Opportunity Information: Apply for RFA AI 14 027
Apply for RFA AI 14 027
- The National Institutes of Health in the health sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Development of Sample Sparing Assays for Monitoring Immune Responses (U24)" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 93.242 Mental Health Research Grants 93.855 Allergy and Infectious Diseases Research 93.856 Microbiology and Infectious Diseases Research.
- This funding opportunity was created on Jun 2, 2014 and posted on Jun 2, 2014.
- Applicants must submit their applications by Sep 26, 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 $5,500,000.00 to eligible and selected applicants.
- Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $400,000.00 in funding.
- Eligible applicants include: Public and State controlled institutions of higher education Nonprofits having a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education Native American tribal governments (Federally recognized) City or township governments Public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities Small businesses Independent school districts State governments Native American tribal organizations (other than Federally recognized tribal governments) Nonprofits that do not have a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education Private institutions of higher education For profit organizations other than small businesses Special district governments County governments 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) Non domestic (non U.S.) Entities (Foreign Organizations) Regional Organizations Tribally Controlled Colleges and Universities (TCCUs) U.S. Territory or Possession.
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Opportunity Summary:
The NIH funding opportunity RFA-AI-14-027, titled "Development of Sample Sparing Assays for Monitoring Immune Responses (U24)," is a cooperative agreement grant designed to speed up the creation and validation of immune monitoring tests that work well even when only very small human samples are available. The central idea is to push the field toward assays that either require much less blood or tissue than standard approaches or that can extract more information from the same limited sample by measuring many immune parameters at once. In practical terms, the FOA is focused on getting more scientific value out of scarce clinical specimens by reducing the volume or amount of material needed per test and by encouraging multiparameter, information-dense immune assessments.
The scientific motivation behind the announcement is that many important questions in human immunology are constrained by sample limitations, especially in real-world clinical studies where repeated or large-volume sampling is not feasible. By expanding the range of immune features that can be accurately measured from small samples collected from human participants, the assays supported under this FOA are intended to strengthen both basic research on how the immune system functions and applied immune monitoring in health and disease. The opportunity explicitly highlights broad relevance across immune-related conditions, including allergy and asthma, autoimmunity, acquired and primary immunodeficiencies, transplantation, and infectious diseases. The overarching goal is not just incremental improvement of existing lab methods, but development and validation of approaches that meaningfully change what can be measured, how reliably it can be measured, and how much sample must be consumed to do it.
A major emphasis is placed on pediatric and other sample-limited settings, where small blood volumes and limited tissue access often prevent comprehensive immune profiling. The FOA calls out young children in particular, including those with infectious diseases and immune-mediated disorders such as food allergy, diabetes, and primary immunodeficiency, because these studies routinely face the hardest constraints on specimen volume. In these contexts, a successful sample-sparing assay could enable deeper immune characterization from minimal draws, support longitudinal monitoring with repeated low-volume sampling, and reduce the need to choose between competing tests that would otherwise consume the entire specimen.
From a program and funding standpoint, the award mechanism is a U24 cooperative agreement, meaning NIH is expected to have substantial involvement in how projects are carried out compared with a standard research grant. The opportunity falls under NIH and aligns with CFDA areas that include allergy and infectious diseases and related microbiology research, and it does not require cost sharing or matching funds. The FOA estimated total funding is $5.5 million, with an award ceiling of $400,000. Key dates provided include a posted and created date of June 2, 2014, and an application deadline (original and current) of September 26, 2014, with an archive date of December 19, 2014, indicating it was a time-limited solicitation.
Eligibility is broad and includes many organizational types across academia, government, nonprofit, and industry. Eligible applicants include public and private institutions of higher education, nonprofit organizations (both 501(c)(3) and other nonprofit structures), small businesses, for-profit organizations other than small businesses, and various government entities such as state governments, county governments, city or township governments, special district governments, independent school districts, and public housing authorities. The FOA also explicitly includes tribal governments and tribal organizations (both federally recognized and other than federally recognized, depending on category), as well as a range of mission- and population-focused institutions such as Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), Hispanic-serving institutions, Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian-serving institutions, AANAPISIs, and tribally controlled colleges and universities. Notably, it also allows non-U.S. entities (foreign organizations), U.S. territories or possessions, regional organizations, eligible federal agencies, and faith-based or community-based organizations, subject to the specifics described in the full announcement.
Operationally, applicants were directed to the full FOA on the NIH grants site, and the provided support contacts are through the NIH Office of Extramural Research (OER) Webmaster for access or linking issues. Overall, the opportunity is best understood as NIH putting resources behind a practical bottleneck in translational immunology: the need for rigorously validated immune assays that conserve limited human samples while still capturing complex, multiparameter information suitable for both research discovery and clinical study immune monitoring.
FAQs: NIH RFA-AI-14-027 - Development of Sample Sparing Assays for Monitoring Immune Responses (U24)
What is the name and number of this NIH funding opportunity?
The funding opportunity is NIH RFA-AI-14-027, titled "Development of Sample Sparing Assays for Monitoring Immune Responses (U24)."
What is the main goal of RFA-AI-14-027?
The goal is to speed up the creation and validation of immune monitoring assays that work well when only very small human samples are available. The focus is on reducing how much blood or tissue is needed per test, or extracting more immune information from the same limited sample by measuring many immune parameters at once.
What problem is this opportunity trying to solve?
Many important human immunology studies are limited by the amount of clinical specimen that can realistically be collected, especially in real-world clinical research where repeated or large-volume sampling is not feasible. This FOA targets that bottleneck by supporting assays that conserve scarce specimens while still enabling reliable, information-rich immune measurements.
What does "sample sparing" mean in the context of this FOA?
"Sample sparing" refers to assay approaches that either use much less sample than standard methods or generate substantially more data from the same limited sample by assessing multiple immune features at once.
What kinds of assays does the FOA emphasize?
The FOA emphasizes immune monitoring tests that are multiparameter and information-dense, and that meaningfully reduce specimen consumption while maintaining reliable measurement of immune responses.
Is the FOA focused on basic science, clinical research, or both?
Both. The assays supported are intended to strengthen basic research on immune system function and applied immune monitoring in health and disease, particularly in clinical studies where samples are scarce.
What disease or research areas are considered relevant?
The opportunity highlights broad relevance across immune-related conditions, including allergy and asthma, autoimmunity, acquired and primary immunodeficiencies, transplantation, and infectious diseases.
Why is there a strong emphasis on pediatric studies?
Pediatric research often faces the tightest constraints on blood volume and tissue access. The FOA specifically emphasizes settings like young children (including those with infectious diseases and immune-mediated disorders such as food allergy, diabetes, and primary immunodeficiency) where limited specimen volume can prevent comprehensive immune profiling.
How could sample-sparing assays help pediatric or other sample-limited studies?
They could enable deeper immune characterization from minimal draws, support longitudinal monitoring with repeated low-volume sampling, and reduce the need to choose between competing tests that would otherwise consume the entire specimen.
Is this meant to be a small incremental improvement of existing methods?
No. The FOA frames the goal as more than incremental improvements. It prioritizes development and validation of approaches that meaningfully change what can be measured, how reliably it can be measured, and how much sample is consumed.
What is the funding mechanism for this opportunity?
The award mechanism is a U24 cooperative agreement.
What does a U24 cooperative agreement imply for NIH involvement?
A cooperative agreement means NIH is expected to have substantial involvement in how projects are carried out, compared with a standard research grant.
Is cost sharing or matching required?
No. The opportunity does not require cost sharing or matching funds.
How much total funding was estimated for this FOA?
The FOA estimated total funding is $5.5 million.
What is the award ceiling mentioned in the FOA?
The award ceiling is $400,000.
What are the key dates listed for this opportunity?
The posted and created date is June 2, 2014. The application deadline (original and current) is September 26, 2014. The archive date is December 19, 2014.
Is this a currently open opportunity?
Based on the provided dates and the archive date of December 19, 2014, this was a time-limited solicitation and is archived.
Who is eligible to apply?
Eligibility is broad and includes many organization types across academia, government, nonprofit, and industry, including U.S. and non-U.S. entities (foreign organizations), and U.S. territories or possessions, subject to the specifics in the full announcement.
What types of higher education institutions are eligible?
Public and private institutions of higher education are eligible to apply.
Are nonprofit organizations eligible to apply?
Yes. Eligible applicants include nonprofit organizations with 501(c)(3) status and nonprofit organizations without 501(c)(3) status.
Are for-profit organizations eligible to apply?
Yes. Eligible applicants include small businesses and for-profit organizations other than small businesses.
Which government entities are eligible applicants?
Eligible government entities include state governments, county governments, city or township governments, special district governments, independent school districts, public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities, and eligible federal agencies.
Are tribal governments and tribal organizations eligible?
Yes. The FOA explicitly includes tribal governments and tribal organizations, including both federally recognized and other than federally recognized categories (depending on the specific eligibility grouping).
Are minority-serving institutions and other mission-focused institutions included in eligibility?
Yes. The FOA includes institutions such as HBCUs, Hispanic-serving institutions, Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian-serving institutions, AANAPISIs, and tribally controlled colleges and universities.
Are faith-based or community-based organizations allowed to apply?
Yes. The FOA includes faith-based or community-based organizations among eligible applicants, subject to the specifics described in the full announcement.
Are regional organizations eligible?
Yes. Regional organizations are listed among eligible applicants.
Where were applicants directed to find the full announcement?
Applicants were directed to the full FOA on the NIH grants site.
Who is listed as a support contact for access or linking issues?
The support contact provided is the NIH Office of Extramural Research (OER) Webmaster, specifically for access or linking issues.
Which CFDA areas does this opportunity align with?
It aligns with CFDA areas that include allergy and infectious diseases and related microbiology research.
In one sentence, how should this FOA be understood?
It is NIH investing in a practical bottleneck in translational immunology by supporting rigorously validated immune monitoring assays that conserve limited human samples while still enabling complex, multiparameter immune measurement.
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