Opportunity Information: Apply for RFA GM 12 003
Apply for RFA GM 12 003
- The National Institutes of Health in the health sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "NIGMS Centers for HIV/AIDS Related Structural Biology (P50)" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 93.859 Biomedical Research and Research Training.
- This funding opportunity was created on Sep 9, 2011 and posted on Sep 9, 2011.
- Applicants must submit their applications by Jan 6, 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 $20,000,000.00 to eligible and selected applicants.
- Eligible applicants include: Small businesses County governments Private institutions of higher education State governments Native American tribal organizations (other than Federally recognized tribal governments) For profit organizations other than small businesses City or township governments Special district governments Nonprofits that do not have a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education Native American tribal governments (Federally recognized) Public and State controlled institutions of higher education Nonprofits having a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education Independent school districts Public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification).
- Other Eligible Applicants include the following Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian Serving Institutions Eligible Agencies of the Federal Government Faith based or Community based Organizations Hispanic serving Institutions Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) Indian/Native American Tribal Governments (Other than Federally Recognized) Regional Organizations Tribally Controlled Colleges and Universities (TCCUs) U.S. Territory or Possession Non domestic (non U.S.) Entities (Foreign Institutions) are not eligible to apply. Non domestic (non U.S.) components of U.S. Organizations are not eligible to apply. Foreign components, as defined in the NIH Grants Policy Statement, are allowed as participating projects or cores of the Center, but NOT as recipients of collaborative development program awards.
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Opportunity Summary:
The NIGMS Centers for HIV/AIDS Related Structural Biology (P50) funding opportunity (RFA-GM-12-003) was a National Institutes of Health discretionary grant program run by the National Institute of General Medical Sciences (NIGMS). Its central aim was to build and support multi-project research Centers focused on high-impact structural biology questions in HIV/AIDS, specifically the structure determination and dynamic characterization of large macromolecular complexes. In practical terms, NIGMS was looking for Center applications that could bring together teams, technologies, and shared resources to reveal how HIV proteins assemble, how they interact with one another, how they engage host-cell factors, and how these interactions change over time, across functional states, or in response to perturbations. The emphasis on both “structure†and “dynamics†signals that applications were expected to go beyond static snapshots and address motions, conformational changes, and mechanistic transitions that are often essential to viral replication and host interaction.
The scientific scope targeted macromolecular complexes “among and between†viral and host components. That wording matters because it encourages work on multi-component assemblies rather than isolated proteins. Examples of the kinds of systems that would fit the spirit of the announcement include HIV protein-protein or protein-nucleic acid complexes, viral enzymatic machines and their substrates, and interface complexes where HIV components bind or remodel host-cell machinery. The overall goal is foundational, generalizable biology: by understanding the architecture and moving parts of these complexes, researchers can clarify mechanisms that underlie HIV infection and replication, identify vulnerable interaction surfaces, and generate structural frameworks that can guide future inhibitor design or functional experiments. Since the program was housed at NIGMS, the focus is strongly aligned with fundamental mechanistic insight and enabling capabilities, not just applied product development.
As a P50 Center mechanism, the opportunity was designed for coordinated, center-style research rather than a single independent project. P50 awards typically support multiple integrated research projects plus shared cores that provide key technologies, services, or expertise across the Center. In the context of HIV-related structural biology, that often implies shared core functions like protein expression and purification, biophysical characterization, data collection pipelines, high-end instrumentation access, computational modeling and analysis, and potentially coordination functions for sample handling, quality control, and collaboration. The Center format also encourages tight scientific integration: projects are expected to inform one another, share resources, and collectively attack questions that are hard to solve within one lab’s scope.
From an administrative and eligibility standpoint, the announcement listed a wide range of eligible applicant organizations across academia, nonprofit, for-profit, and government entities. Eligible applicants included public and private institutions of higher education, nonprofits (including both 501(c)(3) and certain non-501(c)(3) categories), small businesses, and various levels of government (state, county, city/township, special district), as well as tribal governments and tribally controlled institutions. The eligibility language also explicitly included a number of institution types commonly referenced in federal funding, such as Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), Hispanic-serving institutions, Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian-serving institutions, and faith-based or community-based organizations, along with U.S. territories or possessions and regional organizations. At the same time, the opportunity made clear that non-U.S. (foreign) institutions were not eligible to apply as the primary applicant, and non-U.S. components of U.S. organizations were also not eligible to apply. However, foreign components (as defined in NIH policy) could participate as part of Center projects or cores, while being restricted from receiving collaborative development program awards mentioned in the announcement, reflecting NIH’s common approach of allowing certain international scientific contributions while keeping the main award and specific sub-program funds domestically anchored.
Financially, the opportunity listed an estimated total funding level of $20,000,000 and specified no cost sharing or matching requirement, which is consistent with NIH’s typical approach for research grants. The program fell under the NIH CFDA number 93.859 (Biomedical Research and Research Training), situating it within NIH’s broader biomedical research support portfolio. The funding instrument type was a grant, and the activity category was health, aligning with the biomedical and public health relevance of HIV/AIDS while still emphasizing the structural and mechanistic biology mission of NIGMS.
Timing information in the source indicates the opportunity was posted on September 9, 2011, with an original and current closing date of January 6, 2012, and an archive date of February 6, 2012. That means it was a time-limited solicitation rather than an open-ended standing program announcement, which is typical for RFAs that aim to stimulate a targeted research area or build a specific set of Centers. For applicants at the time, the solicitation would have been the governing document for required Center structure, review criteria, expected components, and any program-specific features such as developmental funds or collaboration incentives.
For additional details, the announcement referenced the NIH grants page link (http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/rfa-files/RFA-GM-12-003.html). It also provided contact points through the NIH Office of Extramural Research webmaster for access or linking issues, which is standard for archived NIH funding announcements.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What is the NIGMS Centers for HIV/AIDS Related Structural Biology (P50) opportunity?
It was a National Institutes of Health (NIH) discretionary grant program run by the National Institute of General Medical Sciences (NIGMS) to build and support multi-project research Centers focused on HIV/AIDS-related structural biology. The specific funding opportunity is RFA-GM-12-003, using the P50 Center mechanism.
What was the central scientific aim of this program?
The central aim was to support high-impact structural biology research in HIV/AIDS, specifically the structure determination and dynamic characterization of large macromolecular complexes. The intent was to enable Center applications that could reveal how HIV proteins assemble, interact with each other, engage host-cell factors, and how those interactions change over time or across functional states.
What does the emphasis on both "structure" and "dynamics" mean for proposed research?
The emphasis indicates that the program expected work that goes beyond static structural snapshots. Applications were expected to address motions, conformational changes, and mechanistic transitions that are important for viral replication and host interaction.
What kinds of biological systems were within the targeted scope?
The scope targeted macromolecular complexes "among and between" viral and host components. This favors multi-component assemblies rather than isolated proteins and includes systems such as HIV protein-protein complexes, protein-nucleic acid complexes, viral enzymatic machines with substrates, and complexes at interfaces where HIV components bind or remodel host-cell machinery.
Was the program focused on basic science or product development?
The focus was strongly aligned with fundamental mechanistic insight and enabling capabilities (consistent with NIGMS), rather than being oriented toward applied product development.
Why was this offered as a P50 Center mechanism instead of a single-project grant?
The P50 mechanism is designed for coordinated, center-style research. It typically supports multiple integrated research projects along with shared cores that provide key technologies, services, or expertise across the Center, enabling coordinated approaches to problems that are difficult for a single lab to solve alone.
What does a multi-project Center typically include under this opportunity?
Based on the Center model described, a typical Center would include multiple integrated projects plus shared cores. In HIV-related structural biology, shared cores could include functions such as protein expression and purification, biophysical characterization, data collection pipelines, access to high-end instrumentation, computational modeling and analysis, and coordination for sample handling, quality control, and collaboration.
What types of research questions was NIGMS trying to enable through Centers?
The program aimed to enable teams, technologies, and shared resources to clarify how HIV macromolecular complexes are built and function, how viral and host components interact, and how interactions shift across functional states or in response to perturbations. The broader goal was to provide foundational structural frameworks that clarify mechanisms and can guide future inhibitor design or functional experiments.
Who was eligible to apply as an applicant organization?
The announcement listed a wide range of eligible applicant organizations across academia, nonprofit, for-profit, and government entities. Eligibility included public and private institutions of higher education, nonprofits (including 501(c)(3) and certain non-501(c)(3) categories), small businesses, and various levels of government (state, county, city/township, special district), as well as tribal governments and tribally controlled institutions. The eligibility language also explicitly referenced institution types such as HBCUs, Hispanic-serving institutions, Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian-serving institutions, and faith-based or community-based organizations, as well as U.S. territories or possessions and regional organizations.
Were non-U.S. (foreign) institutions eligible to apply as the primary applicant?
No. The opportunity stated that non-U.S. (foreign) institutions were not eligible to apply as the primary applicant.
Could non-U.S. components of U.S. organizations apply?
No. The opportunity indicated that non-U.S. components of U.S. organizations were also not eligible to apply.
Could foreign components participate in Center projects or cores?
Yes. The opportunity stated that foreign components (as defined in NIH policy) could participate as part of Center projects or cores, but they were restricted from receiving collaborative development program awards mentioned in the announcement.
What was the estimated total funding level for this opportunity?
The opportunity listed an estimated total funding level of $20,000,000.
Was cost sharing or matching required?
No. The opportunity specified that there was no cost sharing or matching requirement.
What CFDA number was associated with this program?
The program fell under NIH CFDA number 93.859 (Biomedical Research and Research Training).
What type of funding instrument and activity category were used?
The funding instrument type was a grant, and the activity category was health.
When was the opportunity posted and when did it close?
It was posted on September 9, 2011. The original and current closing date was January 6, 2012. The archive date was February 6, 2012.
Is this a standing/open opportunity or a time-limited solicitation?
It was a time-limited solicitation (an RFA), as indicated by the fixed closing date and archive date.
Where can the original announcement be found for full details?
The opportunity referenced the NIH grants page link: http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/rfa-files/RFA-GM-12-003.html
Who was listed as a contact for access or linking issues?
The announcement provided contact points through the NIH Office of Extramural Research webmaster for access or linking issues, which is standard for archived NIH funding announcements.
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