Collaborations for Macromolecular Interactions in Cells (R01) | Apply Online

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

1) What is the title and identifier of this NIH funding opportunity?

The funding opportunity is titled "Collaborations for Macromolecular Interactions in Cells (R01)" and is identified as RFA-GM-14-004.

2) What is the main purpose of this program?

The program is intended to support interdisciplinary research teams working to understand how macromolecules interact inside cells and how those interactions drive cellular function. A central goal is to strengthen and expand the National Institute of General Medical Sciences (NIGMS) research base by bringing new expertise, tools, and approaches into laboratories that already specialize in macromolecular function in living systems.

3) What kind of projects is the FOA trying to encourage (in plain terms)?

The FOA emphasizes collaboration that meaningfully changes what can be studied and learned about macromolecular interactions in real cellular contexts. It is not focused on adding technology for its own sake; the collaboration should enable new biological insight about interactions in cells.

4) Why does the FOA emphasize collaboration and integration?

A key theme is integration across disciplines. The FOA encourages partnerships where investigators complement one another's strengths (for example across biochemistry, genetics, chemistry, pharmacology, and related fields) so the combined team can address questions about macromolecular interactions in cells that would be difficult to tackle in a single lab.

5) What types of disciplines are explicitly mentioned as relevant?

The FOA mentions collaborations across disciplines such as biochemistry, genetics, chemistry, pharmacology, and related fields.

6) Does the FOA require inventing brand-new instruments or technologies?

No. One collaboration pathway highlighted by the FOA is teaming up so that each group fills gaps in the other group's capabilities, with the main innovation being biological insight rather than inventing new instrumentation.

7) Can a project focus on applying established technologies that are hard to access?

Yes. The FOA highlights applying established but difficult-to-access technologies that can open new experimental windows in cell biology, particularly methods that may be expensive, technically complex, or not yet widely adopted in typical cell biology laboratories.

8) What examples of established technologies are explicitly mentioned?

The FOA explicitly mentions mass spectrometry and high-throughput screening as examples.

9) How do mass spectrometry or high-throughput screening fit the FOA's goals?

As described, these methods can be powerful for mapping interaction networks, identifying binding partners, characterizing complexes, or systematically probing how perturbations affect interaction dynamics, all within the broader goal of understanding macromolecular interactions in cells.

10) Does the FOA encourage emerging technologies as well?

Yes. The announcement encourages groups to work with emerging technologies that are beginning to reshape how macromolecular interactions are studied in cells, including developing, piloting, evaluating, and applying such tools.

11) What example of an emerging technology is explicitly called out?

Super-resolution light microscopy is provided as an example of an emerging technology relevant to this FOA.

12) Are feasibility studies or higher-uncertainty early work allowed?

Yes. The FOA is open to earlier-stage, higher-uncertainty work, including feasibility studies and upstream research and development on technological concepts that are still unproven but potentially transformative for studying macromolecular interactions.

13) If a project includes technology prototyping or validation, what does it need to show?

Based on the FOA description, exploratory prototyping and validation work is appropriate when it is clearly tied to enabling new biological questions about macromolecular interactions in cells.

14) Does the FOA allow unconventional research strategies (beyond classic hypothesis-driven projects)?

Yes. The FOA explicitly welcomes unconventional strategies and signals that projects do not need to fit only classic hypothesis-driven molds.

15) Are exploratory, descriptive, or statistical approaches acceptable?

Yes. The FOA states that exploratory, descriptive, and statistical approaches are acceptable and encouraged when they are likely to generate discovery and produce new hypotheses.

16) Is discovery and hypothesis generation treated as a legitimate research objective?

Yes. The FOA frames discovery and hypothesis generation as legitimate research objectives rather than secondary byproducts, which is described as particularly relevant for complex, context-dependent macromolecular interaction networks.

17) What grant mechanism does this opportunity use?

This opportunity uses the NIH R01 grant mechanism.

18) Does the FOA support multiple principal investigators?

Yes. The opportunity requires or allows the NIH multiple Program Director/Principal Investigator (PD/PI) model, reinforcing that the work is expected to be genuinely collaborative rather than loosely coordinated.

19) What budget format is used for applications?

The FOA uses the modular budget format.

20) Is cost sharing or matching required?

No. The FOA states that it does not require cost sharing or matching.

21) What is the CFDA number and program area?

The FOA is categorized within CFDA 93.859, Biomedical Research and Research Training.

22) Who is the sponsoring agency and which NIH institute is aligned with the scientific focus?

The sponsoring agency is the National Institutes of Health (NIH), and the scientific focus is aligned with National Institute of General Medical Sciences (NIGMS) priorities in fundamental cellular and molecular biology.

23) Who is eligible to apply?

Eligibility is broad and includes domestic and non-domestic organizations. Examples listed include public and private institutions of higher education; nonprofits (with and without 501(c)(3) status); for-profit organizations (including small businesses and other than small businesses); and many government entities (state, county, city or township, special district).

24) Are tribal governments and tribal organizations eligible?

Yes. The FOA explicitly includes tribal governments and tribal organizations among eligible applicants.

25) Are independent school districts and public housing authorities eligible?

Yes. The FOA explicitly includes independent school districts and public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities.

26) Are certain mission-focused institution types explicitly recognized as eligible?

Yes. The FOA clarifies eligibility for institution types including Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), Hispanic-serving institutions, Tribally Controlled Colleges and Universities (TCCUs), Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian Serving Institutions, and Asian American Native American Pacific Islander Serving Institutions (AANAPISIs).

27) Can foreign organizations apply?

Yes. Foreign organizations and foreign institutions are eligible to apply.

28) Are non-U.S. components of U.S. organizations eligible?

Yes. The FOA states that non-U.S. components of U.S. organizations are eligible.

29) Are foreign components (as defined by NIH policy) allowed?

Yes. The FOA indicates that foreign components (as defined by NIH policy) are allowed.

30) When was this opportunity posted, and what were the closing and archive dates?

The opportunity was posted on March 4, 2013. The original and current closing date was May 30, 2013, and the archive date was June 30, 2013.

31) What is the estimated total funding amount and the award ceiling listed?

The FOA lists an estimated total funding amount of $1,800,000 and an award ceiling of $250,000.

32) Where was the full announcement made available and who was listed for access/linking issues?

The full announcement was linked through the NIH grants site, and NIH Office of Extramural Research (OER) webmaster contacts were provided for access or linking issues.