Opportunity Information: Apply for RFA HD 23 003
Apply for RFA HD 23 003
- The National Institutes of Health in the education, health, income security and social services sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Elucidation and Validation of the role of Transporters in the Placenta, Lactating Mammary Gland, Developing Gut, and Blood Brain Barrier (UC2 Clinical Trial Not Allowed)" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 93.279, 93.865.
- This funding opportunity was created on 2022-09-06.
- Applicants must submit their applications by 2022-11-30. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
- Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $750,000.00 in funding.
- Eligible applicants include: State governments, County governments, City or township governments, Special district governments, Independent school districts, Public and State controlled institutions of higher education, Native American tribal governments (Federally recognized), Public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities, Native American tribal organizations (other than Federally recognized tribal governments), 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, Private institutions of higher education, For-profit organizations other than small businesses, Small businesses, Others.
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Opportunity Summary:
The NIH grant opportunity RFA-HD-23-003, titled "Elucidation and Validation of the role of Transporters in the Placenta, Lactating Mammary Gland, Developing Gut, and Blood Brain Barrier (UC2 Clinical Trial Not Allowed)," supports the creation of Transporter Elucidation Centers (TECs) that will work together as a coordinated Transporter Elucidation Network (TEN). The overall purpose is to close major scientific gaps in how key transport proteins move nutrients, drugs, and supplements across critical maternal-fetal and early-life interfaces, with an emphasis on protecting and supporting the developing fetus and infant. The science focus is centered on human placenta, the lactating mammary gland (relevant to what enters breast milk), and the developing gut (relevant to infant absorption and exposure), with the title also referencing the blood-brain barrier as another important exposure and protection boundary.
A central theme of the announcement is that many transporters that likely shape fetal and infant exposure are still poorly understood, understudied, or effectively "orphaned" in the sense that their endogenous substrates, drug substrates, directionality, tissue-specific roles, or regulation are not clearly defined. TEC projects are expected to do the kind of deep functional work needed to identify what these transporters move, where and when they are active, how they influence real-world exposure to nutrients or therapeutics, and how genetic variation changes transporter function. That can include deorphanization efforts, rigorous transporter characterization, and assessment of functional variants that may help explain differences in drug response, safety, or nutritional status across individuals and populations.
The mechanism is a cooperative agreement (UC2), which usually signals a more hands-on partnership with NIH staff than a standard investigator-initiated grant. In practice, that means awardees are not just running independent projects; they are expected to coordinate, share methods and data, and collectively produce resources that the wider research community can use. The TEN structure is intended to create a network effect: multiple centers working in parallel on related problems, harmonizing approaches where possible, and producing results that are more interoperable and reusable than isolated studies. A stated deliverable is community-facing knowledge and resources that advance understanding of transport biology and its implications for fetal and infant exposure to nutrients, medications, and supplements.
This is not a clinical trial funding opportunity. The "(UC2 Clinical Trial Not Allowed)" designation means applicants need to stay within preclinical, mechanistic, observational, or other non-interventional human research boundaries as defined by NIH clinical trial policy. In other words, the work can be highly translational and human-relevant, but it should not be structured as a prospective interventional study where participants are assigned to receive an intervention to evaluate effects on health-related outcomes.
From an administrative standpoint, the opportunity is run through the National Institutes of Health, with the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) as the sponsoring institute. It falls under CFDA numbers 93.279 and 93.865. The activity category is listed broadly under education, health, income security, and social services, reflecting NIH's public health mission. The original closing date provided is November 30, 2022, and the listed award ceiling is $750,000. The source text does not specify the exact number of anticipated awards, but it does state that multiple centers are expected so they can function as a network rather than as a single stand-alone site.
Eligibility is intentionally broad. In addition to typical NIH-eligible applicants such as public and private institutions of higher education, nonprofits (including both 501(c)(3) and non-501(c)(3)), for-profit organizations (other than small businesses), and small businesses, the announcement explicitly includes a wide range of government and community entities. Eligible applicants include state, county, city/township, and special district governments; independent school districts; public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities; federally recognized tribal governments and other tribal organizations; and a set of mission-driven institution types such as 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). Faith-based and community-based organizations are also listed, along with regional organizations and U.S. territories or possessions. Notably, non-U.S. entities (foreign organizations) are included as eligible, reinforcing that the network can draw on international expertise where it strengthens the science and resource-building goals.
In plain terms, this funding opportunity is trying to build a coordinated set of centers that can systematically map and validate the transporter pathways that determine what reaches the fetus and infant during pregnancy, breastfeeding, and early gut development. The expected impact is improved mechanistic understanding that can inform safer and more effective medication use in pregnancy and infancy, better prediction of exposure through placenta and breast milk, improved insight into nutrient and supplement transport, and a stronger foundation for future clinical guidance by making transporter data and tools broadly available to researchers.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What is the NIH funding opportunity being described?
This opportunity is NIH RFA-HD-23-003, titled "Elucidation and Validation of the role of Transporters in the Placenta, Lactating Mammary Gland, Developing Gut, and Blood Brain Barrier (UC2 Clinical Trial Not Allowed)." It supports research focused on understanding transport proteins that affect fetal and infant exposure to nutrients, drugs, and supplements.
What is the main goal of this grant?
The main goal is to close major scientific gaps in how key transporters move substances across critical maternal-fetal and early-life interfaces. The work is meant to improve understanding of exposure and protection for the developing fetus and infant.
What centers are being funded under this opportunity?
The grant supports the creation of Transporter Elucidation Centers (TECs). These centers are expected to work together rather than operate as fully independent projects.
What is the Transporter Elucidation Network (TEN)?
TEN is the coordinated network formed by multiple Transporter Elucidation Centers (TECs). The intention is that the centers collaborate, share methods and data, and produce resources that are broadly useful to the research community.
Which biological interfaces and tissues are emphasized?
The science focus is centered on the human placenta, the lactating mammary gland (relevant to what enters breast milk), and the developing gut (relevant to infant absorption and exposure). The funding opportunity title also references the blood-brain barrier as an additional key exposure and protection boundary.
Why are transporters a central theme of this program?
Many transporters that likely influence fetal and infant exposure are still poorly understood. In some cases, their endogenous substrates, drug substrates, directionality, tissue-specific roles, or regulation are not clearly defined. The program aims to generate deep functional evidence that clarifies these unknowns.
What kinds of scientific questions are TECs expected to address?
TECs are expected to do rigorous functional work to determine what transporters move, where and when they are active, how they influence real-world exposure to nutrients or therapeutics, and how genetic variation affects transporter function.
What does "deorphanization" mean in the context of this announcement?
In this context, deorphanization refers to identifying the substrates and functions of transporters that are effectively "orphaned" because their natural substrates, drug interactions, or biological roles are not well established.
Does this opportunity support work on genetic variation in transporters?
Yes. The announcement highlights assessment of functional variants and how genetic variation may change transporter function, potentially helping to explain differences in drug response, safety, or nutritional status across individuals and populations.
What is the funding mechanism for this opportunity?
The mechanism is a cooperative agreement (UC2). This generally indicates a more active partnership with NIH staff than a standard investigator-initiated grant and includes expectations for coordination across awardees.
How is a UC2 cooperative agreement different from a typical NIH research grant?
Based on the description provided, awardees are expected to coordinate, share methods and data, and collectively produce resources. The structure is designed to create interoperable, reusable outputs across multiple centers, rather than isolated results from stand-alone projects.
Are applicants expected to collaborate and share outputs?
Yes. A major emphasis is on coordinated work across the network, including sharing methods and data and producing community-facing knowledge and resources.
What types of deliverables are expected from the network?
A stated deliverable is community-facing knowledge and resources that advance understanding of transport biology and its implications for fetal and infant exposure to nutrients, medications, and supplements.
Is this a clinical trial funding opportunity?
No. The opportunity is labeled "(UC2 Clinical Trial Not Allowed)," meaning applications must not propose clinical trials as defined by NIH policy.
What does "Clinical Trial Not Allowed" mean for proposed research?
It means the work should remain within non-interventional boundaries, such as preclinical, mechanistic, observational, or other non-interventional human research. The project should not be structured as a prospective study where participants are assigned to receive an intervention to evaluate effects on health-related outcomes.
Can the research still be human-relevant or translational?
Yes. The description notes that the work can be highly translational and human-relevant, as long as it does not meet the definition of a clinical trial that assigns participants to an intervention.
Which NIH institute sponsors this opportunity?
The sponsoring institute is the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD), under the National Institutes of Health.
What are the CFDA numbers associated with this opportunity?
The CFDA numbers listed are 93.279 and 93.865.
What is the listed award ceiling?
The listed award ceiling in the provided information is $750,000.
When was the original closing date?
The original closing date provided is November 30, 2022.
How many awards will be made?
The source text does not specify an exact number of anticipated awards. It does indicate that multiple centers are expected so they can function as a network rather than as a single stand-alone site.
Who is eligible to apply?
Eligibility is broad and includes public and private institutions of higher education, nonprofits (501(c)(3) and non-501(c)(3)), for-profit organizations (other than small businesses), small businesses, and a wide range of government and community entities.
Are government entities eligible applicants?
Yes. Eligible applicants include state, county, city/township, and special district governments; independent school districts; public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities; federally recognized tribal governments; and other tribal organizations.
Are minority-serving and mission-driven institutions explicitly included?
Yes. The opportunity explicitly includes HBCUs, Hispanic-serving institutions, Tribally Controlled Colleges and Universities (TCCUs), Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian Serving Institutions, and AANAPISIs.
Are faith-based and community-based organizations eligible?
Yes. Faith-based and community-based organizations are listed among eligible applicants.
Are non-U.S. (foreign) organizations eligible?
Yes. Non-U.S. entities (foreign organizations) are included as eligible applicants, indicating international participation is allowed where it strengthens the science and resource-building goals.
What is the broader public health impact this program is aiming for?
The expected impact includes improved mechanistic understanding that can inform safer and more effective medication use in pregnancy and infancy, better prediction of exposure through placenta and breast milk, improved insight into nutrient and supplement transport, and a stronger foundation for future clinical guidance by making transporter data and tools broadly available.
What does it mean that this opportunity is categorized under education, health, income security, and social services?
It reflects NIH's public health mission and the program's intent to generate knowledge and resources that ultimately support health-related decision-making for pregnancy, breastfeeding, and early-life development.
Why is a network approach (TEN) emphasized instead of a single center?
The description emphasizes a "network effect": multiple centers working in parallel on related problems, harmonizing approaches where possible, and producing results that are more interoperable and reusable than isolated studies.
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