Nanoscience and Nanotechnology in Biology and Medicine (R21) | Apply Online

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

What is the Nanoscience and Nanotechnology in Biology and Medicine (R21) opportunity (PA-11-149)?

It is a National Institutes of Health (NIH) discretionary funding opportunity that uses the NIH R21 mechanism to support exploratory and developmental research applying nanoscience and nanotechnology to challenges in biology and medicine. The program is designed to spark new, high-impact work that could open up new directions in biomedical science.

What is the main goal of this program?

The core aim is to support cutting-edge projects at the nanoscale that can improve how diseases and traumatic injuries are diagnosed, treated, and managed, while also enabling foundational advances that deepen understanding of biology and medicine.

Is this funding opportunity focused on a specific disease area?

No. The opportunity is intentionally broad and disease-agnostic, based on the idea that nanoscale approaches can be relevant across many body systems and clinical problems.

What kinds of research does the FOA encourage?

The FOA encourages research that engineers bioactive nanoscale structures, processes, and systems grounded in improved understanding of nanoscale biology. This includes both translational applications and foundational/enabling research that advances relevant understanding in biology and medicine.

Does the FOA support translational or clinical-leaning projects?

Yes. Examples described include nanotechnology-enabled diagnostics, therapeutics, delivery systems, imaging strategies, and monitoring platforms, as long as they fit the FOA's nanoscience/nanotechnology focus and biomedical relevance.

Can applicants propose foundational or tool-building work rather than a direct clinical application?

Yes. The FOA explicitly supports projects that create or improve nanoscience-based tools and methods, including new nanoscale measurement methods, devices, concepts, or analytical tools that reveal previously inaccessible aspects of basic biology, as long as they advance understanding relevant to biology and medicine.

What does using the NIH R21 mechanism imply for the type of project?

The R21 mechanism is geared toward exploratory and developmental work rather than fully mature, incremental studies. This FOA welcomes early-stage ideas where preliminary data may be limited, including technically risky approaches that could yield outsized scientific or biomedical payoff.

Does the program welcome high-risk, high-reward ideas?

Yes. The FOA specifically welcomes novel approaches that may be technically risky but could produce high impact, and it encourages discovery research that could launch entirely new areas of investigation.

Who is the sponsoring agency?

The sponsoring agency is the National Institutes of Health (NIH).

What is the maximum award amount (award ceiling) listed for this opportunity?

The award ceiling is stated as $200,000.

Is cost sharing or matching required?

No. The opportunity states there is no cost sharing or matching requirement.

When was this funding opportunity posted, created, and archived?

It was posted March 14, 2011, created March 25, 2011, and later archived June 7, 2014.

What were the closing dates for this FOA?

The information provided lists an original closing date of May 17, 2014, and a current closing date of May 7, 2014.

Where can the full announcement be found?

The full announcement is available through the NIH Grants Guide at http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/pa-files/PA-11-149.html (as listed in the source information).

Who is eligible to apply?

Eligibility is broad and includes many types of U.S.-based applicants. Eligible applicants include public and state-controlled institutions of higher education, private institutions of higher education, nonprofit organizations (including 501(c)(3) and non-501(c)(3) entities outside higher education), for-profit organizations (including small businesses and other for-profits), and various government entities.

Which government entities are listed as eligible?

Examples listed include state governments, county governments, city or township governments, special district governments, independent school districts, and public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities.

Are small businesses or for-profit organizations eligible?

Yes. For-profit organizations are listed as eligible, including small businesses and other for-profit entities.

Are faith-based and community-based organizations eligible?

Yes. Faith-based and community-based organizations are explicitly highlighted among eligible applicants.

Are minority-serving institutions and tribal entities included in the eligibility description?

Yes. The FOA highlights eligibility for organizations such as Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), Hispanic-Serving Institutions, Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian Serving Institutions, and Tribally Controlled Colleges and Universities (TCCUs). It also references federally recognized Native American tribal governments and other tribal organizations.

Are U.S. territories or possessions eligible?

Yes. The eligibility description includes U.S. territories or possessions.

Can non-U.S. (foreign) organizations apply?

No. Non-domestic (non-U.S./foreign) organizations are not eligible to apply.

Are foreign components of U.S. organizations allowed?

No. Foreign components of U.S. organizations are not allowed.

How broad is the scientific scope across NIH mission areas?

The FOA is aligned with a wide span of NIH mission areas, reflected by multiple CFDA numbers associated with domains such as environmental health, oral health, human genome research, communication disorders, alcohol and drug abuse research, technology innovation for human health, nursing research, cardiovascular disease, musculoskeletal and skin diseases, neuroscience and neurological disorders, allergy/immunology/transplantation, infectious diseases, child health and human development, aging, and vision research.

What does it mean that the program is "disease-agnostic" but tied to many CFDA areas?

Based on the description provided, it means the opportunity is not confined to a single disease or organ system. Instead, it is intended to catalyze nanoscience-driven advances across many biomedical fields that fall within the broader NIH mission areas listed.

What is the central scientific theme emphasized in the FOA?

A central theme is that biology is fundamentally nanoscale, and that improved tools and engineering at that scale can drive new medical innovation. The FOA encourages proposals grounded in improved understanding of nanoscale biology.

Who should be contacted for technical issues accessing the announcement?

For difficulties accessing the full announcement electronically or problems linking to the funding notice, the listed contact is the NIH Office of Extramural Research (OER) Webmaster at FBOWebmaster@OD.NIH.GOV.