Opportunity Information: Apply for RFA HL 11 018
Apply for RFA HL 11 018
- The National Institutes of Health in the health sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Clinical Centers for the Severe Asthma Research Program (SARP) (U10)" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 93.838 Lung Diseases Research.
- This funding opportunity was created on May 26, 2010 and posted on May 26, 2010.
- Applicants must submit their applications by Oct 15, 2010. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
- The funding agency has allocated a total of $31,500,000.00 to eligible and selected applicants.
- Eligible applicants include: Public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities Nonprofits that do not have a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education Small businesses County governments State governments Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification) City or township governments For profit organizations other than small businesses Nonprofits having a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education Private institutions of higher education Native American tribal governments (Federally recognized) Public and State controlled institutions of higher education Independent school districts Special district governments Native American tribal organizations (other than Federally recognized tribal governments).
- Other Eligible Applicants include the following Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian Serving Institutions 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.
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Opportunity Summary:
The Clinical Centers for the Severe Asthma Research Program (SARP) (U10) opportunity (Funding Opportunity Number RFA-HL-11-018) is a National Institutes of Health program run through the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) to build a coordinated, multi-site research network focused on understanding severe asthma over time. The core idea behind this program is that severe asthma is not a single, uniform disease. Instead, it varies widely from person to person and can also change within the same person across months or years. Because the field still lacks a clear understanding of the biological mechanisms driving these differences, clinicians have limited ability to predict who will worsen, who will remain stable, or who will respond to a particular medication. This program is designed to address that gap by studying severe asthma and its subtypes in a rigorous, long-term, biology-driven way.
The main scientific purpose is to create a new framework for defining severe asthma (and related milder forms) using molecular and cellular features measured longitudinally, meaning repeatedly over time rather than as one-time snapshots. The program expects investigators to move beyond symptom-based labels and instead characterize asthma using mechanistic and "evoked phenotype" approaches. In practice, this means the clinical centers will follow children and adults with mild to severe asthma and use standardized protocols to measure developmental, molecular, cellular, and physiological traits, including how these traits behave when the airway or immune system is challenged or stimulated in controlled ways. The emphasis is on understanding evolving pathobiology and pathogenesis: how severe asthma develops, changes, and differentiates into recognizable sub-phenotypes with distinct underlying biology.
A major structural feature of SARP in this phase is shared, network-wide collaboration. All participating centers are expected to work together to agree on high-priority research questions that require a common longitudinal protocol carried out across every site. That shared protocol is meant to ensure that core data elements and biospecimen collection are harmonized across the entire cohort, enabling pooled analyses and stronger conclusions about phenotype stability, fluctuation, and biological drivers. At the same time, the program also leaves room for additional mechanistic questions that may be pursued by one or multiple centers, either by leveraging participants enrolled under the shared protocol or by studying subsets at specific sites, as long as these projects align with the overall mechanistic, longitudinal goals of SARP.
The intended outcomes are practical as well as scientific. NHLBI is aiming for a research platform that can support better prediction of how asthma phenotypes remain stable or shift over time, how patients respond to pharmacologic therapies, and which biological pathways look most promising as disease-modifying treatment targets. The focus is not just to describe patients but to identify actionable mechanisms that could guide future intervention development. Importantly, the announcement is explicit about what it does not want: cross-sectional studies alone and therapeutic clinical trials are not the purpose of this funding opportunity. Instead, the expectation is deep phenotyping and mechanistic investigation over time, building an integrated picture of fixed versus variable drivers of severe asthma subtypes.
This is offered as a cooperative agreement (U10), which signals that awardees will not operate as fully independent projects in isolation. Under a cooperative agreement, NIH typically has substantial programmatic involvement, and the funded clinical centers are expected to participate in network governance and shared decision-making. SARP is described as consisting of up to six Clinical Centers, a separate Clinical Coordinating Center (CCC), and a Steering Committee. The clinical centers supported under this FOA would work in close coordination with the CCC, which is solicited under a parallel announcement (RFA-HL-11-030). The Steering Committee provides the structure for setting priorities, finalizing protocols, and ensuring consistent execution across the network.
Because the research questions span clinical care, immunology, physiology, and data science, the program is built around multidisciplinary collaboration. The announcement highlights the need for partnerships between asthma clinician-scientists and experts in areas such as immunology, pulmonary physiology, molecular genetics, molecular phenotyping, imaging, and bioinformatics. In other words, NHLBI is looking for clinical sites that can recruit and retain well-characterized cohorts and also integrate advanced laboratory and analytic capabilities, either directly at the institution or through well-defined collaborations.
From an administrative and eligibility standpoint, this was a discretionary funding opportunity in the health research area (CFDA 93.838, Lung Diseases Research) with no cost sharing requirement. The total estimated funding listed is $31.5 million. Eligibility is broad and includes many types of domestic organizations, such as public and private institutions of higher education, nonprofit and for-profit organizations, small businesses, state and local governments, tribal governments and tribal organizations, U.S. territories or possessions, and a range of mission-focused institution types (for example HBCUs, Hispanic-serving institutions, tribally controlled colleges and universities, Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian serving institutions), as well as faith-based or community-based organizations and eligible federal agencies. The posting date was May 26, 2010, with an original and current closing date of October 15, 2010, and an archive date of November 15, 2010.
Overall, this FOA is best understood as a call to assemble a small number of high-capacity clinical research centers into a single, tightly coordinated program that can follow children and adults with asthma over time, apply standardized longitudinal assessments and mechanistic profiling, and generate a biologically grounded map of severe asthma sub-phenotypes. The network is designed to create shared resources, consistent data, and integrated analyses that can ultimately support better prediction and better targets for future therapies, even though running clinical treatment trials is outside the scope of this specific solicitation.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What is the SARP Clinical Centers (U10) funding opportunity?
The Clinical Centers for the Severe Asthma Research Program (SARP) (U10) opportunity is a National Institutes of Health (NIH) program run through the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI). It supports a coordinated, multi-site research network focused on understanding severe asthma over time using standardized, longitudinal, biology-driven approaches.
What is the Funding Opportunity Number (FOA) for this program?
The Funding Opportunity Number is RFA-HL-11-018.
Which NIH Institute runs this program?
This program is run through NHLBI, the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, which is part of NIH.
What is the central goal of this SARP phase?
The central goal is to build a coordinated network that repeatedly measures (longitudinally) molecular, cellular, and physiological features in children and adults with asthma, in order to develop a new, mechanistic framework for defining severe asthma and related milder forms.
Why does the program emphasize longitudinal (over-time) research?
The program is built on the idea that severe asthma can vary widely between people and can also change within the same person across months or years. Repeated measurements are intended to help distinguish stable versus fluctuating traits and to clarify how asthma sub-phenotypes evolve over time.
What does the FOA mean by severe asthma not being a single uniform disease?
The FOA highlights that severe asthma likely includes multiple subtypes that differ biologically. Because the underlying mechanisms are not fully understood, clinicians have limited ability to predict disease course or medication response. SARP aims to address this by defining asthma sub-phenotypes using mechanistic and molecular/cellular features measured over time.
What types of participants are expected to be studied?
The clinical centers are expected to follow both children and adults with mild to severe asthma under standardized protocols.
What is meant by "deep phenotyping" in this program?
Within the context of this FOA, deep phenotyping refers to standardized, repeated assessments of developmental, molecular, cellular, and physiological traits, including how these traits behave when the airway or immune system is challenged or stimulated in controlled ways ("evoked phenotype" approaches).
What are "evoked phenotype" approaches in SARP?
They are approaches that characterize asthma by observing biological or physiological responses when the airway or immune system is challenged or stimulated in controlled conditions, rather than relying only on baseline symptoms or one-time measurements.
What is the program trying to produce scientifically?
The program aims to create a biologically grounded framework for defining severe asthma (and related milder forms) using molecular and cellular features measured longitudinally, and to clarify the evolving pathobiology and pathogenesis of severe asthma sub-phenotypes.
What kinds of outcomes does NHLBI expect from SARP?
Expected outcomes include a research platform and evidence base that can support improved prediction of phenotype stability or change over time, improved understanding of pharmacologic therapy responses, and identification of biological pathways that may be promising targets for future disease-modifying treatments.
Are therapeutic clinical trials supported under this FOA?
No. The FOA is explicit that therapeutic clinical trials are not the purpose of this funding opportunity.
Are cross-sectional studies (one-time snapshots) sufficient for this program?
No. The FOA explicitly indicates that cross-sectional studies alone are not what the program is seeking. The emphasis is on longitudinal, mechanistic investigation.
How is collaboration structured across the SARP network?
All participating centers are expected to collaborate network-wide to agree on high-priority research questions that require a common longitudinal protocol implemented across every site. This is designed to harmonize core data elements and biospecimen collection for pooled analyses.
Does the FOA allow additional projects beyond the shared protocol?
Yes. The program leaves room for additional mechanistic questions pursued by one or multiple centers, either leveraging participants enrolled under the shared protocol or studying subsets at specific sites, as long as the work aligns with SARP's mechanistic, longitudinal goals.
What is the award mechanism and what does it imply?
This opportunity uses a cooperative agreement mechanism (U10). This typically indicates substantial NIH programmatic involvement and requires awardees to participate in network governance and shared decision-making rather than operating as fully independent, isolated projects.
What are the main components of the SARP program structure described in the FOA?
SARP is described as consisting of up to six Clinical Centers, a separate Clinical Coordinating Center (CCC), and a Steering Committee.
What is the role of the Clinical Coordinating Center (CCC)?
The Clinical Centers funded under this FOA are expected to work in close coordination with the CCC. The CCC itself is solicited under a parallel announcement (RFA-HL-11-030).
What is the Steering Committee expected to do?
The Steering Committee provides structure for setting priorities, finalizing protocols, and ensuring consistent execution across the network.
What kinds of expertise does NHLBI expect clinical centers to bring?
The FOA highlights multidisciplinary collaboration and partnerships between asthma clinician-scientists and experts in immunology, pulmonary physiology, molecular genetics, molecular phenotyping, imaging, and bioinformatics.
What capabilities are clinical centers expected to have?
Clinical centers are expected to be able to recruit and retain well-characterized cohorts and integrate advanced laboratory and analytic capabilities, either directly at the institution or through well-defined collaborations.
What is the CFDA number and program area associated with this opportunity?
The opportunity is listed under CFDA 93.838, Lung Diseases Research.
Is cost sharing required?
No. The FOA states there is no cost sharing requirement.
What is the total estimated funding amount mentioned?
The total estimated funding listed is $31.5 million.
Who is eligible to apply based on the FOA description?
Eligibility is broad and includes many types of domestic organizations, including public and private institutions of higher education, nonprofit and for-profit organizations, small businesses, state and local governments, tribal governments and tribal organizations, U.S. territories or possessions, and various mission-focused institution types (such as HBCUs, Hispanic-serving institutions, tribally controlled colleges and universities, Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian serving institutions), as well as faith-based or community-based organizations and eligible federal agencies.
Is this opportunity limited to universities only?
No. While institutions of higher education are eligible, the FOA also includes nonprofit and for-profit organizations, small businesses, government entities, tribal organizations, U.S. territories or possessions, faith-based or community-based organizations, and eligible federal agencies.
What were the key dates for this FOA?
The posting date was May 26, 2010. The original and current closing date was October 15, 2010. The archive date was November 15, 2010.
How many Clinical Centers does SARP plan to include in this phase?
The FOA describes SARP as consisting of up to six Clinical Centers.
What is the practical value of harmonized protocols and pooled analyses?
Using a shared, network-wide longitudinal protocol is intended to ensure harmonized core data elements and biospecimen collection, enabling pooled analyses and stronger conclusions about phenotype stability, fluctuation, and the biological drivers of severe asthma subtypes.
How does this FOA define success in terms of impact?
Success is framed as building a coordinated research platform that generates a biologically grounded map of severe asthma sub-phenotypes and supports better prediction of disease trajectory and therapy response, while highlighting actionable mechanisms that could guide future intervention development (even though clinical treatment trials are outside this FOA's scope).
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