Opportunity Information: Apply for RFA GM 11 001
Apply for RFA GM 11 001
- The National Institutes of Health in the health sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Dynamics of Host Associated Microbial Communities (R01)" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 93.859 Biomedical Research and Research Training.
- This funding opportunity was created on Aug 20, 2009 and posted on Aug 20, 2009.
- Applicants must submit their applications by Jan 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 $2,500,000.00 to eligible and selected applicants.
- Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $250,000.00 in funding.
- Eligible applicants include: Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification) Public and State controlled institutions of higher education Small businesses For profit organizations other than small businesses Private institutions of higher education Nonprofits having a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education Nonprofits that do not have a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education.
- Other Eligible Applicants include the following Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian Serving Institutions Eligible Agencies of the Federal Government Hispanic serving Institutions Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) Non domestic (non U.S.) Entities (Foreign Organizations) Tribally Controlled Colleges and Universities (TCCUs) .
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Opportunity Summary:
The Dynamics of Host Associated Microbial Communities (R01) grant opportunity (Funding Opportunity Number RFA-GM-11-001) is a National Institutes of Health program run through the National Institute of General Medical Sciences (NIGMS) that aims to push forward basic research on how microbial communities behave when they live in close association with a host. The central focus is on symbiotic systems and the underlying rules that shape their dynamics over time, meaning how these communities form, stabilize, shift, and function in response to genetic factors, physiology, and ecological pressures. The announcement is geared toward studies that do more than simply describe which microbes are present; it emphasizes research that can explain mechanisms and general principles, using approaches such as genetics, physiology, and ecology to uncover cause-and-effect relationships in host-associated microbial systems.
This opportunity uses the NIH Research Project Grant (R01) mechanism, which is the standard multi-year NIH award intended to support a defined research project driven by investigator-developed ideas. In practical terms, applicants would be expected to propose a rigorous, hypothesis-driven or strongly mechanistic research plan that can produce broadly useful insights into microbial community dynamics in symbiosis with hosts. Because the FOA is issued by NIGMS, the emphasis is on fundamental biology rather than disease-specific or purely translational outcomes, although host-associated microbial community principles can still be relevant across many contexts. The activity category is listed under health-related research and training (CFDA 93.859), but the program description points clearly toward foundational biological mechanisms.
In terms of funding scale, the FOA anticipated a total of roughly $2.5 million in total costs available across all awards, with an expected 5 to 6 awards depending on application quality and funds. An award ceiling of $250,000 is listed in the source information, indicating an upper bound on the size of individual awards as presented in the posting. As with most federal research funding opportunities, awards are explicitly contingent on both appropriations and the submission of enough high-quality, meritorious proposals to justify making awards.
Eligibility is broad and includes many common applicant types across academia, nonprofit research, and industry. Eligible applicants include public and state-controlled institutions of higher education, private institutions of higher education, small businesses, and for-profit entities other than small businesses, along with nonprofit organizations both with and without 501(c)(3) status (as long as they are not institutions of higher education in the specific nonprofit categories listed). The FOA also indicates eligibility for a set of additional organization types that NIH often highlights to encourage diverse participation, including Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), Hispanic-serving Institutions, Tribally Controlled Colleges and Universities (TCCUs), Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian Serving Institutions, eligible federal agencies, and non-U.S. entities (foreign organizations). The announcement specifies that there is no cost-sharing or matching requirement, which means applicants are not required to contribute non-federal funds as a condition of receiving the award.
Key logistics in the listing show it was posted on August 20, 2009, with an original and current closing date of January 15, 2010, and an archive date of February 15, 2010. The sponsoring agency is the National Institutes of Health, and the primary institute running the FOA is NIGMS. An additional information link is provided to the NIH grants guide page for the full announcement, and the contact information referenced is the NIH Office of Extramural Research (OER) webmaster addresses for technical difficulties accessing or linking to the notice.
Overall, this FOA is best understood as a targeted call for R01-level basic research that explains how host-associated microbial communities work as dynamic symbiotic systems, with a strong preference for mechanistic insight grounded in genetic, physiological, and ecological study designs, and with funding sized for a small cohort of awards selected from a competitive pool.
FAQs: The Dynamics of Host Associated Microbial Communities (R01) - RFA-GM-11-001
What is the name of this funding opportunity?
The opportunity is titled The Dynamics of Host Associated Microbial Communities (R01).
What is the Funding Opportunity Number (FOA number)?
The Funding Opportunity Number is RFA-GM-11-001.
Which agency sponsors this grant opportunity?
The sponsoring agency is the National Institutes of Health (NIH).
Which NIH institute runs this program?
The program is run through the National Institute of General Medical Sciences (NIGMS).
What is the primary research focus of this FOA?
The central focus is basic research on how microbial communities behave when living in close association with a host, emphasizing symbiotic systems and the rules that shape community dynamics over time.
What does "dynamics" mean in the context of this announcement?
In this FOA, "dynamics" refers to how host-associated microbial communities form, stabilize, shift, and function over time, including how they respond to host genetics, host physiology, and ecological pressures.
What kind of studies does this FOA encourage?
It encourages studies that go beyond identifying which microbes are present and instead aim to explain mechanisms and general principles of host-associated microbial community behavior, using approaches such as genetics, physiology, and ecology to establish cause-and-effect relationships.
Are purely descriptive surveys of microbial composition a good fit?
Based on the program description, the FOA emphasizes research that does more than simply describe which microbes are present. The stated preference is for mechanistic work that explains underlying rules and causal drivers.
What grant mechanism is used for this opportunity?
This opportunity uses the NIH Research Project Grant (R01) mechanism.
What does the R01 mechanism imply about the type of project expected?
It implies an investigator-developed, defined research project that is typically multi-year, with a rigorous, hypothesis-driven or strongly mechanistic research plan designed to produce broadly useful insights.
Is the FOA focused on disease-specific or translational outcomes?
The emphasis is on fundamental biology rather than disease-specific or purely translational outcomes, reflecting NIGMS priorities. The description also notes that general principles of host-associated microbial communities may still be relevant across many contexts.
What is the CFDA number associated with this listing?
The activity category is listed under health-related research and training with CFDA 93.859.
How much total funding was anticipated across all awards?
The FOA anticipated roughly $2.5 million in total costs available across all awards.
How many awards were expected to be made?
The FOA expected about 5 to 6 awards, depending on application quality and available funds.
Is there an award ceiling mentioned in the source information?
Yes. The source information lists an award ceiling of $250,000, indicating an upper bound on individual award size as presented in the posting.
Are awards guaranteed if an application is submitted?
No. Awards are contingent on appropriations and on receiving enough high-quality, meritorious proposals to justify making awards.
Who is eligible to apply?
Eligibility is broad. Eligible applicants include:
- Public and state-controlled institutions of higher education
- Private institutions of higher education
- Small businesses
- For-profit entities other than small businesses
- Nonprofit organizations with 501(c)(3) status (other than institutions of higher education in the listed nonprofit categories)
- Nonprofit organizations without 501(c)(3) status (other than institutions of higher education in the listed nonprofit categories)
Are minority-serving institutions specifically mentioned as eligible?
Yes. The FOA highlights eligibility for several types of institutions, including Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), Hispanic-serving Institutions, Tribally Controlled Colleges and Universities (TCCUs), and Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian Serving Institutions.
Are federal agencies eligible to apply?
Yes. The FOA indicates that eligible federal agencies are included among eligible applicant types.
Are foreign (non-U.S.) organizations eligible?
Yes. The FOA explicitly includes non-U.S. entities (foreign organizations) as eligible.
Is cost sharing or matching required?
No. The FOA specifies that there is no cost-sharing or matching requirement.
When was this opportunity posted?
The listing indicates it was posted on August 20, 2009.
What was the application closing date?
The original and current closing date shown is January 15, 2010.
Is this opportunity archived?
Yes. The archive date shown is February 15, 2010.
Where can applicants find the full announcement?
An additional information link is provided to the NIH grants guide page for the full announcement.
Who is listed as the contact for technical issues with accessing the notice?
The contact information referenced is the NIH Office of Extramural Research (OER) webmaster addresses for technical difficulties accessing or linking to the notice.
What overall kind of proposal does this FOA appear to be seeking?
It is best understood as a targeted call for R01-level basic research explaining how host-associated microbial communities operate as dynamic symbiotic systems, with a strong preference for mechanistic insight grounded in genetic, physiological, and ecological study designs.
Browse more opportunities from the same category: Health
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