Dietary Supplement Research Centers Botanicals (P50) | Apply Online

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

What is the Dietary Supplement Research Centers - Botanicals (P50) funding opportunity?

This opportunity (RFA-OD-09-001) is an NIH center grant that supports multidisciplinary research centers focused on botanicals used as ingredients in dietary supplements. The goal is to build integrated, collaborative teams that can study botanicals across the research pipeline and move strong findings toward practical, real-world human health impact.

What grant mechanism is used for this program?

The program uses the NIH P50 center grant mechanism, which is designed to support coordinated, multi-project, multidisciplinary research programs rather than isolated, single-project efforts.

What is the main purpose of creating a P50 research center for botanicals?

The center model is meant to strengthen rigor, infrastructure, and collaboration so botanicals can be evaluated more thoroughly and consistently. It emphasizes coordinated research programs that can generate evidence likely to inform guidance, understanding, prevention approaches, or future interventions related to botanical dietary supplements.

What types of research activities are within the scientific scope?

The scope is broad and can include work across the botanical research pipeline, such as:

• Accurate plant identification, authentication, and characterization (including species verification and chemical profiling)
• Mechanistic studies and other preclinical research
• Early-phase clinical research when appropriate

Is clinical research allowed under this FOA?

Yes. Early-phase clinical research is within the overall spectrum described. However, the opportunity particularly encourages preclinical research as a primary focus when it is likely to inform or enable future clinical studies.

Does this program prioritize basic science or translational impact?

The emphasis is on research with a clear path to practical benefit for human health. It is not framed as basic science for its own sake; instead, the work should reasonably be translatable into improved understanding, guidance, or interventions related to botanical dietary supplements.

Which NIH components are involved and what are their interests?

The participating components emphasize complementary priorities:

• Office of Dietary Supplements (ODS): Interested in botanicals as part of health care approaches tied to health maintenance and primary prevention.
• National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM, now NCCIH): Interested in botanicals that are broadly used by the American public.
• National Cancer Institute (NCI), Division of Cancer Prevention: Focused on mechanisms by which botanically derived bioactive food components may affect cancer risk and tumor behavior, including prevention-relevant biological activity.

Is drug discovery allowed under this funding opportunity?

No. A key boundary is that this announcement is not intended to support new drug discovery. Applicants are expected to remain within the botanical dietary supplement research framework rather than pursuing programs aimed at identifying novel drug leads or developing new pharmaceuticals.

Who is eligible to submit a full application under this FOA?

This is a limited, invitation-based full application round. Only investigators who previously submitted a pre-application in response to RFA-OD-09-002 and were subsequently notified are allowed to submit a full application under RFA-OD-09-001.

Is this an open competition for all interested applicants?

No. Based on the eligibility restriction, it is not open to all applicants. Full applications are limited to investigators who submitted the earlier pre-application (RFA-OD-09-002) and received notification permitting submission.

What is the total estimated funding available and the award ceiling?

The estimated total funding available was $9,000,000, and the award ceiling was $1,000,000.

Is cost sharing or matching required?

No. The opportunity specifies that there is no cost sharing or matching requirement.

When was this funding opportunity posted and when did it close?

The program was posted on January 23, 2009. The closing date was in December 2009, with a current closing date listed as December 3, 2009, and an original closing date listed as December 8, 2009.

What is the current status of the opportunity?

The opportunity was archived on January 3, 2010.

What kinds of organizations are eligible applicants?

Eligible applicants are broadly defined and include:

• Public and private institutions of higher education
• Nonprofit organizations (with or without 501(c)(3) status)
• For-profit organizations other than small businesses
• Small businesses
• Eligible federal agencies

Are government entities eligible to apply?

Yes. Eligible government entities include state governments, county governments, city or township governments, special district governments, independent school districts, and public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities.

Are tribal governments and tribal organizations eligible?

Yes. Eligibility explicitly includes Native American tribal governments (federally recognized) and tribal organizations (other than federally recognized tribal governments).

Are U.S. territories and regional organizations eligible?

Yes. The eligibility language includes U.S. territories or possessions and regional organizations.

Do certain institution types receive explicit mention as eligible?

Yes. The FOA explicitly mentions categories such as Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian Serving Institutions, Hispanic-serving institutions, Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), Tribally Controlled Colleges and Universities (TCCUs), and faith-based or community-based organizations.

What kinds of expertise does this center program aim to bring together?

The opportunity is structured to support specialized research centers that integrate expertise across areas such as botany, chemistry, pharmacology/toxicology, nutrition, clinical research, and related disciplines to answer high-value questions about botanical dietary supplement ingredients.

What is meant by studying botanicals "from the ground up"?

Within the context provided, it means starting with foundational steps like accurate identification, authentication, and characterization of plant materials, then progressing through mechanistic and preclinical studies, and potentially moving into early clinical research when appropriate.

Why does the FOA emphasize coordinated programs rather than isolated projects?

The center model is intended to create integrated, interdisciplinary teams and coordinated research programs, improving rigor and the ability to translate findings into practical human health impact compared with disconnected, stand-alone projects.

What kinds of public health goals are highlighted in the description?

The description highlights practical benefit to human health, including health maintenance and primary prevention (ODS), alignment with botanicals widely used by the American public (NCCAM/NCCIH), and mechanistic and prevention-relevant cancer research priorities (NCI Division of Cancer Prevention).