Opportunity Information: Apply for PAR 13 135
Apply for PAR 13 135
- The National Institutes of Health in the education health income security and social services sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "High Throughput Screening (HTS) to Discover Chemical Probes (R03)" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 93.242 Mental Health Research Grants 93.273 Alcohol Research Programs 93.279 Drug Abuse and Addiction Research Programs 93.286 Discovery and Applied Research for Technological Innovations to Improve Human Health 93.865 Child Health and Human Development Extramural Research.
- This funding opportunity was created on Mar 6, 2013 and posted on Mar 6, 2013.
- Applicants must submit their applications by Dec 4, 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 $50,000.00 in funding.
- Eligible applicants include: Private institutions of higher education Independent school districts Special district governments Native American tribal organizations (other than Federally recognized tribal governments) Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification) For profit organizations other than small businesses Public and State controlled institutions of higher education County governments Native American tribal governments (Federally recognized) State governments City or township governments Small businesses Public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities 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.
- 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) Non domestic (non U.S.) Entities (Foreign Organizations) Regional Organizations Tribally Controlled Colleges and Universities (TCCUs) U.S. Territory or Possession Non domestic (non U.S.) Entities (Foreign Institutions) are 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 PAR 13-135, titled "High Throughput Screening (HTS) to Discover Chemical Probes (R03)," was a discretionary grant program designed to accelerate the discovery and early development of new chemical probes that can be used as practical research tools by the broader scientific community. The core idea behind the announcement is to help researchers move from a promising biological assay or target concept to small-molecule probe candidates that can clarify how specific biological functions work and how disease mechanisms operate. Rather than focusing on late-stage drug development, the emphasis is on generating well-characterized molecules that researchers can use to interrogate targets and pathways, validate hypotheses, and create clearer links between biological mechanisms and disease-relevant processes.
A central feature of the FOA is its push for collaboration. Applicants were expected to partner an "assay submitter" (often a disease-area biologist or target expert who brings a compelling assay and biological rationale) with an NIH-funded high-throughput screening and chemical probe discovery facility (a specialized group with the infrastructure and expertise to run large-scale screening campaigns and follow-up chemistry). The intention is that these joint teams would combine strengths: the submitter provides the biological question, assay system, and disease relevance, while the screening/probe facility contributes automation, screening libraries, hit validation strategies, medicinal chemistry optimization, and the technical know-how required to turn initial hits into more selective and usable probe compounds.
Programmatically, NIH highlighted two main research directions it wanted to stimulate. First, it sought projects that could discover and develop novel small molecules that may be useful for studying treatment-relevant biology aligned with the missions of participating NIH Institutes and Centers. This does not mean the projects had to be clinical or translational in the usual sense, but they needed to connect to important health problems such as mental health, addiction, alcoholism, child health and development, or technological innovations that improve human health (as reflected by the listed CFDA program areas). Second, NIH encouraged efforts that lead to the discovery of new biological targets or the validation of proposed targets, especially when the proposed work would produce credible evidence about a target's role in disease mechanisms. In both cases, the FOA stresses that priority would go to assays that can deliver genuinely new insight into important disease targets and biological processes, not simply incremental screening exercises.
In terms of funding mechanics, this opportunity used the NIH R03 mechanism, which is typically meant for small, focused projects, pilots, or discrete proof-of-concept efforts. The posted award ceiling in the provided source data is $50,000, signaling that the program was structured to support targeted, early-stage work rather than large, multi-year discovery programs. There was no cost sharing or matching requirement, which reduces barriers for applicants and makes it easier for a wide range of organizations to participate.
Eligibility was intentionally broad. Applicants could include public or private institutions of higher education, nonprofits (both 501(c)(3) and non-501(c)(3)), for-profit organizations (other than small businesses as well as small businesses), and many levels of government (state, county, city/township, special districts), as well as tribal governments and tribal organizations. The eligibility language also explicitly included a wide range of institution types such as HBCUs, Hispanic-serving institutions, AANAPISIs, tribal colleges and universities, and Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian serving institutions, reflecting an effort to keep the applicant pool inclusive. Importantly, foreign organizations and foreign institutions were eligible to apply, and foreign components of U.S. organizations were allowed under NIH policy, indicating NIH was open to strong proposals regardless of whether the work was led domestically or internationally, as long as NIH policy requirements were met.
From an administrative timeline standpoint, the FOA was posted and created on March 6, 2013. The original and final closing date was December 4, 2015, and the opportunity was archived on January 4, 2016. In practice, that means the program is no longer accepting applications under this particular announcement, but the archived FOA remains useful as a reference for the kinds of probe discovery activities NIH has supported and the collaborative model NIH has encouraged.
Overall, the opportunity can be understood as NIH trying to fill a common gap in biomedical research: many labs have strong biological ideas and assays that could unlock understanding of disease, but they lack the industrial-style screening capacity and chemistry resources needed to generate high-quality small-molecule tools. By funding small R03 projects that connect assay innovators with specialized HTS/probe discovery facilities, NIH aimed to generate chemical probes and target validation data that would be broadly enabling for the research community and would deepen understanding of disease-relevant biology across NIH mission areas.
FAQs: NIH PAR-13-135 - High Throughput Screening (HTS) to Discover Chemical Probes (R03)
What is PAR-13-135?
PAR-13-135 is an NIH funding opportunity announcement titled "High Throughput Screening (HTS) to Discover Chemical Probes (R03)." It was a discretionary grant program intended to speed up the discovery and early development of chemical probes (small molecules) that can be used as practical research tools by the broader scientific community.
What is the main purpose of this grant opportunity?
The main purpose is to help researchers move from a promising biological assay or target concept to small-molecule probe candidates. These probes are meant to help clarify how specific biological functions work and how disease mechanisms operate, rather than to advance late-stage drug development.
What is a "chemical probe" in the context of this FOA?
In this FOA, a chemical probe refers to a well-characterized small molecule that researchers can use to interrogate targets and pathways, validate hypotheses, and build clearer links between biological mechanisms and disease-relevant processes.
Is this program focused on drug development?
No. The emphasis is not on late-stage drug development. The focus is on generating selective, usable research tools (chemical probes) and on producing evidence that helps explain biological function and disease mechanisms.
What role does high-throughput screening (HTS) play in this program?
HTS is central to the program because it enables large-scale screening campaigns that can identify initial "hits" from chemical libraries. The program also anticipates follow-up work such as hit validation and chemistry optimization to improve the usefulness of candidate probes.
What types of collaborations were expected or encouraged?
A key feature of the FOA is collaboration between two complementary partners: an "assay submitter" and an NIH-funded high-throughput screening and chemical probe discovery facility. The goal is to combine biological insight with specialized screening and chemistry capabilities.
Who is the "assay submitter"?
The assay submitter is typically a disease-area biologist or target expert who contributes a compelling assay and strong biological rationale. This partner brings the biological question, assay system, and disease relevance to the project.
What does the HTS/chemical probe discovery facility contribute?
The screening/probe facility contributes the infrastructure and expertise needed for large-scale screening and probe development, including automation, access to screening libraries, strategies for hit validation, medicinal chemistry optimization, and the technical know-how to turn initial hits into more selective and usable probe compounds.
What research directions did NIH highlight as priorities?
NIH emphasized two broad directions: (1) discovering and developing novel small molecules that are useful for studying treatment-relevant biology aligned with the missions of participating NIH Institutes and Centers, and (2) discovering new biological targets or validating proposed targets by generating credible evidence about a target's role in disease mechanisms.
Does "treatment-relevant biology" mean the project must be clinical?
Not necessarily. The FOA indicates projects did not have to be clinical or translational in the typical sense, but they needed to connect to important health problems and NIH mission areas (as reflected by the listed CFDA program areas).
What kinds of health areas were referenced as examples of alignment?
The description references important health problems and mission-related areas such as mental health, addiction, alcoholism, child health and development, and technological innovations that improve human health.
What kinds of assays or projects were most likely to be prioritized?
Priority was placed on assays that could deliver genuinely new insight into important disease targets and biological processes, rather than incremental screening exercises.
What grant mechanism does PAR-13-135 use?
This opportunity used the NIH R03 mechanism, which is typically intended for small, focused projects, pilot efforts, or discrete proof-of-concept studies.
What was the award ceiling mentioned for this opportunity?
The provided source data lists a posted award ceiling of $50,000, indicating support for targeted early-stage work rather than large, multi-year discovery programs.
Was cost sharing or matching required?
No. The opportunity explicitly states there was no cost sharing or matching requirement.
Who was eligible to apply?
Eligibility was broad and included public or private institutions of higher education; nonprofits (both 501(c)(3) and non-501(c)(3)); for-profit organizations (including small businesses and other than small businesses); and multiple levels of government (state, county, city/township, special districts), as well as tribal governments and tribal organizations.
Did the eligibility language include minority-serving and specialized institution types?
Yes. The eligibility language explicitly included institution types such as HBCUs, Hispanic-serving institutions, AANAPISIs, tribal colleges and universities, and Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian serving institutions.
Were foreign organizations or foreign institutions eligible?
Yes. Foreign organizations and foreign institutions were eligible to apply, and foreign components of U.S. organizations were allowed under NIH policy, as long as NIH policy requirements were met.
When was this FOA posted, and what were the closing and archive dates?
The FOA was posted and created on March 6, 2013. The original and final closing date was December 4, 2015. The opportunity was archived on January 4, 2016.
Is PAR-13-135 currently accepting applications?
No. Based on the closing and archive dates provided, this specific announcement is no longer accepting applications.
Why might an archived FOA like this still be useful?
Even though it is closed, the archived FOA can still serve as a reference for the kinds of chemical probe discovery activities NIH has supported and the collaborative model NIH has encouraged between assay innovators and specialized HTS/probe discovery facilities.
What gap in biomedical research was NIH trying to address with this program?
The program aimed to address a common gap where many labs have strong biological ideas and assays but lack industrial-style screening capacity and chemistry resources needed to produce high-quality small-molecule tools. The FOA sought to bridge that gap through small R03 projects built around collaboration.
Browse more opportunities from the same category: Education Health Income Security and Social Services
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