Opportunity Information: Apply for RFA RM 12 003
Apply for RFA RM 12 003
- The National Institutes of Health in the health sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Human Heredity and Health in Africa (H3Africa) H3Africa Biorepository Grants (UH2/UH3)" 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 93.310 Trans NIH Research Support.
- This funding opportunity was created on Dec 21, 2011 and posted on Dec 21, 2011.
- Applicants must submit their applications by Feb 21, 2012. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
- The funding agency has allocated a total of $400,000.00 to eligible and selected applicants.
- Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $115,000.00 in funding.
- The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 4 candidate(s).
- Eligible applicants include: Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification) Private institutions of higher education Public and State controlled institutions of higher education.
- Other Eligible Applicants include the following Non domestic (non U.S.) Entities (Foreign Organizations) African institutions are eligible for the awards
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Opportunity Summary:
The Human Heredity and Health in Africa (H3Africa) H3Africa Biorepository Grants (UH2/UH3) funding opportunity is a National Institutes of Health (NIH) cooperative agreement program designed to help build and strengthen large-scale biorepository capacity within Africa. The central goal is to support African institutions in creating biorepositories that can serve as international hubs for the receipt, long-term storage, quality management, and distribution of biological samples collected through H3Africa-funded studies and other African genomics research projects. By investing in biorepository infrastructure and operations on the continent, the program aims to make high-quality specimen stewardship more accessible to African researchers, improve standardization and sample integrity across studies, and ultimately accelerate genomic and health research that addresses diseases and health priorities relevant to African populations.
This opportunity is part of the broader H3Africa initiative, which is supported by the NIH Common Fund together with participating NIH Institutes and Centers, in partnership with the Wellcome Trust. H3Africa is intended to expand sustainable research capacity in Africa, with genomics as a key tool for understanding disease risk, improving diagnosis and treatment, and developing locally relevant scientific leadership and infrastructure. In practice, the biorepository component is meant to fill a critical gap: well-run biobanks are essential for modern genomics and biomedical research because they ensure biospecimens are collected, processed, stored, tracked, and shared under consistent standards, with appropriate documentation and governance. The FOA frames biorepositories not simply as freezers and storage space, but as coordinated systems that depend on trained personnel, validated workflows, reliable power and cold-chain systems, informatics, and clear policies for access and distribution.
The award structure uses a phased UH2/UH3 model, meaning applicants propose a two-stage plan that begins with feasibility and planning and can transition into full implementation if milestones are met. Phase I (UH2) supports up to two years of feasibility testing and detailed planning, explicitly building on existing infrastructure rather than starting from scratch. Activities in this stage can include piloting and stress-testing logistics for sample shipping and receiving, establishing and validating standard operating procedures, training staff in biorepository best practices, setting up or strengthening laboratory information management systems, developing governance and access policies, forming collaborations with H3Africa investigators and other stakeholders, and identifying what additional facilities, equipment, and staffing will be required to operate at full scale. The expectation is that Phase I ends with a complete, realistic, and evidence-backed operational plan showing that key scientific, technical, ethical, and logistical challenges have been addressed.
Phase II (UH3) is described as up to five additional years of support to operate full-scale H3Africa biorepositories, with implementation beginning in 2014 for projects that successfully complete the feasibility period and meet NIH requirements for transition. The intended outcome of the program is a small number of well-prepared, continent-based repositories (the announcement indicates plans would be developed for up to three) that can reliably function as regional or international resource centers. These repositories would be positioned to handle sample intake from multiple studies, maintain high-quality storage and documentation over time, and provide controlled distribution to qualified researchers in a manner consistent with the program’s governance expectations.
From an eligibility standpoint, the FOA specifically targets non-U.S. entities, emphasizing foreign institutions located in African countries as eligible applicants. Eligible organization types include private institutions of higher education and public/state-controlled institutions of higher education, with the additional eligibility language clarifying that African institutions are eligible for these awards. The funding instrument is a cooperative agreement, which typically signals that NIH expects substantial programmatic involvement during the project, such as participation in coordinating activities, meeting milestones, and aligning repository practices with network-wide standards for H3Africa.
Key administrative details provided in the listing include the funding opportunity number RFA-RM-12-003 and activity category focused on health. The FOA was posted December 21, 2011, with an original and current closing date of February 21, 2012, and an archive date of March 23, 2012. The listing notes an estimated total funding amount of $400,000 and an award ceiling of $115,000, with no cost-sharing or matching requirement. It also lists expected awards as 4, and provides CFDA numbers 93.172 (Human Genome Research) and 93.310 (Trans-NIH Research Support), indicating the NIH programmatic areas supporting the opportunity.
Overall, this grant opportunity is best understood as an effort to create durable, Africa-based biorepository infrastructure that can support genomics and health research at scale. It emphasizes practical readiness: proving that specimen logistics, training, collaborations, data systems, and operational governance can work reliably in real-world conditions, and then scaling those proven approaches into long-term repositories that can serve the H3Africa network and the broader African genomics research community.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What is the H3Africa Biorepository Grants (UH2/UH3) opportunity?
It is a National Institutes of Health (NIH) cooperative agreement funding opportunity under the Human Heredity and Health in Africa (H3Africa) initiative. The program is designed to build and strengthen large-scale biorepository capacity within Africa by supporting African institutions to create biorepositories that can function as international hubs for receiving, long-term storing, managing quality, and distributing biological samples from H3Africa-funded studies and other African genomics research projects.
What is the main goal of this funding opportunity?
The central goal is to support African institutions in developing biorepositories that improve access to high-quality specimen stewardship for African researchers, increase standardization and sample integrity across studies, and accelerate genomics and health research focused on diseases and health priorities relevant to African populations.
Who is supporting the broader H3Africa initiative?
H3Africa is supported by the NIH Common Fund together with participating NIH Institutes and Centers, in partnership with the Wellcome Trust.
What does the FOA mean by a "biorepository"?
The FOA describes biorepositories as more than storage space. They are coordinated systems that rely on trained personnel, validated workflows, reliable power and cold-chain systems, informatics (such as laboratory information management systems), and clear policies for sample access and distribution.
What kinds of samples are these biorepositories expected to handle?
They are expected to receive, store long-term, manage quality for, and distribute biological samples collected through H3Africa-funded studies and other African genomics research projects.
What is the funding mechanism used for this opportunity?
The funding instrument is a cooperative agreement (UH2/UH3). This generally indicates substantial NIH programmatic involvement during the project, including coordination activities, milestone-based progress, and alignment of repository practices with network-wide standards for H3Africa.
How does the phased UH2/UH3 structure work?
Applicants propose a two-stage plan. Phase I (UH2) supports feasibility testing and detailed planning. If milestones are met and NIH requirements for transition are satisfied, the project can transition into Phase II (UH3) for full implementation and operation at scale.
How long is Phase I (UH2)?
Phase I supports up to two years of feasibility testing and detailed planning.
What is the emphasis during Phase I (UH2)?
Phase I is explicitly expected to build on existing infrastructure rather than starting from scratch. It is focused on proving readiness through feasibility work, pilots, and evidence-backed planning that addresses scientific, technical, ethical, and logistical challenges.
What types of activities can be supported during Phase I (UH2)?
The FOA describes activities such as piloting and stress-testing sample shipping and receiving logistics, establishing and validating standard operating procedures (SOPs), training staff in biorepository best practices, setting up or strengthening laboratory information management systems (LIMS), developing governance and access policies, forming collaborations with H3Africa investigators and other stakeholders, and identifying additional facilities, equipment, and staffing needed for full-scale operations.
What is the expected outcome at the end of Phase I (UH2)?
Phase I is expected to end with a complete, realistic, evidence-backed operational plan demonstrating that key scientific, technical, ethical, and logistical challenges have been addressed and that the repository is prepared to operate at full scale.
How long is Phase II (UH3)?
Phase II is described as up to five additional years of support to operate full-scale H3Africa biorepositories.
When does Phase II (UH3) implementation begin?
The FOA notes that implementation would begin in 2014 for projects that successfully complete the feasibility period and meet NIH transition requirements.
How many biorepositories is the program aiming to develop?
The announcement indicates that plans would be developed for up to three continent-based repositories intended to function as regional or international resource centers.
What role are funded biorepositories expected to play in the H3Africa network?
They are intended to act as reliable hubs that can take in samples from multiple studies, maintain high-quality storage and documentation over time, and provide controlled distribution to qualified researchers in a way that aligns with program governance expectations.
Who is eligible to apply?
The FOA targets non-U.S. entities, emphasizing foreign institutions located in African countries as eligible applicants. Eligible organization types include private institutions of higher education and public/state-controlled institutions of higher education, with eligibility language clarifying that African institutions are eligible for these awards.
Are U.S. entities eligible?
The FOA specifically targets non-U.S. entities and emphasizes foreign institutions located in African countries as eligible applicants.
What is the funding opportunity number (FOA number)?
RFA-RM-12-003.
What is the activity category or general focus area?
The listing identifies the activity category as health.
When was this FOA posted, and what are the key dates?
The FOA was posted on December 21, 2011. The original and current closing date is February 21, 2012. The archive date is March 23, 2012.
What is the estimated total funding amount for this opportunity?
The listing notes an estimated total funding amount of $400,000.
What is the award ceiling?
The award ceiling is listed as $115,000.
How many awards are expected?
The listing states expected awards: 4.
Is cost-sharing or matching required?
No. The listing indicates there is no cost-sharing or matching requirement.
Which CFDA numbers are associated with this opportunity?
CFDA 93.172 (Human Genome Research) and CFDA 93.310 (Trans-NIH Research Support).
Why does the FOA emphasize standardization and quality management?
Because modern genomics and biomedical research depends on consistent standards for how biospecimens are collected, processed, stored, tracked, and shared. The opportunity aims to improve standardization and sample integrity across studies, which supports reliable downstream research and responsible sharing.
What kinds of operational systems are highlighted as important for a biorepository?
The FOA highlights the importance of trained personnel, validated workflows and SOPs, reliable power and cold-chain systems, informatics (including LIMS), and clear governance, access, and distribution policies.
What does "controlled distribution" mean in this context?
Based on the FOA description, it refers to distributing samples to qualified researchers under governance expectations and access policies, rather than unrestricted distribution.
Does the FOA expect collaboration with other researchers or stakeholders?
Yes. Phase I activities explicitly include forming collaborations with H3Africa investigators and other stakeholders.
Is this opportunity intended to create new repositories from scratch?
Phase I is explicitly framed as building on existing infrastructure rather than starting from scratch, focusing on feasibility testing and planning that leads to scalable implementation.
What problem is this program trying to address?
It is meant to fill a critical gap in Africa-based genomics and biomedical research by investing in well-run, continent-based biorepository infrastructure and operations that ensure high-quality specimen stewardship, consistent standards, and reliable sample sharing across studies.
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Previous opportunity: Human Health and Heredity in Africa (H3Africa) Research Grants (U01)
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