Opportunity Information: Apply for RFA AG 16 020
Apply for RFA AG 16 020
- The HHS-NIH11 in the environment, health sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Impact of Aging on Currently Employed Animal Models of Disease and Chronic Conditions: Demonstration Projects (UH2/UH3)" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 93.113, 93.121, 93.853, 93.855, 93.856, 93.866,.
- This funding opportunity was created on Nov 02, 2015 and posted on Nov 02, 2015.
- Applicants must submit their applications by Jan 06, 2016. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
- Eligible applicants include: State governments, County governments, City or township governments, Special district governments, Independent school districts, Public and State controlled institutions of higher education, Native American tribal governments (Federally recognized), Public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities, Native American tribal organizations (other than Federally recognized tribal governments), 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, Private institutions of higher education, For profit organizations other than small businesses, Small businesses, Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification).
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Opportunity Summary:
This funding opportunity, titled "Impact of Aging on Currently Employed Animal Models of Disease and Chronic Conditions: Demonstration Projects (UH2/UH3)" (RFA-AG-16-020), supports demonstration projects aimed at directly testing how the age of laboratory animals affects the results of biomedical and environmental health research. The central idea is straightforward: many animal studies that model human diseases and chronic conditions rely heavily on young animals, largely because they are cheaper, easier to obtain, and faster to study. Yet a major share of human illness and disability occurs later in life, and aging itself can change disease biology, baseline physiology, vulnerability to exposures, and responsiveness to drugs or other interventions. This FOA is designed to generate practical, evidence-based answers about whether using older animals changes experimental outcomes in meaningful ways and whether older animals may provide more appropriate models for conditions where aging is a known risk factor.
The program focuses on two core questions. First, it asks whether the age of the model organism influences experimental outcomes in studies of disease pathology, degenerative processes, response to therapy, the effects of interventions, or responses to environmental exposures. In other words, if a research team repeats or adapts a commonly used animal-model experiment but uses older animals instead of young ones, will the findings differ in magnitude, direction, variability, or mechanistic interpretation? Second, it asks whether older animals are actually better models for studying diseases, conditions, interventions, or exposures that primarily affect older humans or are strongly shaped by aging biology. The FOA is essentially challenging an embedded assumption in preclinical research: that results generated in young animals will reliably translate to older, clinically relevant human populations.
A key reason this opportunity exists is that studies in aged animals are often avoided despite being testable and potentially high-value. Aging studies typically require longer timelines (animals must be aged before they can be studied), cost more to house and maintain, and can involve higher attrition or added complexity due to age-related comorbidities. Those obstacles have contributed to a research ecosystem where convenience can unintentionally bias model selection toward young animals, even for conditions that are predominantly geriatric in humans. The FOA positions these demonstration projects as a way to build a stronger evidence base for when age should be treated as a critical biological variable in model design, interpretation, and translational decision-making.
Administratively, this is a discretionary NIH cooperative agreement mechanism using the UH2/UH3 phased award structure. That structure generally supports an initial, milestone-driven phase (UH2) followed by a second phase (UH3) for expanded work once feasibility or predefined milestones are met, reflecting NIH interest in projects that can produce actionable information while managing risk and ensuring progress. The agency listed is HHS-NIH (HHS-NIH11), and the activity category is broadly aligned with environment and health, consistent with the FOA's interest in both disease models and exposure-response questions. Multiple CFDA numbers are associated with the opportunity (93.113, 93.121, 93.853, 93.855, 93.856, 93.866), reflecting the cross-cutting nature of aging-related research across NIH institutes and programs.
Eligibility is intentionally broad, allowing applications from many organization types that can conduct or manage biomedical research. Eligible applicants include public and private institutions of higher education, nonprofit organizations (with or without 501(c)(3) status), for-profit organizations (excluding small businesses in one category but explicitly including small businesses as well), and a range of government entities (state, county, city or township, special districts, and independent school districts). Tribal governments and tribal organizations are also eligible, along with public housing authorities and other entities as further clarified in the FOA's additional eligibility text. This broad eligibility aligns with the practical nature of demonstration work, which may be carried out by academic labs, research institutes, contract research settings, or multidisciplinary partnerships with access to animal facilities and aging cohorts.
The opportunity was posted on November 2, 2015, with the same date listed for creation, and it had a closing date of January 6, 2016. While the source data does not specify an award ceiling or expected number of awards, the emphasis is clearly on generating proof-of-concept and field-informing results rather than supporting purely exploratory theory. Overall, the FOA is meant to push the research community to empirically evaluate a critical design choice in animal modeling, with the larger aim of improving rigor, relevance, and translation of preclinical findings to the predominantly older human populations that bear much of the burden of chronic disease.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What is the title of this funding opportunity?
The funding opportunity is titled "Impact of Aging on Currently Employed Animal Models of Disease and Chronic Conditions: Demonstration Projects (UH2/UH3)" and is identified as RFA-AG-16-020.
What is the main goal of RFA-AG-16-020?
The main goal is to support demonstration projects that directly test how the age of laboratory animals affects the results of biomedical and environmental health research. The FOA is intended to generate practical, evidence-based answers about whether using older animals changes experimental outcomes in meaningful ways.
What problem is this FOA trying to address?
The FOA addresses a common practice in preclinical research: relying heavily on young animals because they are cheaper, easier to obtain, and faster to study. This can be a mismatch because many human diseases and chronic conditions, as well as illness and disability, occur later in life, and aging can alter biology in ways that affect study outcomes and translation to older human populations.
Why does animal age matter in disease and exposure studies?
According to the FOA description, aging can change disease biology, baseline physiology, vulnerability to environmental exposures, and responsiveness to drugs or other interventions. As a result, outcomes observed in young animals may differ from outcomes in older animals in magnitude, direction, variability, or mechanistic interpretation.
What are the two core research questions emphasized by the program?
The program focuses on two core questions: (1) whether the age of the model organism influences experimental outcomes in studies of disease pathology, degenerative processes, response to therapy, interventions, or responses to environmental exposures; and (2) whether older animals are better models for studying diseases, conditions, interventions, or exposures that primarily affect older humans or are strongly shaped by aging biology.
What kinds of studies fit the intent of these demonstration projects?
Based on the description provided, projects should be designed to directly test whether substituting older animals for young animals (or adapting commonly used animal-model experiments to aged animals) changes experimental findings in meaningful, field-informing ways. The focus is on generating actionable evidence about the role of age as a critical biological variable.
Is this FOA focused only on biomedical disease models, or does it also include environmental health?
It includes both. The FOA highlights disease models and exposure-response questions, and the activity category is described as broadly aligned with environment and health.
What is meant by "currently employed animal models" in this FOA?
From the provided description, this refers to animal models and experimental approaches that are commonly used in the research community (often using young animals) to study diseases, chronic conditions, interventions, or environmental exposures. The FOA encourages testing these established approaches using older animals to see whether conclusions change.
What is the funding mechanism used for this opportunity?
This opportunity uses an NIH cooperative agreement mechanism with a UH2/UH3 phased award structure.
What does the UH2/UH3 phased award structure imply?
It implies a two-phase, milestone-driven structure: an initial phase (UH2) intended to meet predefined feasibility or progress milestones, followed by a second phase (UH3) for expanded work once those milestones are met. This structure reflects an emphasis on producing actionable information while managing risk and ensuring progress.
Which federal agency is associated with this FOA?
The agency listed is HHS-NIH (HHS-NIH11).
Which CFDA numbers are associated with this opportunity?
The opportunity lists multiple CFDA numbers: 93.113, 93.121, 93.853, 93.855, 93.856, and 93.866. This reflects the cross-cutting nature of aging-related research across NIH institutes and programs.
Who is eligible to apply?
Eligibility is broad. Eligible applicants include public and private institutions of higher education; nonprofit organizations (with or without 501(c)(3) status); for-profit organizations (with categories that include small businesses as well); and a range of government entities such as state, county, city or township governments, special districts, and independent school districts. Tribal governments and tribal organizations are also eligible, along with public housing authorities and other entities as further clarified in the FOA's additional eligibility text.
Does the FOA allow applications from for-profit organizations and small businesses?
Yes. The eligibility description includes for-profit organizations and explicitly includes small businesses as well, alongside other eligible entity types.
Are tribal governments and tribal organizations eligible?
Yes. The eligibility description specifically includes tribal governments and tribal organizations.
Are government entities like cities, counties, and school districts eligible to apply?
Yes. The eligibility description includes a range of government entities, including state, county, city or township governments, special districts, and independent school districts.
Why are studies in aged animals often avoided, according to the FOA description?
The description notes that aged-animal studies can require longer timelines (animals must be aged before they can be studied), cost more to house and maintain, and may involve higher attrition or added complexity due to age-related comorbidities.
How is this FOA expected to improve research rigor and translation?
The FOA is positioned as a way to build a stronger evidence base for when age should be treated as a critical biological variable in animal model design and interpretation. The broader aim is to improve rigor, relevance, and translation of preclinical findings to older human populations that bear much of the burden of chronic disease.
When was this funding opportunity posted?
It was posted on November 2, 2015, with the same date listed for creation.
What was the closing date (deadline) for this opportunity?
The closing date listed is January 6, 2016.
Does the provided information state an award ceiling or expected number of awards?
No. The source information provided does not specify an award ceiling or the expected number of awards.
Is this FOA intended for purely exploratory or theoretical work?
The emphasis is on generating proof-of-concept and field-informing results that provide practical, evidence-based answers about the impact of animal age on experimental outcomes, rather than supporting purely exploratory theory.
What outcomes are investigators expected to evaluate when comparing young vs older animals?
The description highlights differences that could appear in the magnitude of findings, the direction of effects, variability of results, or mechanistic interpretation. It also points to potential differences in disease pathology, degenerative processes, response to therapy, effects of interventions, and responses to environmental exposures.
What broader assumption in preclinical research does this FOA challenge?
It challenges the embedded assumption that results generated in young animals will reliably translate to older, clinically relevant human populations.
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| Improvement of Animal Models for Stem Cell-Based Regenerative Medicine (R01) Apply for PAR 16 093 Funding Number: PAR 16 093 Agency: HHS-NIH11 Category: Environment, Health Funding Amount: Case Dependent |
| Improvement of Animal Models for Stem Cell-Based Regenerative Medicine (R21) Apply for PAR 16 094 Funding Number: PAR 16 094 Agency: HHS-NIH11 Category: Environment, Health Funding Amount: $200,000 |
| Countermeasures Against Chemical Threats (CounterACT): Optimization of Therapeutic Lead Compounds (U01) Apply for PAR 16 128 Funding Number: PAR 16 128 Agency: HHS-NIH11 Category: Environment, Health Funding Amount: Case Dependent |
| Countermeasures Against Chemical Threats (CounterACT): Identification of Therapeutic Lead Compounds (U01) Apply for PAR 16 129 Funding Number: PAR 16 129 Agency: HHS-NIH11 Category: Environment, Health Funding Amount: $300,000 |
| Mechanism for Time-Sensitive Opportunity in Environmental Health Sciences (R21) Apply for RFA ES 16 005 Funding Number: RFA ES 16 005 Agency: HHS-NIH11 Category: Environment, Health Funding Amount: $200,000 |
| Collaborative Activities to Expedite Environmental Health Science Research, Translation, and Community Engagement Across EHS Core Centers (Admin Supp) Apply for PA 16 327 Funding Number: PA 16 327 Agency: HHS-NIH11 Category: Environment, Health Funding Amount: $100,000 |
| Countermeasures Against Chemical Threats (CounterACT) Research Centers of Excellence (U54) Apply for PAR 16 329 Funding Number: PAR 16 329 Agency: HHS-NIH11 Category: Environment, Health Funding Amount: $2,500,000 |
| Countermeasures Against Chemical Threats (CounterACT): Optimization of Therapeutic Lead Compounds (U01) Apply for PAR 16 331 Funding Number: PAR 16 331 Agency: HHS-NIH11 Category: Environment, Health Funding Amount: Case Dependent |
| Countermeasures Against Chemical Threats (CounterACT): Identification of Therapeutic Lead Compounds (U01) Apply for PAR 16 330 Funding Number: PAR 16 330 Agency: HHS-NIH11 Category: Environment, Health Funding Amount: $300,000 |
| NIH Big Data to Knowledge (BD2K) Enhancing Diversity in Biomedical Data Science (R25) Apply for RFA MD 16 002 Funding Number: RFA MD 16 002 Agency: Department of Health and Human Services, National Institutes of Health Category: Environment, Health Funding Amount: $300,000 |
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| Immuno-Oncology Translation Network (IOTN): Cancer Immunoprevention Research Projects (U01) Apply for RFA CA 17 046 Funding Number: RFA CA 17 046 Agency: Department of Health and Human Services, National Institutes of Health Category: Environment, Health Funding Amount: $500,000 |
| Collaborative Activities to Expedite Environmental Health Science Research, Translation, and Community Engagement Across EHS Core Centers (Admin Supp - Clinical Trial Not Allowed) Apply for PA 18 770 Funding Number: PA 18 770 Agency: Department of Health and Human Services, National Institutes of Health Category: Environment, Health Funding Amount: $100,000 |
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