Opportunity Information: Apply for RFA ES 09 011
Apply for RFA ES 09 011
- The National Institutes of Health in the environment health sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Engineered Nanomaterials Linking Physical and Chemical Properties to Biology (U19)" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 93.113 Environmental Health.
- This funding opportunity was created on Nov 3, 2009 and posted on Nov 3, 2009.
- Applicants must submit their applications by Jan 22, 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 $5,000,000.00 to eligible and selected applicants.
- Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $750,000.00 in funding.
- Eligible applicants include: State governments Nonprofits that do not have a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education For profit organizations other than small businesses Independent school districts County governments Native American tribal organizations (other than Federally recognized tribal governments) Private institutions of higher education Native American tribal governments (Federally recognized) Nonprofits having a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education Public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities City or township governments Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification) Special district governments Public and State controlled institutions of higher education Small businesses.
- Other Eligible Applicants include the following Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian Serving Institutions 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 Engineered Nanomaterials Linking Physical and Chemical Properties to Biology (U19) funding opportunity (RFA-ES-09-011) is an NIEHS-led NIH program designed to push engineered nanomaterial (ENM) health research beyond simple observations of toxicity and toward clear, testable cause-and-effect links between what a nanomaterial is (its defining physical and chemical traits), what it does in biological systems (its molecular and cellular interactions), and what those interactions mean for real health outcomes. The central goal is to identify which specific ENM property, or combination of properties, drives key molecular interactions in a cell process or organ system, and then connect those mechanistic insights to physiological or disease-relevant effects. In practice, the program is aiming to strengthen hazard identification and improve health risk assessment by making ENM testing more predictive and less reliant on broad, descriptive endpoints.
The announcement emphasizes that success requires three lines of work that genuinely converge rather than run in parallel. First, applicants are expected to develop a detailed mechanistic understanding of how ENM physical and chemical characteristics shape molecular interactions at the cellular level. This means careful attention to properties that can plausibly control bio-interactions, such as size, shape, surface area, surface chemistry and coatings, charge, solubility or dissolution behavior, agglomeration state, crystallinity, and related features that influence how ENMs contact membranes, proteins, and intracellular targets. Second, the program calls for evidence that the characteristics identified as important at the molecular or cellular scale are actually associated with measurable physiological or pathobiological events, so the work must extend into organism-level or organ-system-level biology where functional outcomes can be evaluated. Third, the opportunity expects teams to integrate biochemical, molecular, and physiological mechanisms in a way that expands traditional hazard ID and risk assessment approaches, essentially translating mechanistic findings into information that is more usable for predicting risk, prioritizing materials for testing, and supporting better safety decision-making.
Structurally, responsive applications must be built around three research projects that share an overarching theme and collectively span mechanistic studies using a mix of in vitro, ex vivo, and in vivo model systems. The intent is to force multidisciplinary design: rather than one project handling all aims, the three projects together should create a coherent story that links ENM characterization to mechanism to health-relevant outcomes. The FOA also signals that a very high level of synergy is not just encouraged but expected, meaning the projects should share materials, methods, models, and data streams where appropriate, and should be designed so that findings from one project directly inform the hypotheses and experiments of the others. The program is also consortium-based: awardees become part of a collaborative group that jointly manages research across the individual grants, which implies coordination, shared standards where possible, and active participation in consortium activities to accelerate progress across the field.
Funding is provided through the NIH cooperative agreement mechanism (U19), which typically involves substantial scientific and programmatic involvement from the funding agency compared to a standard grant. The program set aside approximately $5,000,000 total costs per year for five years. The listed award ceiling is $750,000 (as provided in the source data). The opportunity does not require cost sharing or matching. Key dates in the archived announcement include a posted date of November 3, 2009, with an original and current closing date of January 22, 2010, and an archive date of February 22, 2010.
Eligibility is broad and includes many organization types across the public, private, academic, nonprofit, and governmental spectrum. Examples named in the opportunity include public and state-controlled institutions of higher education, private institutions of higher education, nonprofits with and without 501(c)(3) status, for-profit organizations (including small businesses), state and local governments (including city or township, county, special district), independent school districts, public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities, Native American tribal governments (federally recognized) and other tribal organizations, and additional categories noted in the eligibility section such as HBCUs, Hispanic-serving institutions, tribally controlled colleges and universities, Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian serving institutions, faith-based or community-based organizations, regional organizations, U.S. territories or possessions, and even non-U.S. entities (foreign organizations), along with eligible federal agencies.
Overall, this FOA is best read as an effort to standardize and sharpen the scientific logic of nanomaterial safety evaluation. Instead of treating ENMs as a single class and cataloging effects, NIEHS is asking investigators to pinpoint which definable material features drive biological interactions, prove that those interactions matter for organ function or disease pathways, and then integrate those results into frameworks that can improve hazard screening and risk assessment for current and future nanomaterials.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What is the name of this funding opportunity?
The opportunity is titled Engineered Nanomaterials Linking Physical and Chemical Properties to Biology (U19).
What is the FOA/RFA number?
The funding opportunity is identified as RFA-ES-09-011.
Which agency is leading this program?
This is an NIEHS-led program within the NIH.
What is the main purpose of the program?
The program is designed to move engineered nanomaterial (ENM) health research beyond broad observations of toxicity and toward clear, testable cause-and-effect links between (1) a nanomaterial's defining physical and chemical properties, (2) its molecular and cellular interactions in biological systems, and (3) the resulting health outcomes.
What is the central scientific goal?
The central goal is to identify which specific ENM property, or combination of properties, drives key molecular interactions in a cellular process or organ system, and then connect those mechanistic insights to physiological or disease-relevant effects.
How does this FOA define success?
Success is framed as work that truly converges across three lines of research rather than running in parallel: (1) mechanistic understanding at the molecular/cellular level tied to ENM properties, (2) evidence that those mechanisms correspond to organism- or organ-system-level outcomes, and (3) integration of biochemical, molecular, and physiological findings into approaches that strengthen hazard identification and risk assessment.
What kinds of engineered nanomaterial properties are emphasized?
The FOA highlights properties that plausibly control biological interactions, including size, shape, surface area, surface chemistry and coatings, charge, solubility or dissolution behavior, agglomeration state, crystallinity, and related features that influence contact with membranes, proteins, and intracellular targets.
What is the program trying to improve in terms of safety evaluation?
The program aims to strengthen hazard identification and improve health risk assessment by making ENM testing more predictive and less reliant on broad, descriptive endpoints.
What types of biological evidence are expected beyond cell-based findings?
Applicants are expected to show that molecular or cellular mechanisms linked to ENM properties are also associated with measurable physiological or pathobiological events, meaning the work must extend into organism-level or organ-system-level biology where functional outcomes can be evaluated.
What research structure is required for a responsive application?
Responsive applications must be built around three research projects that share an overarching theme and collectively span mechanistic studies using a mix of in vitro, ex vivo, and in vivo model systems.
Is the expectation that each project is independent?
No. The FOA expects a high level of synergy. The projects should be designed as a coherent story linking ENM characterization to mechanism to health-relevant outcomes, with findings from one project directly informing hypotheses and experiments in the others.
What does "synergy" mean in this FOA?
Synergy means the projects should genuinely converge and, where appropriate, share materials, methods, models, and data streams, rather than operating as separate, loosely related studies.
What is meant by a consortium-based program?
Awardees become part of a collaborative consortium that jointly manages research across individual grants. This implies coordination, shared standards where possible, and active participation in consortium activities to accelerate progress across the field.
What funding mechanism is used?
Funding is provided through an NIH cooperative agreement (U19).
What does the U19 cooperative agreement imply about NIH involvement?
A U19 cooperative agreement typically involves substantial scientific and programmatic involvement from the funding agency compared to a standard grant.
How much funding is available under this program?
The program set aside approximately $5,000,000 total costs per year for five years.
Is there an award ceiling listed?
Yes. The listed award ceiling is $750,000 (as provided in the source data).
Is cost sharing or matching required?
No. The opportunity does not require cost sharing or matching.
When was this opportunity posted?
The posted date listed in the archived announcement is November 3, 2009.
What was the closing date for applications?
The archived announcement lists an original and current closing date of January 22, 2010.
When was the opportunity archived?
The archive date listed is February 22, 2010.
Who is eligible to apply?
Eligibility is broad and includes many organization types across public, private, academic, nonprofit, and governmental sectors, as well as foreign organizations and eligible federal agencies.
Are institutions of higher education eligible?
Yes. Eligible applicants include public and state-controlled institutions of higher education and private institutions of higher education.
Are nonprofit organizations eligible?
Yes. Eligibility includes nonprofits with 501(c)(3) status and nonprofits without 501(c)(3) status.
Are for-profit organizations eligible?
Yes. For-profit organizations, including small businesses, are included in the eligibility examples.
Are state and local governments eligible?
Yes. Examples listed include state governments and local government entities such as city or township governments, county governments, and special district governments.
Are tribal governments and tribal organizations eligible?
Yes. The eligibility list includes Native American tribal governments (federally recognized) and other tribal organizations.
Are school districts eligible?
Yes. Independent school districts are included in the eligibility examples.
Are public housing authorities eligible?
Yes. The eligibility examples include public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities.
Are minority-serving institutions specifically mentioned as eligible?
Yes. The opportunity notes eligibility categories that include HBCUs, Hispanic-serving institutions, tribally controlled colleges and universities, and Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian serving institutions.
Are faith-based or community-based organizations eligible?
Yes. Faith-based or community-based organizations are included among the eligible categories noted.
Are U.S. territories or possessions eligible?
Yes. The eligibility section notes U.S. territories or possessions among eligible categories.
Are non-U.S. (foreign) organizations eligible?
Yes. The eligibility section notes that foreign organizations may be eligible.
Are federal agencies eligible to apply?
Yes. The eligibility information includes eligible federal agencies.
What kind of scientific approach is this FOA encouraging?
It encourages a more standardized and logically connected approach to ENM safety evaluation: pinpoint definable material features, demonstrate the molecular and cellular mechanisms they drive, confirm those mechanisms matter for organ function or disease pathways, and integrate the results to improve hazard screening and risk assessment.
Does the FOA focus on treating ENMs as a single class?
No. The emphasis is on distinguishing ENMs based on their definable physical and chemical features and determining which of those features drive biological interactions and health-relevant outcomes.
What kinds of model systems are expected across the projects?
The three-project structure is expected to collectively use a mix of in vitro, ex vivo, and in vivo model systems to connect ENM properties to mechanism and then to health-relevant outcomes.
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