research project grant. Under a cooperative agreement, awardees typically conduct the proposed work while also coordinating closely with NIAID on program goals, milestones, and other aspects of progress and oversight consistent with NIH policy. The funding instrument reflects the translational, team-science nature of CETR: it is intended to support multi-project centers that can manage parallel but coordinated research activities under one umbrella, often with shared resources and a unified plan for moving candidates forward. The funding activity category is health, and the program aligns with CFDA numbers 93.855 (Allergy and Infectious Diseases Research) and 93.856 (Microbiology and Infectious Diseases Research.

From a funding perspective, the announcement listed an estimated total program funding amount of $75,000,000, with an award ceiling of $4,000,000. Cost sharing or matching was not required, which can reduce barriers for institutions that may not have large discretionary funds to contribute. The opportunity was posted on November 23, 2012, with an original and final application due date of March 26, 2013, and it was archived on April 26, 2013. While these dates indicate the specific competition has closed, the details are still useful for understanding how NIAID structured the CETR program and what kinds of organizations and collaborations it sought to mobilize.

Eligibility was broad and intentionally inclusive, covering many types of domestic and non-domestic organizations. Eligible applicants included public and private institutions of higher education, nonprofit organizations (including those with and without 501(c)(3) status), for-profit organizations other than small businesses, and small businesses. A wide range of government entities were eligible as well, including state governments, county governments, city or township governments, special district governments, independent school districts, and public housing authorities or Indian housing authorities. The announcement also explicitly included Native American tribal governments (federally recognized) and other tribal organizations, along with tribally controlled colleges and universities. In addition, the eligibility language recognized a number of institution types and communities that NIH often highlights for inclusion, such as Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), Hispanic-serving institutions, Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian-serving institutions, and Asian American Native American Pacific Islander-serving institutions (AANAPISIs), along with faith-based or community-based organizations where relevant.

Notably, foreign participation was allowed. Non-domestic (non-U.S.) entities and foreign institutions were eligible to apply, non-domestic components of U.S. organizations were eligible, and foreign components as defined in the NIH Grants Policy Statement were permitted. This matters for infectious disease countermeasure work because outbreaks, surveillance, field studies, and pathogen diversity often require international partnerships or access to samples and expertise outside the United States. The announcement also stated that applications could come from a single institution or from consortia of institutions, reinforcing that NIAID expected many applicants to assemble cross-institution teams when the science, facilities, or specialized capabilities could not reasonably be contained within one organization.

Overall, CETR (U19) was set up as a center-based translational program intended to accelerate the development of medical countermeasures targeting emerging and re-emerging infectious diseases of interest to NIAID. It emphasized multidisciplinary collaboration, structured project integration, and a pathway-oriented approach to advancing candidate countermeasures beyond basic research. For applicants, the key takeaways were the scale of support, the cooperative agreement structure, the expectation of coordinated, milestone-driven translational work, and the unusually broad eligibility that enabled universities, nonprofits, companies, government entities, and international partners to compete or collaborate under the same program umbrella. For reference, the archived full announcement was available through NIH at http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/rfa-files/RFA-AI-12-044.html, and NIH provided webmaster contacts for access or linking issues (FBOWebmaster@OD.NIH.GOV).

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

What is the Centers of Excellence for Translational Research (CETR) (U19) opportunity?

CETR (U19) (RFA-AI-12-044) is a National Institutes of Health (NIH) funding opportunity led by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID). It was designed to build and support multidisciplinary translational research centers focused on accelerating medical countermeasures for NIAID-priority emerging and re-emerging infectious diseases.

What is the main goal of the CETR (U19) program?

The central aim is to speed the creation and advancement of medical countermeasures for emerging and re-emerging infectious diseases prioritized by NIAID. The program emphasizes moving promising ideas from earlier-stage discovery into more advanced, applied development along the translational pipeline.

What types of work does this program emphasize?

The announcement emphasizes translational, pathway-oriented work that can generate candidate countermeasures, validate them through appropriate studies, and advance them forward toward applied development. It is positioned to support coordinated efforts that move beyond basic research into more development-focused activities.

Does CETR support isolated single projects, or integrated centers?

The opportunity is structured to encourage integrated, center-based efforts rather than isolated projects. Applicants are expected to organize multidisciplinary teams and coordinated activities under one umbrella, often supported by shared resources and a unified plan for advancing candidates.

What is the funding mechanism used for this opportunity?

This opportunity uses the NIH cooperative agreement mechanism (U19). A U19 is intended for multi-project, center-based programs and signals a more collaborative relationship with the funding agency than a standard research project grant.

What does a cooperative agreement (U19) imply about NIAID involvement?

Under a cooperative agreement, awardees typically conduct the proposed work while coordinating closely with NIAID on program goals, milestones, progress, and oversight in a manner consistent with NIH policy. The mechanism reflects the team-science, translational nature of CETR.

What kinds of expertise are applicants expected to bring together?

The program description highlights the need for a range of expertise suitable for countermeasure development against complex infectious disease threats. Examples mentioned include microbiology, immunology, preclinical development, product development strategy, and other disciplines relevant to medical countermeasure development.

What is the funding activity category and which CFDA numbers are associated with this program?

The funding activity category is health. The opportunity aligns with CFDA 93.855 (Allergy and Infectious Diseases Research) and CFDA 93.856 (Microbiology and Infectious Diseases Research).

How much total funding was estimated for the program?

The announcement listed an estimated total program funding amount of $75,000,000.

What was the award ceiling for an individual award?

The award ceiling listed in the announcement was $4,000,000.

Was cost sharing or matching required?

No. The announcement stated that cost sharing or matching was not required.

When was this opportunity posted and when were applications due?

The opportunity was posted on November 23, 2012. The original and final application due date listed was March 26, 2013.

Is this funding opportunity still open?

No. The announcement was archived on April 26, 2013, and the due date listed in the opportunity has passed.

Who was eligible to apply?

Eligibility was broad and included many types of domestic and non-domestic organizations. Eligible applicants included public and private institutions of higher education; nonprofit organizations (with and without 501(c)(3) status); for-profit organizations other than small businesses; small businesses; and a wide range of government entities.

Which U.S. government entities were included as eligible applicants?

The announcement included eligibility for state governments, county governments, city or township governments, special district governments, independent school districts, and public housing authorities or Indian housing authorities.

Were tribal governments and tribal organizations eligible?

Yes. The announcement explicitly included Native American tribal governments (federally recognized), other tribal organizations, and tribally controlled colleges and universities.

Did the eligibility language highlight specific institution types for inclusion?

Yes. The opportunity recognized institution types and communities NIH often highlights for inclusion, including Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), Hispanic-serving institutions, Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian-serving institutions, and Asian American Native American Pacific Islander-serving institutions (AANAPISIs), as well as faith-based or community-based organizations where relevant.

Was foreign participation allowed?

Yes. Non-domestic (non-U.S.) entities and foreign institutions were eligible to apply. In addition, non-domestic components of U.S. organizations were eligible, and foreign components (as defined in the NIH Grants Policy Statement) were permitted.

Can applications be submitted by a single institution, or must they be a consortium?

The announcement stated that applications could come from a single institution or from consortia of institutions. This supports cross-institution teams when specialized capabilities, facilities, or expertise are not all located within one organization.

Why does the announcement emphasize international partnerships?

The opportunity notes that infectious disease countermeasure work can require international partnerships or access to samples and expertise outside the United States due to outbreaks, surveillance needs, field studies, and pathogen diversity.

Where can the archived full announcement be found?

The archived full announcement was available through NIH at: http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/rfa-files/RFA-AI-12-044.html.

Who should be contacted for access or linking issues related to the announcement?

The NIH provided a webmaster contact for access or linking issues: FBOWebmaster@OD.NIH.GOV.

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