Opportunity Information: Apply for RFA AI 12 020
Apply for RFA AI 12 020
- The National Institutes of Health in the health sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Partnerships for Interventions to Treat Chronic, Persistent and Latent Infections (R21/R33)" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 93.855 Allergy and Infectious Diseases Research 93.856 Microbiology and Infectious Diseases Research.
- This funding opportunity was created on Mar 15, 2012 and posted on Mar 15, 2012.
- Applicants must submit their applications by Jul 13, 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 $3,240,000.00 to eligible and selected applicants.
- Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $200,000.00 in funding.
- Eligible applicants include: Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification) State governments For profit organizations other than small businesses Nonprofits that do not have a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education Private institutions of higher education Native American tribal governments (Federally recognized) City or township governments Public and State controlled institutions of higher education Public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities Small businesses County governments Native American tribal organizations (other than Federally recognized tribal governments) Independent school districts Special district governments Nonprofits having a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education.
- 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 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 NIH funding opportunity titled "Partnerships for Interventions to Treat Chronic, Persistent and Latent Infections (R21/R33)" (Funding Opportunity Number RFA-AI-12-020) was designed to push forward basic and early-stage translational research aimed at a difficult and clinically important problem: how to eliminate infectious agents that do not fully clear from the body and instead persist in chronic, persistent, or latent forms. The central emphasis is on developing new intervention strategies that can actually clear these pathogens from the host, rather than only suppressing them or treating symptoms. Applications were expected to be tightly focused on a specific pathogen and to clearly define a real therapeutic gap or unmet need for that organism, then propose a research plan that directly addresses that need through innovative therapeutic concepts.
A key feature of the announcement is its "partnership" framing and its use of the R21/R33 phased innovation mechanism. In practical terms, this structure supports projects that start with a shorter, exploratory, higher-risk early phase (R21) and, if justified by milestones and progress, transition into a follow-on development phase (R33) intended to advance the work further along the translational path. The overall intent is to help investigators move beyond purely descriptive studies and toward intervention-oriented research that could plausibly lead to new therapeutic approaches for infections that are notoriously hard to eradicate because the pathogen can hide, remain dormant, or persist in protected reservoirs.
The opportunity was categorized as a discretionary grant program under the NIH, with activity falling under health-related research areas tied to allergy/immunology and infectious diseases. It was associated with CFDA numbers 93.855 (Allergy and Infectious Diseases Research) and 93.856 (Microbiology and Infectious Diseases Research). The program did not require cost sharing or matching funds, which generally lowers barriers for academic groups, small businesses, and nonprofit organizations that might not have large pools of unrestricted funds to commit.
From an eligibility standpoint, the FOA was broad and inclusive. Eligible applicants included many types of U.S. organizations and governmental entities, such as public and private institutions of higher education, nonprofits (including both 501(c)(3) and certain non-501(c)(3) organizations), small businesses and other for-profit entities (excluding those specifically restricted in the eligibility language), and a variety of government bodies (state, county, city/township, special districts), as well as public housing authorities and tribal governments/organizations. The eligibility language also explicitly noted categories often highlighted in federal research programs, including Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), Hispanic-Serving Institutions, Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian Serving Institutions, Tribally Controlled Colleges and Universities (TCCUs), faith-based or community-based organizations, regional organizations, U.S. territories or possessions, and eligible federal agencies. Importantly, non-U.S. entities were permitted to apply: foreign institutions were eligible, non-U.S. components of U.S. organizations could participate, and foreign components (as defined in NIH policy) were allowed. That flexibility suggests NIH was open to strong scientific teams regardless of geography, reflecting the global nature of persistent and latent infectious diseases and the value of international expertise and study populations.
In terms of funding scale and limits, the FOA listed an estimated total funding amount of $3,240,000 and an award ceiling of $200,000. Those figures indicate a program aimed at supporting multiple smaller, milestone-driven projects rather than a few large, long-term centers, consistent with the exploratory-to-developmental spirit of an R21/R33 initiative. The award ceiling signals that applicants needed to prioritize crisp, feasible experimental plans that could produce convincing proof-of-concept and set up a credible transition into the more advanced phase.
The timeline shows the announcement was posted and created on March 15, 2012, with an original and current closing date of July 13, 2012, and an archive date of August 13, 2012. In other words, this was a time-limited call with a single main submission window, which is typical of targeted RFAs intended to rapidly stimulate activity in a particular scientific area. The sponsoring agency was the National Institutes of Health, and the full announcement was hosted through the NIH grants guide (link provided in the source information). For technical access or linking issues, the FOA directed applicants to the NIH Office of Extramural Research (OER) webmaster contact.
Overall, this grant opportunity can be read as NIH signaling a clear priority: advancing therapeutic strategies that do more than manage chronic infections, aiming instead at true clearance of pathogens that persist or lie dormant. The program’s structure encouraged teams to define a concrete pathogen-specific therapeutic problem, propose an innovative intervention concept, and generate early translational data strong enough to justify progression into a more development-oriented phase, all within a funding framework intended to seed multiple high-impact efforts across the infectious disease landscape.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What is the title and funding opportunity number for this NIH grant?
The opportunity is titled "Partnerships for Interventions to Treat Chronic, Persistent and Latent Infections (R21/R33)" and the Funding Opportunity Number is RFA-AI-12-020.
What is the main purpose of this funding opportunity?
The purpose is to advance basic and early-stage translational research focused on eliminating infectious agents that persist in the body as chronic, persistent, or latent infections. The central emphasis is on developing intervention strategies designed to clear the pathogen from the host, rather than only suppressing the infection or treating symptoms.
What kinds of infections or pathogens are targeted by this FOA?
This FOA targets pathogens that do not fully clear from the body and instead remain in chronic, persistent, or latent forms. The description emphasizes infections that are difficult to eradicate because the pathogen can hide, remain dormant, or persist in protected reservoirs.
What is the scientific emphasis of the research proposed under this opportunity?
The emphasis is intervention-oriented work that moves beyond descriptive studies. Applications were expected to focus on innovative therapeutic concepts and to generate early translational evidence that could plausibly lead to new therapeutic approaches aimed at clearance of persistent or latent pathogens.
Does an application need to focus on a specific pathogen?
Yes. Applications were expected to be tightly focused on a specific pathogen, clearly define a therapeutic gap or unmet need for that organism, and propose a research plan that directly addresses that need.
What does "partnerships" mean in the context of this FOA?
The FOA is framed around "partnerships," signaling an interest in collaborative, intervention-focused efforts. The provided information does not define a required partnership structure, but the framing highlights a collaborative approach to developing and advancing intervention strategies.
What is the R21/R33 phased innovation mechanism?
The opportunity uses the R21/R33 phased innovation structure. It supports a shorter, exploratory, higher-risk early phase (R21) and, if milestones and progress justify it, a transition to a follow-on development phase (R33) intended to move the work further along the translational path.
How does the phased structure affect how a project should be planned?
Projects were intended to start with exploratory work in the R21 phase and, contingent on progress and milestones, transition into the R33 development phase. This implies applications should be milestone-driven and structured to produce convincing proof-of-concept data that supports moving to a more advanced development stage.
Is this opportunity aimed at basic research, translational research, or both?
Both. The FOA was designed to push forward basic and early-stage translational research, with a strong emphasis on intervention development that could plausibly lead to new therapeutic approaches.
What is meant by "clearing" the pathogen rather than suppressing it?
Clearing means developing interventions intended to eliminate the infectious agent from the host. This is contrasted with strategies that only suppress pathogen activity, manage chronic infection without eradication, or primarily treat symptoms.
What NIH research areas does this opportunity fall under?
The activity was tied to health-related research areas in allergy/immunology and infectious diseases.
What CFDA numbers are associated with this program?
The opportunity is associated with CFDA 93.855 (Allergy and Infectious Diseases Research) and 93.856 (Microbiology and Infectious Diseases Research).
Is cost sharing or matching required?
No. The program did not require cost sharing or matching funds.
What is the estimated total funding amount for this FOA?
The FOA listed an estimated total funding amount of $3,240,000.
What is the award ceiling listed in the opportunity?
The award ceiling listed is $200,000.
What do the funding levels suggest about the scope of proposed projects?
The estimated total funding and the award ceiling suggest the program was designed to support multiple smaller, milestone-driven projects. The ceiling also indicates applicants needed to prioritize focused, feasible plans suited to generating proof-of-concept results consistent with an exploratory-to-developmental R21/R33 approach.
Who is eligible to apply?
Eligibility was broad and included many U.S. organizations and governmental entities. Examples listed include public and private institutions of higher education; nonprofits (including 501(c)(3) and certain non-501(c)(3) organizations); small businesses and other for-profit entities (with the note that some may be excluded if specifically restricted by eligibility language); and government entities such as state, county, city/township, and special district governments. Public housing authorities and tribal governments/organizations were also included.
Are institutions serving specific communities explicitly included as eligible applicants?
Yes. The eligibility language explicitly noted categories commonly highlighted in federal research programs, including HBCUs, Hispanic-Serving Institutions, Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian Serving Institutions, Tribally Controlled Colleges and Universities (TCCUs), and faith-based or community-based organizations. It also noted regional organizations and U.S. territories or possessions.
Are federal agencies eligible to apply?
Yes. Eligible federal agencies were included in the eligibility language.
Are non-U.S. (foreign) entities allowed to apply?
Yes. Foreign institutions were eligible to apply. In addition, non-U.S. components of U.S. organizations could participate, and foreign components (as defined in NIH policy) were allowed.
What is the application deadline for this FOA?
The original and current closing date was July 13, 2012.
When was this funding opportunity posted and created?
The announcement was posted and created on March 15, 2012.
Is this a currently open opportunity?
Based on the provided dates, it was a time-limited call with a closing date of July 13, 2012, and it was archived on August 13, 2012.
When was the opportunity archived?
The archive date was August 13, 2012.
What type of grant program is this categorized as?
It was categorized as a discretionary grant program under the NIH.
Which agency sponsors this funding opportunity?
The sponsoring agency was the National Institutes of Health (NIH).
Where was the full announcement hosted?
The full announcement was hosted through the NIH grants guide (the source information notes a link was provided there).
Who should be contacted for technical access or linking issues related to the FOA?
For technical access or linking issues, the FOA directed applicants to the NIH Office of Extramural Research (OER) webmaster contact.
What kind of project approach was NIH trying to encourage with this FOA?
NIH was signaling a priority for projects that define a concrete, pathogen-specific therapeutic problem and propose an innovative intervention strategy aimed at true pathogen clearance. The R21/R33 structure was intended to help teams generate early translational data and, if warranted by milestones and progress, advance the work into a more development-oriented phase.
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