Opportunity Information: Apply for RFA RM 12 008
Apply for RFA RM 12 008
- 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 Oct 26, 2012 and posted on Aug 22, 2012.
- Applicants must submit their applications by Oct 31, 2012. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
- Eligible applicants include: Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification) Public and State controlled institutions of higher education Private institutions of higher education.
- 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.
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Opportunity Summary:
The Human Heredity and Health in Africa (H3Africa) H3Africa Biorepository Grants (UH2/UH3) funding opportunity (NIH FOA number RFA-RM-12-008) was issued by the National Institutes of Health as a discretionary cooperative agreement to support the creation of a major biorepository capacity on the African continent. The core purpose is to fund one or more institutions in African countries to develop an H3Africa Biorepository that can serve as an international hub for receiving, processing as appropriate, storing, and distributing biological specimens collected through H3Africa-funded research projects, with the added intention that the resource can also support other African research studies beyond H3Africa. In practical terms, the grant is aimed at building the kind of long-term, high-quality infrastructure needed for modern genomics-enabled health research, where well-governed sample collections and reliable downstream access are essential for discovery, replication, and collaboration.
This FOA sits within the broader H3Africa initiative, which is designed to strengthen sustainable research capacity in Africa by integrating genomics into cutting-edge approaches for understanding disease risk and improving health outcomes. NIH support comes through the NIH Common Fund along with participating NIH Institutes and Centers, and the program is run in partnership with the Wellcome Trust. That partnership signals an emphasis not only on funding a facility, but also on aligning standards, governance expectations, and international credibility so that African-led collections can be managed and shared in ways that are scientifically robust, ethically grounded, and globally interoperable.
The award mechanism is a cooperative agreement, which generally means NIH expects an active role in the project beyond simply providing funds. While the source text does not list detailed programmatic requirements, the cooperative structure typically implies close coordination with NIH program staff, milestone-based progress expectations, and alignment with H3Africa-wide policies for sample handling, data and sample access, and participant protections. The UH2/UH3 structure commonly reflects a phased approach, with an initial phase focused on establishing feasibility and building core capacity, followed by a subsequent phase that scales up operations once predefined milestones are met. In the context of a biorepository, that phased model fits the real-world progression from planning and build-out (space, equipment, staffing, SOPs, QA systems) to routine high-throughput operations and distribution.
Eligibility is centered on institutions in African countries, and the FOA explicitly allows non-U.S. entities and foreign institutions to apply, including non-U.S. components of U.S. organizations and foreign components as defined by NIH policy. The eligible applicant categories listed include public and state-controlled institutions of higher education and private institutions of higher education, with an additional eligibility note indicating that other types of applicants may be allowed as clarified in the full announcement. The funding announcement also states there is no cost sharing or matching requirement, which can be important for applicants building large infrastructure in settings where institutional matching funds may be limited.
From an operational standpoint, the funded biorepository is expected to function as a trusted site for specimen receipt, long-term storage, and distribution. That implies establishing standardized procedures for chain of custody, specimen labeling and tracking, temperature-controlled storage and monitoring, biosafety practices, quality control and quality assurance, and reliable logistics for inbound and outbound shipments. It also implies governance capabilities, such as transparent access processes, appropriate material transfer arrangements, and ethical and regulatory compliance that respects participant consent and country-specific requirements. Because the biorepository is meant to support multiple projects and potentially multiple countries, the expectation is that it can manage diverse specimen types and associated metadata while maintaining consistent standards that make samples usable across studies and over time.
Administratively, the FOA is classified under the health funding activity category and references CFDA numbers 93.172 (Human Genome Research) and 93.310 (Trans-NIH Research Support). Key dates included a posted date of August 22, 2012, with an original closing date of October 29, 2012 and a current closing date of October 31, 2012, and it was archived on November 30, 2012. The full announcement is linked through the NIH grants site, and NIH provided contact information via the NIH Office of Extramural Research (OER) webmaster for access or linking issues.
Overall, this opportunity is best understood as an infrastructure and capacity-building investment meant to anchor H3Africa’s genomics and health research ecosystem in Africa. By funding an Africa-based biorepository capable of high-standard storage and controlled distribution, NIH and its partners aimed to make it easier for African-led studies to collect and preserve valuable specimens, increase the scientific value of those collections through consistent quality and governance, and enable responsible sharing that accelerates discovery while protecting participants and respecting local and regional oversight.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What is the H3Africa Biorepository Grants (UH2/UH3) funding opportunity?
This is a National Institutes of Health (NIH) funding opportunity (FOA number RFA-RM-12-008) that uses a discretionary cooperative agreement to support creation of major biorepository capacity on the African continent under the Human Heredity and Health in Africa (H3Africa) initiative.
What is the main purpose of this grant?
The core purpose is to fund one or more institutions in African countries to develop an H3Africa Biorepository that can serve as an international hub for receiving, processing as appropriate, storing, and distributing biological specimens collected through H3Africa-funded research projects, with the added intention that it can also support other African research studies beyond H3Africa.
What is H3Africa, and how does this FOA fit into it?
H3Africa is a broader initiative designed to strengthen sustainable research capacity in Africa by integrating genomics into cutting-edge approaches for understanding disease risk and improving health outcomes. This FOA supports the infrastructure side of that goal by building long-term, high-quality biorepository capabilities that modern genomics-enabled health research depends on.
Who issued this funding opportunity?
The funding opportunity was issued by the National Institutes of Health (NIH).
How is NIH supporting this program financially and organizationally?
NIH support comes through the NIH Common Fund along with participating NIH Institutes and Centers. The program is run in partnership with the Wellcome Trust, signaling an emphasis on aligning standards, governance expectations, and international credibility for African-led collections.
What does it mean that this award is a "cooperative agreement"?
A cooperative agreement generally means NIH expects an active role in the project beyond simply providing funds. While the source description does not list detailed programmatic requirements, it indicates the cooperative structure typically involves close coordination with NIH program staff, milestone-based progress expectations, and alignment with H3Africa-wide policies for sample handling, access, and participant protections.
What does the UH2/UH3 structure mean for applicants?
The UH2/UH3 mechanism commonly reflects a phased approach. The initial UH2 phase focuses on establishing feasibility and building core capacity, and the subsequent UH3 phase scales up operations once predefined milestones are met. For a biorepository, that progression aligns with moving from planning and build-out (space, equipment, staffing, SOPs, and QA systems) to routine operations and distribution.
Where is the biorepository expected to be located?
The opportunity is aimed at building major biorepository capacity on the African continent, and eligibility is centered on institutions in African countries.
Who is eligible to apply based on the information provided?
Eligibility is centered on institutions in African countries. The FOA explicitly allows non-U.S. entities and foreign institutions to apply, including non-U.S. components of U.S. organizations and foreign components as defined by NIH policy. Eligible applicant categories listed include public and state-controlled institutions of higher education and private institutions of higher education, with an additional note that other types of applicants may be allowed as clarified in the full announcement.
Are non-U.S. organizations allowed to apply?
Yes. The FOA explicitly allows non-U.S. entities and foreign institutions to apply, including non-U.S. components of U.S. organizations and foreign components as defined by NIH policy.
Is cost sharing or matching required?
No. The funding announcement states there is no cost sharing or matching requirement.
What kinds of activities is the funded biorepository expected to perform?
The biorepository is expected to function as a trusted site for specimen receipt, processing as appropriate, long-term storage, and distribution. It is also intended to operate as an international hub supporting H3Africa projects and, additionally, other African research studies beyond H3Africa.
What operational capabilities are implied for the biorepository?
Based on the description, expected capabilities include standardized procedures for chain of custody, specimen labeling and tracking, temperature-controlled storage and monitoring, biosafety practices, quality control and quality assurance, and reliable logistics for inbound and outbound shipments.
What governance and compliance capabilities are implied?
The description implies governance capabilities such as transparent access processes, appropriate material transfer arrangements, and ethical and regulatory compliance that respects participant consent and country-specific requirements. It also points to alignment with H3Africa-wide policies for sample handling, access, and participant protections.
Is the biorepository only for H3Africa-funded projects?
No. While it is designed to receive specimens collected through H3Africa-funded research projects, the opportunity also states an intention for the resource to support other African research studies beyond H3Africa.
Why is a biorepository considered critical for genomics-enabled health research?
The grant description frames the biorepository as long-term, high-quality infrastructure needed for modern genomics-enabled health research, where well-governed sample collections and reliable downstream access are essential for discovery, replication, and collaboration.
What kinds of specimens or data are mentioned?
The FOA description refers broadly to "biological specimens" and emphasizes the ability to handle diverse specimen types and associated metadata while maintaining consistent standards that make samples usable across studies and over time.
What funding activity category is this opportunity associated with?
The FOA is classified under the health funding activity category.
What CFDA numbers are referenced for this opportunity?
The opportunity references CFDA 93.172 (Human Genome Research) and CFDA 93.310 (Trans-NIH Research Support).
What are the key dates listed for this FOA?
The posted date is August 22, 2012. The original closing date is October 29, 2012, and the current closing date is October 31, 2012. The FOA was archived on November 30, 2012.
Is this funding opportunity still open?
The listing indicates the FOA was archived on November 30, 2012, and includes closing dates in October 2012, which indicates it is not currently open based on the provided information.
Where can applicants find the full announcement?
The description notes that the full announcement is linked through the NIH grants site.
Who is listed as a contact for access or linking issues related to the announcement?
NIH provided contact information via the NIH Office of Extramural Research (OER) webmaster for access or linking issues.
What is the overall goal or expected impact of this grant?
The opportunity is described as an infrastructure and capacity-building investment intended to anchor H3Africa's genomics and health research ecosystem in Africa by funding an Africa-based biorepository capable of high-standard storage and controlled distribution, enabling responsible sharing while protecting participants and respecting local and regional oversight.
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