Opportunity Information: Apply for RFA DA 17 008
Apply for RFA DA 17 008
- The HHS-NIH11 in the education, health sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Extracellular Vesicle Tools, Technologies, and Products for Neuroscience Research (R41/R42)" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 93.279,.
- This funding opportunity was created on Apr 22, 2016 and posted on Apr 22, 2016.
- Applicants must submit their applications by Nov 22, 2016. (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 $150,000.00 in funding.
- Eligible applicants include: Small businesses.
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Opportunity Summary:
The Extracellular Vesicle Tools, Technologies, and Products for Neuroscience Research (R41/R42) opportunity (Funding Opportunity Number RFA-DA-17-008) was a discretionary NIH grant announcement issued under HHS/NIH, with relevance to NIDA priorities. It was designed specifically for small businesses and used the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) phased mechanism, supporting early-stage feasibility work followed by more advanced development. The central aim was to push the creation of practical, ready-to-use tools, technologies, and products that would help neuroscience researchers reliably work with extracellular vesicles (EVs), which are increasingly important for understanding how cells communicate, including within the nervous system.
The scientific intent focused on enabling researchers to better exploit EVs in neuroscience settings, where EVs can carry proteins, lipids, and nucleic acids between cells and may reflect disease states or biological responses. By encouraging small businesses to build enabling platforms, the initiative sought to reduce technical barriers that slow EV research, such as challenges in isolating EVs from complex biofluids, characterizing EV subtypes, validating cargo, tracking EV trafficking, and standardizing workflows so that results are reproducible across labs. The announcement framed these developments as foundational infrastructure for the broader research community rather than as stand-alone basic science projects, emphasizing deliverables that other scientists could adopt in their own studies.
A major long-term goal was to seed technologies that could later support NIDA-relevant mechanistic, diagnostic, and therapeutic research connected to extracellular vesicle communication and drug addiction. In practice, that means the program was looking ahead to how EV-focused tools might help explain how substances of abuse affect neural and immune signaling, how addiction-related changes might be detected through EV-associated biomarkers, or how EVs might be engineered or leveraged in future therapeutic strategies. The emphasis on "mechanistic, diagnostic, and therapeutic studies" signals that the tools were expected to have clear translational potential, even if the funded SBIR work was primarily aimed at technology development.
On the administrative side, the funding instrument was a grant, and the activity category was listed as Education and Health, with CFDA numbers 93.279. The award ceiling shown in the source data was $150,000, indicating a capped maximum amount associated with the opportunity as posted. The eligible applicant pool was limited to small businesses, consistent with the R41/R42 SBIR structure, which typically supports a Phase I component (R41) oriented around proof-of-concept and a Phase II component (R42) aimed at further R&D and productization steps. The opportunity was created and posted on April 22, 2016, and the closing date (original and current) was November 22, 2016.
Overall, this grant opportunity was essentially a targeted SBIR call to stimulate the commercial development of EV-focused neuroscience research tools. The expected outcome was a set of new or improved products and platforms that make EV studies more accessible, standardized, and impactful, ultimately positioning the field to pursue addiction-related EV biomarkers, mechanisms, and interventions with stronger technical foundations.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What is the name of this funding opportunity?
The opportunity is titled Extracellular Vesicle Tools, Technologies, and Products for Neuroscience Research (R41/R42).
What is the Funding Opportunity Number (FON)?
The Funding Opportunity Number is RFA-DA-17-008.
Which agency issued this announcement?
It was a discretionary NIH grant announcement issued under HHS/NIH, with relevance to NIDA priorities.
Is this opportunity a grant or a contract?
The funding instrument listed for this opportunity is a grant.
What mechanism does this opportunity use?
It uses the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) phased mechanism under R41/R42, supporting early feasibility work followed by more advanced development.
Who was eligible to apply?
The eligible applicant pool was limited to small businesses, consistent with the SBIR R41/R42 structure.
What is the main purpose of this opportunity?
The central aim was to drive the creation of practical, ready-to-use tools, technologies, and products that help neuroscience researchers reliably work with extracellular vesicles (EVs).
What are extracellular vesicles (EVs) in the context of this program?
EVs are described as carriers of proteins, lipids, and nucleic acids between cells, and they may reflect disease states or biological responses. The opportunity highlighted their growing importance for understanding cell-to-cell communication, including in the nervous system.
What kinds of outputs was the program trying to stimulate?
The program emphasized deliverables intended to serve as foundational infrastructure for the broader research community, rather than stand-alone basic science projects. The expected outcome was new or improved products and platforms that other scientists could adopt in their own studies.
What research bottlenecks or technical barriers was this opportunity trying to address?
The announcement aimed to reduce technical barriers that slow EV research, including challenges in:
- Isolating EVs from complex biofluids
- Characterizing EV subtypes
- Validating EV cargo
- Tracking EV trafficking
- Standardizing workflows so results are reproducible across labs
How does this relate to neuroscience research specifically?
The focus was on enabling researchers to better exploit EVs in neuroscience settings, where EV-mediated communication can help reveal how cells interact within the nervous system.
How does this opportunity connect to NIDA priorities?
A major long-term goal was to seed technologies that could later support NIDA-relevant mechanistic, diagnostic, and therapeutic research related to extracellular vesicle communication and drug addiction.
What types of addiction-related applications did the announcement envision for EV tools?
In practice, the program looked ahead to how EV-focused tools might help:
- Explain how substances of abuse affect neural and immune signaling via EV communication
- Detect addiction-related changes using EV-associated biomarkers
- Support future therapeutic strategies where EVs are engineered or leveraged
Was the funded work expected to be basic science or technology development?
The SBIR work was primarily aimed at technology development, but the opportunity emphasized that these tools should have clear translational potential toward mechanistic, diagnostic, and therapeutic studies.
What do R41 and R42 represent in this announcement?
R41 is typically oriented around a Phase I proof-of-concept or early feasibility component, while R42 typically supports a Phase II component aimed at further R&D and productization steps.
What was the award ceiling shown for this opportunity?
The award ceiling shown in the source data was $150,000, indicating a capped maximum amount associated with the opportunity as posted.
What activity category was listed for this opportunity?
The activity category was listed as Education and Health.
What CFDA number(s) were associated with this opportunity?
The CFDA number listed was 93.279.
When was the opportunity created and posted?
It was created and posted on April 22, 2016.
What was the closing date for the opportunity?
The closing date (original and current) was November 22, 2016.
What is the overall summary of what this opportunity was trying to do?
Overall, this was a targeted SBIR call intended to stimulate the commercial development of EV-focused neuroscience research tools, making EV studies more accessible, standardized, and impactful, and positioning the field for stronger addiction-related EV biomarker, mechanism, and intervention research.
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| Accelerating the Pace of Drug Abuse Research Using Existing Data (R01) Apply for PAR 16 234 Funding Number: PAR 16 234 Agency: HHS-NIH11 Category: Education, Health Funding Amount: $500,000 |
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