Opportunity Information: Apply for RFA DK 14 011
Apply for RFA DK 14 011
- The National Institutes of Health in the food and nutrition health sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Chronic Kidney Disease Biomarkers Consortium (CKD BioCon) (U01)" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 93.847 Diabetes, Digestive, and Kidney Diseases Extramural Research.
- This funding opportunity was created on Jun 11, 2014 and posted on Jun 11, 2014.
- Applicants must submit their applications by Dec 2, 2014. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
- The funding agency has allocated a total of $2,000,000.00 to eligible and selected applicants.
- Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $450,000.00 in funding.
- The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 6 candidate(s).
- Eligible applicants include: State governments For profit organizations other than small businesses Native American tribal governments (Federally recognized) Public and State controlled institutions of higher education Small businesses Independent school districts County governments City or township governments Special district governments Public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities 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) Private institutions of higher education Nonprofits that do not have a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than 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) 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) Regional Organizations Tribally Controlled Colleges and Universities (TCCUs) U.S. Territory or Possession Foreign Institutions 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-DK-14-011, titled "Chronic Kidney Disease Biomarkers Consortium (CKD BioCon) (U01)," supports the second phase of a long-running, multicenter effort focused on improving how chronic kidney disease (CKD) is detected, monitored, and predicted using biomarkers. The award mechanism is a U01 cooperative agreement, which means funded groups will not operate in isolation like a typical investigator-initiated grant; instead, they will work closely with NIH staff and with each other under a coordinated consortium structure. The overall aim is to continue and expand the CKD BioCon model that began in 2009, leveraging existing resources and harmonized methods to accelerate biomarker discovery, validation, and qualification in well-characterized CKD patient populations.
At its core, the program is designed to identify new biomarkers or rigorously validate biomarkers that have already shown promise for chronic kidney diseases. A key feature is the emphasis on using existing stored or reposited biospecimens from CKD patients who are already well described clinically and who have longitudinal follow-up. That detail matters because biomarkers are much more useful when they can be linked to real outcomes over time (for example, progression of kidney function decline, onset of complications, or transition to kidney failure), rather than being measured only at a single time point. By building research protocols around established cohorts and archived samples, the consortium approach can test biomarkers more efficiently and in larger, more diverse datasets than many single-center studies can manage.
The FOA explicitly positions this as a continuation of an active consortium that, at the time of the announcement, included six Participating Centers already conducting multiple research protocols. The "second phase" concept signals that NIH is not just funding disconnected projects; it is sustaining a shared infrastructure and collaborative pipeline where teams align on study designs, assay approaches, data standards, and cross-site validation plans. This kind of structure is typically intended to reduce duplication, improve reproducibility, and ensure that promising biomarkers are tested in a way that is credible for broader clinical or regulatory use.
Applications for this second phase were open both to members of the original consortium and to new investigative teams, which indicates NIH wanted to preserve momentum from established sites while also allowing fresh expertise, technologies, or cohorts to enter the network. The funding opportunity falls under NIH (with CFDA 93.847, Diabetes, Digestive, and Kidney Diseases Extramural Research), reflecting its alignment with NIDDK-supported research priorities in kidney disease and related metabolic conditions.
From an administrative standpoint, the opportunity was a discretionary grant using the cooperative agreement instrument. NIH anticipated making about six awards, with an estimated total funding amount of $2,000,000 and an award ceiling of $450,000. No cost sharing or matching was required, which lowers barriers for many academic and nonprofit applicants and is typical for NIH research funding. The FOA was posted on June 11, 2014, with an original (and final) application closing date of December 2, 2014, and it was archived on January 2, 2015.
Eligibility was broad and included many types of domestic organizations that commonly participate in NIH research: public and private institutions of higher education, nonprofits (including 501(c)(3) entities), state and local governments, tribal governments and tribal organizations, small businesses, and other eligible public or community-based organizations, including faith-based organizations. The listing also called out eligibility for several institution types such as HBCUs, Hispanic-serving institutions, AANAPISIs, TCCUs, and Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian Serving Institutions, reflecting NIH's standard inclusive eligibility language. Foreign institutions and non-U.S. entities were not eligible to apply directly, and non-domestic components of U.S. organizations were also not eligible; however, foreign components (as defined by NIH policy) were allowed, meaning U.S.-led projects could include certain international collaborations when justified and compliant with NIH rules.
Operationally, applicants were expected to fit into a consortium environment where collaboration, data sharing, and coordinated protocol execution are central. While the summary text does not list specific scientific aims or required cores, the stated purpose makes clear that projects needed to contribute to a network-wide mission: advancing CKD biomarker science using high-quality biospecimens and longitudinal clinical data, with an emphasis on discovery and especially on rigorous validation across settings. The full announcement was available through the NIH Grants Guide link provided in the posting, with NIH Office of Extramural Research (OER) webmaster contacts offered for access or technical issues.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What is RFA-DK-14-011?
RFA-DK-14-011 is an NIH funding opportunity titled "Chronic Kidney Disease Biomarkers Consortium (CKD BioCon) (U01)." It supported the second phase of a multicenter consortium focused on improving how chronic kidney disease (CKD) is detected, monitored, and predicted using biomarkers.
What is the main goal of the CKD BioCon program in this funding opportunity?
The main goal is to identify new biomarkers for chronic kidney disease and/or rigorously validate biomarkers that have already shown promise. The program emphasizes using well-characterized CKD patient populations and linking biomarkers to longitudinal clinical outcomes over time.
What does "second phase" mean in the context of this opportunity?
"Second phase" indicates NIH was continuing and expanding an existing, active consortium model that began in 2009. Rather than funding unrelated projects, NIH aimed to sustain shared infrastructure and coordinated collaboration across multiple participating centers.
What funding mechanism is used (and what does U01 mean)?
The award mechanism is a U01 cooperative agreement. This means the funded groups were expected to work closely with NIH staff and with each other under a coordinated consortium structure, rather than operating independently like a typical investigator-initiated research grant.
How is a cooperative agreement different from a typical NIH research grant?
In a cooperative agreement (U01), the work is carried out in a more coordinated, collaborative environment with substantial programmatic involvement from NIH staff. The funded teams are expected to align with consortium-wide plans such as shared methods, harmonized protocols, and cross-site validation approaches.
What kinds of projects fit this FOA?
Projects needed to support the network-wide mission of advancing CKD biomarker science. The description emphasizes biomarker discovery and especially rigorous validation using high-quality biospecimens and longitudinal clinical data, ideally in ways that support reproducibility and broader clinical or regulatory credibility.
Why does the FOA emphasize stored or reposited biospecimens and longitudinal follow-up?
The consortium approach is designed to use existing archived biospecimens from clinically well-described CKD patients who have longitudinal follow-up. This makes biomarker evaluation more meaningful because biomarkers can be tied to real outcomes over time (such as progression of kidney function decline, onset of complications, or transition to kidney failure), not just measured at a single time point.
Was this a single-center or multicenter effort?
It was explicitly a multicenter consortium effort. The second-phase funding was positioned as a continuation of an active consortium that, at the time of the announcement, included six participating centers conducting multiple research protocols.
Were new teams allowed to apply, or only existing consortium members?
Applications were open to both members of the original consortium and new investigative teams. This suggests NIH intended to maintain momentum from established sites while allowing new expertise, technologies, or cohorts to join the consortium.
How many awards did NIH expect to make?
NIH anticipated making about six awards under this funding opportunity.
What was the estimated total funding available?
The estimated total funding amount was $2,000,000.
What was the award ceiling for individual awards?
The award ceiling listed for this opportunity was $450,000.
Was cost sharing or matching required?
No cost sharing or matching was required.
Which NIH area or program does this align with?
The opportunity was under NIH and aligned with NIDDK-related research priorities in kidney disease and related metabolic conditions. The listing referenced CFDA 93.847, "Diabetes, Digestive, and Kidney Diseases Extramural Research."
What types of organizations were eligible to apply?
Eligibility was broad and included many domestic organization types commonly involved in NIH research, including:
- Public and private institutions of higher education
- Nonprofits (including 501(c)(3) organizations)
- State and local governments
- Tribal governments and tribal organizations
- Small businesses
- Other eligible public or community-based organizations, including faith-based organizations
Did the eligibility language include minority-serving institutions?
Yes. The eligibility listing specifically called out several institution types such as HBCUs, Hispanic-serving institutions, AANAPISIs, TCCUs, and Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian Serving Institutions, consistent with NIH's standard inclusive eligibility language.
Were foreign (non-U.S.) institutions eligible to apply?
No. Foreign institutions and non-U.S. entities were not eligible to apply directly.
Could a U.S. applicant include international collaboration?
Yes, foreign components (as defined by NIH policy) were allowed. This means U.S.-led projects could include certain international collaborations when justified and compliant with NIH rules, even though foreign institutions could not apply directly.
Were non-domestic components of U.S. organizations eligible?
No. Non-domestic components of U.S. organizations were not eligible under this opportunity.
What kinds of expectations come with being part of the consortium?
Applicants were expected to operate in a consortium environment where collaboration, data sharing, and coordinated protocol execution are central. The description emphasizes aligned study designs, harmonized methods, shared data standards, and cross-site validation plans to reduce duplication and improve reproducibility.
Did the summary list specific required scientific aims, cores, or components?
No. The summary text does not list specific required aims or required cores. However, it clearly indicates that proposed work needed to contribute to the consortium mission of advancing CKD biomarker discovery, validation, and qualification using well-characterized populations and high-quality biospecimens with longitudinal data.
When was the FOA posted and when did it close?
The FOA was posted on June 11, 2014. The original (and final) application closing date was December 2, 2014.
Is this funding opportunity still active?
No. It was archived on January 2, 2015.
Where could applicants find the full announcement at the time?
The full announcement was available through the NIH Grants Guide link referenced in the posting.
Who was listed for help with access or technical issues?
NIH Office of Extramural Research (OER) webmaster contacts were offered for access or technical issues related to the announcement.
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