Opportunity Information: Apply for RFA RM 15 002
Apply for RFA RM 15 002
- The National Institutes of Health in the health sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Exploratory Technologies to Understand the Control of Organ Function by the Peripheral Nervous System for SPARC (U18)" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 93.310 Trans NIH Research Support.
- This funding opportunity was created on Jan 27, 2015 and posted on Jan 27, 2015.
- Applicants must submit their applications by Apr 14, 2015. (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 $200,000.00 in funding.
- Eligible applicants include: Native American tribal organizations (other than Federally recognized tribal governments) Special district governments Native American tribal governments (Federally recognized) Small businesses State governments Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification) Nonprofits having a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education Independent school districts Private institutions of higher education Nonprofits that do not have a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education Public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities County governments City or township governments For profit organizations other than small businesses Public and State controlled institutions of higher education.
- 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) Regional Organizations Tribally Controlled Colleges and Universities (TCCUs) U.S. Territory or Possession Non domestic (non U.S.) Entities (Foreign Institutions) are not eligible to apply. Non domestic (non U.S.) components of U.S. Organizations are eligible to apply. Foreign components, as defined in the NIH Grants Policy Statement, are allowed.
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Opportunity Summary:
The NIH funding opportunity titled "Exploratory Technologies to Understand the Control of Organ Function by the Peripheral Nervous System for SPARC (U18)" (Funding Opportunity Number RFA-RM-15-002) was a time-limited call for applications aimed at accelerating early-stage, high-impact technology development for the SPARC program (Stimulating Peripheral Activity to Relieve Conditions). Backed by the NIH Common Fund and administered through the NIH Office of the Director along with participating NIH Institutes and Centers, the core purpose was to support creation or refinement of tools that can reveal how the peripheral nervous system, especially autonomic pathways, regulates internal organ function in both healthy and disease states. The larger scientific and clinical motivation behind this effort was to generate the kind of actionable mechanistic understanding that can drive the next generation of neuromodulation therapies, meaning interventions that deliberately modulate nerve activity to treat conditions affecting organ systems.
This FOA specifically used the U18 Research Demonstration Cooperative Agreement mechanism, which signals two important things about the program's intent. First, it emphasized demonstration of feasibility and proof-of-concept rather than mature, fully validated platforms. Second, it implied substantial NIH involvement during the project period, with the award structured as a cooperative agreement rather than a standard investigator-initiated grant. In practice, that usually means the government can be more engaged in steering milestones, coordinating with broader program goals, and ensuring that the work integrates with SPARC-wide priorities. The FOA framed these awards as stepping stones, designed to establish enough feasibility to justify and enable further technology development under future SPARC initiatives.
From a deliverables standpoint, the emphasis was on technologies "tailored to elucidate the neurobiology and neurophysiology" of autonomic control over internal organs. That wording is broad by design and can encompass many categories of enabling technology: new experimental tools for measuring peripheral nerve activity, improved methods for stimulating or modulating peripheral autonomic circuits, organ-specific physiological monitoring approaches, advanced tracing or mapping methods for peripheral neural pathways, and platforms that help relate nerve signals to organ responses. The FOA also made a point that outputs should help lay the groundwork for more systematic biological mapping activities in future SPARC efforts, which implies that technologies enabling standardized, scalable mapping of peripheral neural-organ connections were especially relevant. In other words, the program was not only looking for one-off gadgets, but for tools that could evolve into robust approaches supporting broader community mapping and integration efforts later on.
Administratively, this was categorized as discretionary funding, within the health activity category, and tied to CFDA 93.310 (Trans-NIH Research Support). There was no cost sharing or matching requirement, which typically lowers barriers to entry for institutions that may not have discretionary funds to support required matching. The award ceiling was listed as $200,000, indicating these were relatively modest, exploratory-scale awards intended to catalyze innovation and feasibility demonstrations rather than fund large, multi-year development programs.
The opportunity had a posted date of January 27, 2015, with an original and current closing date of April 14, 2015, and an archive date of May 15, 2015, meaning it is no longer open. The short application window and the archived status reinforce that it was a targeted SPARC initiative for that cycle rather than an ongoing program announcement.
Eligibility was intentionally broad across many organization types, spanning public and private institutions of higher education, nonprofits (including 501(c)(3) and non-501(c)(3) entities), state and local governments (including city/township and county governments), special district governments, public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities, independent school districts, for-profit organizations, and small businesses. The FOA also explicitly included a wide range of mission-driven and community-oriented institutions 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), as well as faith-based and community-based organizations and eligible federal agencies. On the international side, non-U.S. (foreign) institutions were not eligible to apply directly, but non-domestic components of U.S. organizations could participate, and foreign components (as defined by NIH policy) were allowed, which is NIH's typical way of permitting meaningful international collaboration while keeping the prime award within an eligible U.S.-based applicant organization.
For applicants, the practical takeaway is that this FOA targeted early, enabling technology work that directly supports understanding peripheral autonomic nerve control of organ systems, with an eye toward future therapeutic neuromodulation and broader SPARC mapping objectives. Successful projects under a U18 demonstration cooperative agreement would be expected to show a clear path from the proposed tool or enhancement to concrete, measurable gains in the ability to record, stimulate, interpret, or map peripheral neural influence on organ function, and to do so in a way that could plausibly be scaled, standardized, or integrated into future SPARC-driven mapping and technology development programs.
The official announcement and full details were provided via an NIH guide link (http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/rfa-files/RFA-RM-15-002.html). For access issues, the contact point listed was the NIH Office of Extramural Research (OER) Webmaster at FBOWebmaster@OD.NIH.GOV, which is a standard support contact for technical problems reaching the posting rather than a scientific program contact.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What is the title of this NIH funding opportunity?
The funding opportunity is titled "Exploratory Technologies to Understand the Control of Organ Function by the Peripheral Nervous System for SPARC (U18)."
What is the Funding Opportunity Number (FOA number)?
The FOA number is RFA-RM-15-002.
Which NIH initiative or program is this opportunity associated with?
This opportunity was part of SPARC (Stimulating Peripheral Activity to Relieve Conditions), supported by the NIH Common Fund and administered through the NIH Office of the Director with participating NIH Institutes and Centers.
What was the main purpose of this FOA?
The purpose was to accelerate early-stage, high-impact technology development that helps reveal how the peripheral nervous system, especially autonomic pathways, regulates internal organ function in healthy and disease states.
What is the bigger scientific or clinical motivation behind the SPARC effort described here?
The motivation was to produce actionable mechanistic understanding of peripheral nerve control of organ function that could drive the next generation of neuromodulation therapies (interventions that deliberately modulate nerve activity to treat conditions affecting organ systems).
What funding mechanism did this FOA use?
This FOA used the U18 Research Demonstration Cooperative Agreement mechanism.
What does the U18 Research Demonstration Cooperative Agreement mechanism imply about project maturity?
It emphasized feasibility and proof-of-concept demonstrations rather than mature, fully validated platforms.
What does it mean that this was a cooperative agreement rather than a standard grant?
As a cooperative agreement, it implied substantial NIH involvement during the project period, typically including engagement in steering milestones, coordinating with broader program goals, and aligning work with SPARC-wide priorities.
Were these awards intended to be standalone, long-term technology programs?
No. The FOA framed these awards as stepping stones intended to establish feasibility to justify and enable further technology development under future SPARC initiatives.
What kinds of deliverables or outputs were expected?
The emphasis was on technologies tailored to elucidate the neurobiology and neurophysiology of autonomic control over internal organs, with deliverables that improve the ability to measure, stimulate, modulate, interpret, or map peripheral neural influence on organ function.
What types of technologies were considered relevant under this FOA?
The FOA language was broad and could include: new experimental tools for measuring peripheral nerve activity; improved methods for stimulating or modulating peripheral autonomic circuits; organ-specific physiological monitoring approaches; advanced tracing or mapping methods for peripheral neural pathways; and platforms that relate nerve signals to organ responses.
Did the FOA place any emphasis on mapping or standardization for future work?
Yes. It highlighted that outputs should help lay the groundwork for more systematic biological mapping in future SPARC efforts, suggesting strong relevance for technologies that could support standardized, scalable mapping of peripheral neural-organ connections.
What was the award ceiling mentioned for this opportunity?
The award ceiling listed was $200,000.
How was this funding described in terms of scale and intent?
It was described as relatively modest, exploratory-scale funding meant to catalyze innovation and feasibility demonstrations rather than support large, multi-year development programs.
Was there a cost sharing or matching requirement?
No. The opportunity stated there was no cost sharing or matching requirement.
How was this opportunity categorized administratively?
It was categorized as discretionary funding within the health activity category and tied to CFDA 93.310 (Trans-NIH Research Support).
When was this FOA posted?
The posted date was January 27, 2015.
What was the closing date for applications?
The original and current closing date was April 14, 2015.
Is this FOA still open?
No. It was time-limited and is no longer open. The archive date was May 15, 2015.
What does the short window and archived status suggest about the FOA?
It suggests this was a targeted SPARC initiative for that cycle rather than an ongoing program announcement.
Who was eligible to apply?
Eligibility was broad and included public and private institutions of higher education; nonprofits (including 501(c)(3) and non-501(c)(3)); state and local governments (including city/township and county); special district governments; public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities; independent school districts; for-profit organizations; small businesses; faith-based and community-based organizations; eligible federal agencies; and various mission-driven and community-oriented institutions.
Did the FOA explicitly include minority-serving and community-focused institutions?
Yes. It explicitly included 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), among others.
Could non-U.S. (foreign) institutions apply as the prime applicant?
No. Non-U.S. (foreign) institutions were not eligible to apply directly as the prime applicant organization.
Were any forms of international participation allowed?
Yes. Non-domestic components of U.S. organizations could participate, and foreign components (as defined by NIH policy) were allowed.
What peripheral nervous system focus did the FOA highlight?
It highlighted understanding peripheral nervous system control of internal organ function, with a particular emphasis on autonomic pathways.
What would a competitive project generally be expected to demonstrate under this FOA?
Based on the FOA description, projects would be expected to show a clear path from the proposed tool or refinement to measurable gains in the ability to record, stimulate, interpret, or map peripheral neural influence on organ function, and to do so in a way that could plausibly be scaled, standardized, or integrated into future SPARC efforts.
Where could applicants find the official announcement and full details?
The FOA pointed to the NIH guide link: http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/rfa-files/RFA-RM-15-002.html
Who was listed as the contact for access issues with the posting?
The contact listed for access issues was the NIH Office of Extramural Research (OER) Webmaster at FBOWebmaster@OD.NIH.GOV, described as a support contact for technical problems reaching the posting rather than a scientific program contact.
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