Opportunity Information: Apply for RFA HL 09 004
Apply for RFA HL 09 004
- The National Institutes of Health in the health sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "NHLBI Progenitor Cell Biology Consortium Research Hubs (U01)" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 93.837 Cardiovascular Diseases Research 93.839 Blood Diseases and Resources Research.
- This funding opportunity was created on Jan 30, 2009 and posted on Jan 30, 2009.
- Applicants must submit their applications by May 1, 2009. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
- The funding agency has allocated a total of $10,000,000.00 to eligible and selected applicants.
- Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $750,000.00 in funding.
- The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 6 candidate(s).
- Eligible applicants include: Nonprofits having a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education Private institutions of higher education Public and State controlled institutions of higher education Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification) Nonprofits that do not have a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education Small businesses State governments For profit organizations other than small businesses.
- Other Eligible Applicants include the following Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian Serving Institutions Eligible Agencies of the Federal Government Hispanic serving Institutions Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) Tribally Controlled Colleges and Universities (TCCUs) .
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Opportunity Summary:
The NHLBI Progenitor Cell Biology Consortium Research Hubs (U01) funding opportunity (RFA-HL-09-004) was a National Institutes of Health program designed to build a coordinated, team-based research network focused on progenitor cell biology as it relates to heart, lung, blood, and related diseases. The central aim was to accelerate progress in understanding progenitor cell lineages, learning how to reliably steer stem and progenitor cells into specific, desired cell fates, and developing practical strategies to overcome the scientific and translational hurdles that arise when these kinds of cells are transplanted. In other words, the program was not only about basic lineage and differentiation biology, but also about producing knowledge and approaches that can ultimately make progenitor-cell-based therapies more feasible and effective.
A defining feature of this opportunity was its hub-and-consortium structure. Rather than funding isolated single-project grants, NHLBI intended to create "virtual Research Hubs" made up of clusters of closely related projects that reinforce each other scientifically. Each Research Hub was expected to be multidisciplinary, bringing together investigators with complementary expertise (for example, stem cell biology, developmental biology, genomics, bioengineering, transplantation biology, immunology, imaging, or clinical/translational domains) to pursue a unified set of questions. Beyond the research projects themselves, the broader Consortium was also expected to include shared research support capabilities (core-like resources) and skills development components, indicating an emphasis on infrastructure, enabling technologies, training, and dissemination of methods within the network.
The application structure was unusually specific: a Research Hub application had to be submitted as a cluster of two to four synergistic applications, and each application within the cluster had to be derived from a separate R03 project that had been funded previously under RFA-HL-08-012. This requirement effectively meant that only teams already supported through that earlier R03 initiative could form and compete for a U01 hub, and it positioned the U01 program as a scale-up mechanism to expand promising pilot efforts into larger, coordinated projects. Within each cluster, one application had to be identified as the Lead PI/PD application, establishing a clear leadership point for coordinating the hub's overall direction, integration, and consortium participation.
The funding mechanism was a U01 cooperative agreement, which matters because cooperative agreements typically involve substantial scientific or programmatic involvement by NIH staff compared with a standard investigator-initiated grant. Practically, that implies that awardees would be expected to work closely with NHLBI, follow consortium policies, participate in collaborative governance and cross-hub activities, and contribute data, methods, or other deliverables in a way that supports the network's collective goals. The activity category was Health, and the program aligned with CFDA numbers 93.837 (Cardiovascular Diseases Research) and 93.839 (Blood Diseases and Resources Research), reflecting NHLBI's mission areas.
In terms of scale and competitiveness, NHLBI anticipated making about six awards, with an estimated total program funding level of about $10,000,000 and an award ceiling listed at $750,000. There was no cost-sharing or matching requirement. The opportunity was posted January 30, 2009, with an original and final closing date of May 1, 2009, and it was archived June 1, 2009, indicating it was a time-limited competition associated with a specific consortium build-out.
Eligibility was broad across academic, nonprofit, government, and private-sector entities. Eligible applicants included public and state-controlled institutions of higher education, private institutions of higher education, nonprofits with and without 501(c)(3) status (other than institutions of higher education), small businesses, state governments, and for-profit organizations other than small businesses, along with certain designated institution types such as HBCUs, Hispanic-serving institutions, tribally controlled colleges and universities, Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian Serving Institutions, and eligible federal agencies. This wide eligibility pool suggests NHLBI was open to assembling hubs that could combine strengths across sectors, as long as applicants met the program's specific requirement that each hub project be grounded in a prior, qualifying R03 award from the designated precursor RFA.
Overall, this FOA was essentially a second-stage, consortium-building investment: it sought to connect and expand previously funded exploratory R03 efforts into integrated research hubs, with NHLBI actively partnering through the U01 cooperative agreement model to drive collaboration, shared resources, and progress toward controlling progenitor cell fate and addressing transplantation-related barriers.
FAQs: NHLBI Progenitor Cell Biology Consortium Research Hubs (U01) (RFA-HL-09-004)
What is RFA-HL-09-004?
RFA-HL-09-004 was a National Institutes of Health (NIH), National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) funding opportunity for Progenitor Cell Biology Consortium Research Hubs using the U01 cooperative agreement mechanism.
What was the main purpose of this funding opportunity?
The program was designed to build a coordinated, team-based research network focused on progenitor cell biology in the context of heart, lung, blood, and related diseases. Its central aim was to accelerate progress in (1) understanding progenitor cell lineages, (2) learning how to reliably direct stem and progenitor cells into specific desired cell fates, and (3) developing practical strategies to overcome scientific and translational hurdles that arise when these cells are transplanted.
Was the program focused only on basic science?
No. While it included fundamental work on lineage and differentiation biology, the program also emphasized producing knowledge and approaches that can make progenitor-cell-based therapies more feasible and effective, particularly by addressing barriers relevant to transplantation.
What is meant by a "hub-and-consortium" structure?
Instead of funding isolated, single-project grants, NHLBI intended to create "virtual Research Hubs" made up of clusters of closely related projects that reinforce each other scientifically. Multiple hubs would then be linked together through a broader Consortium to support collaboration, shared capabilities, and coordinated progress.
What is a "virtual Research Hub" in this program?
A virtual Research Hub was a multidisciplinary team structure made up of a cluster of synergistic projects designed to pursue a unified set of questions in progenitor cell biology. "Virtual" indicates an organized networked collaboration rather than a single physical center.
How many applications had to be included in a single Research Hub submission?
A Research Hub application had to be submitted as a cluster of two to four synergistic applications.
Did the individual applications in a hub cluster have any special prerequisite?
Yes. Each application within the two-to-four-application cluster had to be derived from a separate R03 project that had been funded previously under RFA-HL-08-012.
What did the R03 prerequisite mean for who could apply?
It meant this U01 opportunity functioned as a scale-up mechanism: only teams already supported through the earlier R03 initiative (RFA-HL-08-012) could form and compete for a U01 Research Hub, because each hub component application had to be grounded in a prior qualifying R03 award.
Was there a leadership role required within the hub cluster?
Yes. Within each cluster, one application had to be identified as the Lead PI/PD application, establishing a clear leadership point for coordinating the hub's overall direction, integration, and participation in the Consortium.
What kinds of expertise were hubs expected to include?
Each Research Hub was expected to be multidisciplinary and bring together investigators with complementary expertise. Examples cited include stem cell biology, developmental biology, genomics, bioengineering, transplantation biology, immunology, imaging, and clinical/translational domains.
Were shared resources or infrastructure part of the expected program design?
Yes. Beyond the research projects, the broader Consortium was expected to include shared research support capabilities (core-like resources) and skills development components, emphasizing infrastructure, enabling technologies, training, and dissemination of methods across the network.
What funding mechanism was used and why does it matter?
The program used a U01 cooperative agreement. Cooperative agreements typically involve substantial scientific or programmatic involvement by NIH staff compared with a standard investigator-initiated grant, implying close interaction with NHLBI and active participation in consortium activities and policies.
What kinds of expectations come with a U01 cooperative agreement in this program?
Awardees would be expected to work closely with NHLBI, follow consortium policies, participate in collaborative governance and cross-hub activities, and contribute data, methods, or other deliverables that support the network's collective goals.
What research areas or diseases did the program align with?
The Consortium focus was progenitor cell biology as it relates to heart, lung, blood, and related diseases, consistent with NHLBI mission areas.
What was the activity category for this opportunity?
The activity category listed was Health.
What CFDA numbers were associated with this program?
The program aligned with CFDA 93.837 (Cardiovascular Diseases Research) and 93.839 (Blood Diseases and Resources Research).
How many awards did NHLBI anticipate making?
NHLBI anticipated making about six awards.
What was the estimated total program funding level?
The estimated total program funding level was about $10,000,000.
What was the award ceiling listed for this opportunity?
The award ceiling was listed at $750,000.
Was cost sharing or matching required?
No. There was no cost-sharing or matching requirement.
When was the opportunity posted and when did it close?
The opportunity was posted on January 30, 2009. The original and final closing date was May 1, 2009.
Is this funding opportunity still open?
No. The opportunity was archived on June 1, 2009, indicating it was a time-limited competition associated with a specific consortium build-out.
What types of organizations were eligible to apply?
Eligibility included a broad set of academic, nonprofit, government, and private-sector entities, including public and state-controlled institutions of higher education, private institutions of higher education, nonprofits with and without 501(c)(3) status (other than institutions of higher education), small businesses, state governments, and for-profit organizations other than small businesses, along with eligible federal agencies.
Were any specific institution types explicitly included as eligible?
Yes. The eligibility list explicitly included designated institution types such as HBCUs, Hispanic-serving institutions, tribally controlled colleges and universities, Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian Serving Institutions, among others included in the broad eligibility description.
Does broad organizational eligibility override the R03 prerequisite?
No. Even though organizational eligibility was broad, the program included the specific requirement that each hub project be grounded in a prior, qualifying R03 award from RFA-HL-08-012, which effectively constrained who could competitively apply.
How should this opportunity be understood in the broader NHLBI funding pipeline?
Based on the structure described, it functioned as a second-stage, consortium-building investment: it connected and expanded previously funded exploratory R03 efforts into integrated U01 research hubs, with NHLBI partnering through the cooperative agreement model to drive collaboration, shared resources, and progress toward controlling progenitor cell fate and addressing transplantation-related barriers.
Browse more opportunities from the same category: Health
Next opportunity: NHLBI Progenitor Cell Biology Consortium Administrative Coordinating Center (U01)
Previous opportunity: Pharmacogenomics Research Network (U01/U19)
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