Opportunity Information: Apply for RFA AI 09 025

  • The National Institutes of Health in the health sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Hepatitis C Cooperative Research Centers (U19)" and is now available to receive applicants.
  • Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 93.855 Allergy, Immunology and Transplantation Research 93.856 Microbiology and Infectious Diseases Research.
  • This funding opportunity was created on Apr 7, 2009 and posted on Apr 7, 2009.
  • Applicants must submit their applications by Aug 6, 2009. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
  • The funding agency has allocated a total of $4,000,000.00 to eligible and selected applicants.
  • Eligible applicants include: Independent school districts State governments Small businesses Private institutions of higher education County governments City or township governments Special district governments Native American tribal governments (Federally recognized) For profit organizations other than small businesses 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 Public and State controlled institutions of higher education Public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification) Native American tribal organizations (other than Federally recognized tribal governments).
  • 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) Regional Organizations Tribally Controlled Colleges and Universities (TCCUs) U.S. Territory or Possession.
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Opportunity Summary:

The Hepatitis C Cooperative Research Centers (HepC CRCs) opportunity (RFA-AI-09-025) was a National Institutes of Health program run through the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) to support coordinated, multi-project research centers focused on hepatitis C virus (HCV). The core aim was to push the field past basic descriptions of infection and toward a clearer, evidence-backed understanding of how the virus and the human host interact, with a heavy emphasis on the immune response. In practical terms, the program was designed to help answer why some people clear HCV on their own or after treatment, while others progress to chronic infection, and what immune or host factors tip the balance in either direction.

A defining feature of the initiative was its insistence on connecting experimental work to real-world clinical relevance. The announcement emphasized that observations from laboratory and experimental studies were expected to be validated and interpreted in well-defined patient cohorts, meaning carefully characterized groups of patients where clinical history, infection status, treatment outcomes, and other relevant factors are clearly documented. This structure reflects a translational intent: not just discovering immune mechanisms in isolation, but showing how those mechanisms map onto actual outcomes in people. The expectation was that these centers would help close persistent gaps in the field, particularly around what a "successful" immune response to HCV looks like and how to reliably measure or define it.

From a deliverables standpoint, the program was framed around enabling future interventions. By identifying the immune features linked to viral clearance versus persistence, the centers were expected to uncover new targets and strategies for countermeasures, including antiviral drugs, vaccines, and other therapeutic approaches aimed at prevention or treatment of both acute and chronic HCV infection. The Centers concept also implies a broader infrastructure goal: bringing together multiple projects, shared resources, and interdisciplinary teams capable of tackling complex, multi-layered questions that are difficult to address through single-investigator awards.

The funding mechanism was the NIH U19 cooperative agreement, which is a multi-project center-style award. A cooperative agreement typically means NIAID anticipated substantial programmatic involvement compared to a standard research grant, often including coordinated milestones, collaborative expectations across projects or sites, and more direct federal scientific partnership in guiding the overall program direction. The FOA projected approximately $4,000,000 in total costs in fiscal year 2010 to support an estimated 4 to 5 awards, including both new and renewal grants. No cost sharing or matching funds were required.

Eligibility was broad and included many types of organizations, reflecting the program's center-based nature and the need for diverse institutional capacities. Eligible applicants listed in the announcement included public and private institutions of higher education, nonprofit organizations (including 501(c)(3) and non-501(c)(3)), for-profit organizations (including small businesses and other for-profits), and a wide range of government entities (state, county, city/township, special district). The eligibility language also explicitly encompassed tribal governments and tribal organizations, public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities, and other categories such as Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), Hispanic-serving institutions, Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian Serving Institutions, Tribally Controlled Colleges and Universities (TCCUs), faith-based or community-based organizations, regional organizations, and U.S. territories or possessions. The program was categorized under CFDA numbers 93.855 (Allergy, Immunology and Transplantation Research) and 93.856 (Microbiology and Infectious Diseases Research).

Administratively, the opportunity was posted on April 7, 2009, with an original (and final) closing date of August 6, 2009, and it was later archived on September 6, 2009. The full announcement was linked through the NIH grants website under the RFA file referenced in the listing. For technical access issues, the notice provided NIH Office of Extramural Research (OER) webmaster contact information.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) - Hepatitis C Cooperative Research Centers (HepC CRCs) (RFA-AI-09-025)

1) What is the Hepatitis C Cooperative Research Centers (HepC CRCs) opportunity?

The Hepatitis C Cooperative Research Centers (HepC CRCs) opportunity (RFA-AI-09-025) was a National Institutes of Health (NIH) program run through the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID). It supported coordinated, multi-project research centers focused on hepatitis C virus (HCV).

2) What was the main goal of the HepC CRCs program?

The core aim was to move the field beyond basic descriptions of HCV infection and toward a clearer, evidence-backed understanding of how the virus and the human host interact, with a strong emphasis on the immune response.

3) What kinds of scientific questions was the program designed to address?

The program was designed to help answer why some people clear HCV on their own or after treatment while others progress to chronic infection, and what immune or host factors influence whether the virus is cleared or persists.

4) Why did the FOA emphasize the immune response?

A heavy emphasis was placed on the immune response because the initiative aimed to clarify what a "successful" immune response to HCV looks like and how it can be reliably measured or defined in ways that relate to real outcomes in people.

5) What made this initiative different from basic laboratory research programs?

A defining feature was its insistence on clinical relevance. The announcement emphasized that observations from laboratory and experimental studies were expected to be validated and interpreted in well-defined patient cohorts, reflecting a translational intent.

6) What does "validated in well-defined patient cohorts" mean in this context?

It means the program expected findings from lab and experimental studies to be checked and interpreted using carefully characterized groups of patients where clinical history, infection status, treatment outcomes, and other relevant factors are clearly documented.

7) What was the translational intent of the HepC CRCs program?

The program aimed not only to discover immune mechanisms in isolation, but to show how those mechanisms map onto actual outcomes in people (such as clearance versus chronic infection).

8) What gaps in the field did the HepC CRCs program aim to close?

The program aimed to close persistent gaps, particularly around defining what constitutes a successful immune response to HCV and how to measure or define that success in a reliable, evidence-backed way.

9) What deliverables or outcomes were expected from the centers?

From a deliverables standpoint, the centers were framed as enabling future interventions by identifying immune features linked to viral clearance versus persistence. This knowledge was expected to uncover new targets and strategies for countermeasures.

10) What kinds of countermeasures were mentioned as being supported by the program's findings?

The opportunity described countermeasures including antiviral drugs, vaccines, and other therapeutic approaches aimed at prevention or treatment of both acute and chronic HCV infection.

11) What is the NIH U19 cooperative agreement mechanism?

The funding mechanism was the NIH U19 cooperative agreement, described as a multi-project center-style award.

12) What does "cooperative agreement" imply for how the program would be run?

A cooperative agreement typically means NIAID anticipated substantial programmatic involvement compared to a standard research grant. This can include coordinated milestones, collaborative expectations across projects or sites, and more direct federal scientific partnership in guiding the overall program direction.

13) Was this a single-project grant or a center-style program?

It was a centers concept that implied multiple projects, shared resources, and interdisciplinary teams assembled to address complex questions that are difficult to tackle through single-investigator awards.

14) How much funding was projected for the program?

The FOA projected approximately $4,000,000 in total costs in fiscal year 2010.

15) How many awards were expected?

The program planned to support an estimated 4 to 5 awards, including both new and renewal grants.

16) Did the opportunity require cost sharing or matching funds?

No. The announcement stated that no cost sharing or matching funds were required.

17) Who was eligible to apply?

Eligibility was broad and included many types of organizations, including public and private institutions of higher education, nonprofit organizations (including 501(c)(3) and non-501(c)(3)), for-profit organizations (including small businesses and other for-profits), and a wide range of government entities.

18) What types of government entities were listed as eligible?

Eligible government applicants included state governments, county governments, city or township governments, and special district governments.

19) Were tribal entities eligible?

Yes. The eligibility language explicitly encompassed tribal governments and tribal organizations.

20) Were U.S. territories or possessions included in eligibility?

Yes. The eligibility listing included U.S. territories or possessions.

21) Were public housing authorities eligible?

Yes. The announcement included public housing authorities and Indian housing authorities among eligible applicants.

22) Were minority-serving and specialized institutions explicitly included?

Yes. The eligibility language explicitly included Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), Hispanic-serving institutions, Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian Serving Institutions, and Tribally Controlled Colleges and Universities (TCCUs).

23) Were faith-based, community-based, and regional organizations eligible?

Yes. Faith-based or community-based organizations and regional organizations were included in the eligible applicant categories.

24) What CFDA numbers were associated with this opportunity?

The program was categorized under CFDA 93.855 (Allergy, Immunology and Transplantation Research) and 93.856 (Microbiology and Infectious Diseases Research).

25) When was the opportunity posted and when did it close?

The opportunity was posted on April 7, 2009. The original (and final) closing date was August 6, 2009.

26) When was the opportunity archived?

It was later archived on September 6, 2009.

27) Where was the full announcement available?

The full announcement was linked through the NIH grants website under the RFA file referenced in the listing.

28) Who was listed for help with technical access issues?

For technical access issues, the notice provided NIH Office of Extramural Research (OER) webmaster contact information.

29) Which NIH institute administered this program?

The program was run through the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) under the National Institutes of Health (NIH).

30) What was the overarching research focus area?

The focus area was hepatitis C virus (HCV) research, specifically coordinated center-based research intended to clarify host-virus interactions and immune mechanisms related to clearance versus chronic infection.

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