Opportunity Information: Apply for RFA RM 11 008
Apply for RFA RM 11 008
- The National Institutes of Health in the education health income security and social services sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Human Heredity and Health in Africa (H3Africa) Collaborative Centers (U54)" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 93.172 Human Genome Research 93.279 Drug Abuse and Addiction Research Programs 93.310 Trans NIH Research Support 93.853 Extramural Research Programs in the Neurosciences and Neurological Disorders 93.865 Child Health and Human Development Extramural Research 93.989 International Research and Research Training.
- This funding opportunity was created on Aug 23, 2011 and posted on Aug 23, 2011.
- Applicants must submit their applications by Dec 2, 2011. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
- The funding agency has allocated a total of $3,750,000.00 to eligible and selected applicants.
- Eligible applicants include: Public and State controlled institutions of higher education Private institutions of higher education Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification).
- Other Eligible Applicants include the following Non domestic (non U.S.) Entities (Foreign Organizations) 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. African institutions are eligible for the awards
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Opportunity Summary:
The Human Heredity and Health in Africa (H3Africa) Collaborative Centers (U54) opportunity (Funding Opportunity Number RFA-RM-11-008) is a National Institutes of Health (NIH) cooperative agreement designed to strengthen and expand genomics and related biomedical research capacity across the African continent. It is part of the NIH Common Fund effort, alongside participating NIH Institutes and Centers, and it is carried out in partnership with the Wellcome Trust. The core idea is to support African-led, Africa-based research programs that use modern genomic and genetic approaches, together with environmental and other health-related data, to better understand diseases and health conditions affecting African populations. At the same time, the program is meant to leave lasting benefits in the form of trained scientists, improved research infrastructure, and durable resources that enable future discoveries.
This FOA focuses on building “Collaborative Centers,†meaning multi-component efforts that do not just fund a single narrow study, but instead support a broader, coordinated set of activities. Those activities are expected to include cutting-edge research into genomic, genetic, and environmental contributors to health and disease, with an emphasis on generating knowledge that is directly relevant to African populations. A major objective is to address the historic underrepresentation of African populations in genomic research and to enable research that captures Africa’s high genetic diversity, which can improve understanding of disease biology, risk, and potential interventions. The opportunity also explicitly emphasizes increasing overall biomedical research capacity, including the development of infrastructure such as laboratories, data systems, biorepositories or other research resources, and the practical ability to collect, manage, analyze, and share high-quality genomic and phenotype data.
A central pillar of the program is workforce development. The FOA highlights the need to improve genomic proficiency among researchers and to increase the number of trainees, signaling that successful projects are expected to invest substantially in training and mentorship. In practice, this implies building local expertise in study design, ethical and community engagement practices, sample and data collection, bioinformatics and statistical genetics, and the operational skills needed to run complex, collaborative research programs. The longer-term goal is sustainability: developing a scientific environment where African institutions can continue leading competitive biomedical research beyond the period of the award, with infrastructure and human capital that remain in place.
The award mechanism is a U54 cooperative agreement, which typically indicates a substantial level of scientific or programmatic involvement by NIH compared with a standard research grant. This structure is commonly used for large, complex programs where NIH collaboration, coordination, or oversight is part of achieving the program’s broader goals. The opportunity is categorized as discretionary funding, and the activity areas listed span multiple health and research domains, including human genome research, drug abuse and addiction research programs, trans-NIH research support, neurosciences and neurological disorders, child health and human development, and international research and research training. This breadth reflects the cross-cutting nature of genomics and its relevance to many disease areas.
Eligibility is geared toward African institutions and other foreign entities. The FOA specifies that non-U.S. entities (foreign organizations and foreign institutions) are eligible to apply, and that African institutions are eligible for the awards. It also notes that non-domestic components of U.S. organizations may apply and that foreign components are allowed as defined under NIH policy. This structure supports the overarching intent that the research leadership and capacity gains are centered in Africa, while still allowing appropriate collaborations and institutional arrangements that may include international partners when justified.
From an administrative standpoint, the FOA was posted and created on August 23, 2011, with an original and current closing date of December 2, 2011, and an archive date of January 2, 2012, indicating this is an archived opportunity rather than an open competition today. The estimated total funding level listed is $3,750,000, and the FOA indicates no cost-sharing or matching requirement. Several CFDA program numbers are associated with the opportunity, reflecting the multiple NIH programs and institutes involved in supporting the initiative.
Overall, this grant opportunity is best understood as an effort to seed and scale African-led genomic research ecosystems: funding ambitious collaborative research projects on diseases relevant to African populations while simultaneously building the infrastructure, data resources, and trained workforce needed for long-term, sustainable biomedical research leadership within Africa.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs): H3Africa Collaborative Centers (U54) - RFA-RM-11-008
What is the H3Africa Collaborative Centers (U54) funding opportunity?
The Human Heredity and Health in Africa (H3Africa) Collaborative Centers (U54) opportunity (Funding Opportunity Number RFA-RM-11-008) is a National Institutes of Health (NIH) cooperative agreement intended to strengthen and expand genomics and related biomedical research capacity across Africa. It supports African-led, Africa-based research programs that use modern genomic and genetic approaches, together with environmental and other health-related data, to better understand diseases and health conditions affecting African populations.
What is the main purpose of this FOA?
The FOA is designed to build and scale African-led genomic research ecosystems. It aims to fund ambitious, coordinated research efforts on diseases relevant to African populations while also leaving durable benefits, including trained scientists, improved infrastructure, and long-lasting research resources that can support future discoveries.
What does "Collaborative Centers" mean in this FOA?
In this FOA, "Collaborative Centers" refers to multi-component efforts. Rather than funding a single narrow study, the award supports a broader, coordinated set of activities. These activities are expected to combine cutting-edge research with capacity-building components such as infrastructure development and workforce training.
What kinds of research are expected to be supported?
The FOA emphasizes research that uses genomic, genetic, and environmental data to understand health and disease in African populations. A key expectation is that funded activities generate knowledge directly relevant to African populations and help address the historic underrepresentation of African populations in genomic research.
Why is African population diversity specifically emphasized?
The FOA highlights that Africa has high genetic diversity and that African populations have historically been underrepresented in genomic research. Supporting research that captures this diversity can improve understanding of disease biology, risk, and potential interventions that are meaningful for African populations.
Is this opportunity focused only on research, or also on capacity building?
It is explicitly both. In addition to conducting high-quality genomic and related biomedical research, the FOA emphasizes expanding overall biomedical research capacity. This includes building infrastructure and developing the practical ability to collect, manage, analyze, and share high-quality genomic and phenotype data.
What types of infrastructure development are mentioned?
The FOA references infrastructure such as laboratories, data systems, and biorepositories or other research resources. It also emphasizes capabilities related to handling data end-to-end, including collection, management, analysis, and sharing.
How important is training and workforce development under this FOA?
Training is described as a central pillar. The FOA highlights improving genomic proficiency among researchers and increasing the number of trainees. Successful projects are expected to invest substantially in training and mentorship to build local expertise and long-term sustainability.
What skills and areas of expertise does the FOA expect projects to develop?
Based on the FOA description, expected workforce development areas include study design, ethical and community engagement practices, sample and data collection, bioinformatics and statistical genetics, and the operational skills needed to run complex, collaborative research programs.
What is the longer-term goal beyond the award period?
The longer-term goal is sustainability: creating a scientific environment where African institutions can continue leading competitive biomedical research after the award ends, with infrastructure and human capital that remain in place and continue to support research leadership and discovery.
What does a U54 cooperative agreement imply?
A U54 cooperative agreement typically indicates substantial scientific or programmatic involvement by NIH compared with a standard research grant. This mechanism is commonly used for large, complex programs where NIH collaboration, coordination, or oversight helps achieve broader program goals.
Who is running and supporting this initiative?
The opportunity is part of the NIH Common Fund effort, alongside participating NIH Institutes and Centers, and it is carried out in partnership with the Wellcome Trust.
What activity areas or fields does this FOA touch?
The listed activity areas span multiple domains, reflecting the cross-cutting relevance of genomics. The FOA references areas including human genome research, drug abuse and addiction research programs, trans-NIH research support, neurosciences and neurological disorders, child health and human development, and international research and research training.
Who is eligible to apply?
Eligibility is geared toward African institutions and other foreign entities. The FOA specifies that non-U.S. entities (foreign organizations and foreign institutions) are eligible to apply, and that African institutions are eligible for the awards.
Can U.S. organizations participate in any way?
The FOA notes that non-domestic components of U.S. organizations may apply and that foreign components are allowed as defined under NIH policy. This structure supports Africa-centered leadership while allowing collaborations and institutional arrangements that may include international partners when justified.
Is this an active funding opportunity right now?
No. The FOA information provided indicates it is archived. It was posted and created on August 23, 2011, had a closing date of December 2, 2011, and an archive date of January 2, 2012.
What is the estimated total funding level listed?
The estimated total funding level listed for this FOA is $3,750,000.
Is there a cost-sharing or matching requirement?
No. The FOA indicates there is no cost-sharing or matching requirement.
How does this FOA support data and resource generation?
The FOA emphasizes building the ability to collect, manage, analyze, and share high-quality genomic and phenotype data, and it references infrastructure and resources such as data systems and biorepositories. This points to an expectation of durable resources that support ongoing and future research.
What is the overall impact this FOA is trying to achieve?
The FOA is intended to seed and scale African-led genomics research programs that produce knowledge relevant to African populations and also strengthen long-term capacity through infrastructure, data resources, and a trained workforce that remains in place beyond the award period.
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