Opportunity Information: Apply for RFA AI 15 033
Apply for RFA AI 15 033
- The National Institutes of Health in the health sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Partnerships for the Development of Novel Assays to Predict Vaccine Efficacy (R01)" 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 Jun 9, 2015 and posted on Jun 9, 2015.
- Applicants must submit their applications by Sep 30, 2015. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
- The funding agency has allocated a total of $6,300,000.00 to eligible and selected applicants.
- Eligible applicants include: Nonprofits having a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education Native American tribal governments (Federally recognized) State governments Native American tribal organizations (other than Federally recognized tribal governments) Independent school districts Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification) Public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities Small businesses Public and State controlled 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 City or township governments Special district governments County governments.
- Other Eligible Applicants include the following Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian Serving Institutions Asian American Native American Pacific Islander Serving Institutions (AANAPISISs) 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) Non domestic (non U.S.) Entities (Foreign Organizations) Regional Organizations Tribally Controlled Colleges and Universities (TCCUs) U.S. Territory or Possession.
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Opportunity Summary:
Partnerships for the Development of Novel Assays to Predict Vaccine Efficacy (R01) (Funding Opportunity Number RFA-AI-15-033) was a discretionary grant opportunity from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) aimed at improving how researchers evaluate vaccine candidates before they ever reach large, expensive human efficacy trials. The central goal of the announcement was to support projects that develop new, or substantially improve existing, preclinical assays that can better predict whether a specific investigational vaccine is likely to be effective in humans. In practical terms, NIH was looking for laboratory or animal-model-based testing approaches that provide stronger, more reliable signals of human protection than what was available at the time, helping to narrow down vaccine candidates earlier and reduce uncertainty as vaccines move through the development pipeline.
The scientific focus was explicitly on "preclinical assays to predict human efficacy" and the projects were expected to be tied to specific investigational vaccines rather than being purely general-purpose technology development without a clear vaccine application. The idea behind this emphasis is that many immune readouts (for example, antibody levels, neutralization, functional antibody activity, cellular immune responses, or other biomarkers) do not automatically translate into real-world protection, and different pathogens and vaccine platforms can require different correlates or mechanisms of protection. By funding assay development and refinement that is directly anchored to particular vaccine candidates, the program sought to produce tools that are more likely to be actionable for decision-making in vaccine R&D, such as selecting lead candidates, optimizing regimens, or designing subsequent clinical studies.
This opportunity used the R01 activity code, meaning it supported standard research project grants, and it fell under NIH health-related research priorities in Allergy and Infectious Diseases Research (CFDA 93.855) and Microbiology and Infectious Diseases Research (CFDA 93.856). The total estimated funding amount listed for the announcement was $6,300,000, and there was no cost sharing or matching requirement, which generally lowers barriers for applicants who might not have access to non-federal funds to meet a match.
Eligibility was broad and included a wide range of domestic and non-domestic organizations. Eligible applicants included public and private institutions of higher education, nonprofits (with and without 501(c)(3) status), for-profit organizations (including small businesses), state and local governments (including county, city/township, special districts, and independent school districts), tribal governments and tribal organizations, public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities, U.S. territories or possessions, and regional organizations. The eligibility description also explicitly referenced categories such as Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), Hispanic-Serving Institutions, Tribally Controlled Colleges and Universities (TCCUs), Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian Serving Institutions, and Asian American Native American Pacific Islander Serving Institutions (AANAPISIs), as well as faith-based or community-based organizations and eligible federal agencies. Importantly, foreign (non-U.S.) entities were also listed as eligible, which signals NIH interest in enabling collaborations and assay development capacity that may be located outside the United States, a common need in vaccine research where pathogens, cohorts, and specialized expertise can be global.
Key timeline details show that the announcement was posted and created on June 9, 2015, with an original and current closing date of September 30, 2015. The archive date was October 31, 2015, indicating it is no longer open and serves as a historical funding notice. For applicants at the time, the authoritative program details, requirements, and instructions were provided through the NIH Grants Guide link associated with the announcement (http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/rfa-files/RFA-AI-15-033.html). Administrative support contacts referenced the NIH Office of Extramural Research (OER) webmaster for access or linking issues.
Overall, this FOA reflects a targeted NIH investment in the "measurement problem" of vaccinology: the challenge of finding preclinical tests that meaningfully forecast whether an investigational vaccine will protect people. By encouraging assay development and improvement projects under an R01 mechanism and allowing broad institutional eligibility, the program was structured to bring together academic labs, industry groups, nonprofits, and potentially international partners to produce better predictive tools that can accelerate vaccine development and improve go/no-go decisions before entering late-stage clinical trials.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What is the name of this grant opportunity?
The opportunity is titled Partnerships for the Development of Novel Assays to Predict Vaccine Efficacy (R01).
What is the Funding Opportunity Number (FOA number)?
The Funding Opportunity Number is RFA-AI-15-033.
Which federal agency offered this opportunity?
This was a discretionary grant opportunity from the National Institutes of Health (NIH).
What is the main goal of the program?
The central goal was to support projects that develop new, or substantially improve existing, preclinical assays that can better predict whether a specific investigational vaccine is likely to be effective in humans, before vaccines move into large and expensive human efficacy trials.
What problem in vaccine development was this FOA trying to address?
The FOA targeted the challenge that many common immune readouts (such as antibody levels or cellular responses) do not automatically translate into real-world protection. It aimed to improve the ability to make earlier, more reliable go/no-go decisions and to reduce uncertainty before late-stage clinical testing.
What types of projects were expected to be responsive to the FOA?
Projects were expected to focus on preclinical assays to predict human efficacy and to be tied to specific investigational vaccines, rather than being purely general-purpose technology development without a clear vaccine application.
Does the FOA emphasize general assay platforms, or vaccine-specific assay development?
The FOA emphasized assay development and refinement that is directly anchored to particular vaccine candidates, with the intent that resulting tools are actionable for decisions such as lead selection, regimen optimization, or planning subsequent clinical studies.
What kinds of immune readouts or biomarkers were mentioned as examples?
Examples referenced include antibody levels, neutralization, functional antibody activity, cellular immune responses, and other biomarkers that might be evaluated as predictors of protection.
What grant mechanism (activity code) did this opportunity use?
This opportunity used the R01 activity code, meaning it supported standard NIH research project grants.
Which NIH research areas or CFDA programs did this relate to?
The FOA fell under NIH priorities in:
- Allergy and Infectious Diseases Research (CFDA 93.855)
- Microbiology and Infectious Diseases Research (CFDA 93.856)
How much total funding was estimated for the announcement?
The total estimated funding amount listed was $6,300,000.
Was cost sharing or matching required?
No. The announcement indicated there was no cost sharing or matching requirement.
Who was eligible to apply?
Eligibility was broad and included a wide range of domestic and non-domestic organizations, including:
- Public and private institutions of higher education
- Nonprofits (with and without 501(c)(3) status)
- For-profit organizations (including small businesses)
- State and local governments (including county, city/township, special districts, and independent school districts)
- Tribal governments and tribal organizations
- Public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities
- U.S. territories or possessions
- Regional organizations
- Eligible federal agencies
Were foreign (non-U.S.) organizations eligible?
Yes. The eligibility description explicitly indicated that foreign (non-U.S.) entities were eligible, supporting international participation and collaborations common in vaccine research.
Did the eligibility language specifically include minority-serving institutions?
Yes. The eligibility description explicitly referenced categories such as HBCUs, Hispanic-Serving Institutions, Tribally Controlled Colleges and Universities (TCCUs), Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian Serving Institutions, and AANAPISIs.
Were faith-based or community-based organizations included as eligible applicants?
Yes. The eligibility description explicitly referenced faith-based and community-based organizations as eligible.
When was the announcement posted?
The announcement was posted and created on June 9, 2015.
What was the closing date for applications?
The original and current closing date listed was September 30, 2015.
Is this funding opportunity still open?
No. The archive date was October 31, 2015, which indicates the opportunity is no longer open and is provided as a historical funding notice.
Where could applicants find the official FOA details and instructions?
The authoritative program details, requirements, and instructions were provided via the NIH Grants Guide link associated with the announcement:
http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/rfa-files/RFA-AI-15-033.html
Who was listed as a contact for access or linking issues?
Administrative support contacts referenced the NIH Office of Extramural Research (OER) webmaster for access or linking issues.
What types of vaccine development decisions was this program designed to inform?
By improving predictive preclinical assays, the program aimed to support decision-making such as selecting lead vaccine candidates, optimizing vaccine regimens, and designing subsequent clinical studies, with a focus on earlier stages before large human efficacy trials.
Why did NIH structure this as a partnership-oriented effort?
Based on the broad eligibility and the emphasis on improving predictive tools, the FOA was structured to bring together contributors across academia, industry, nonprofits, and potentially international partners to address the vaccinology "measurement problem" and accelerate vaccine development.
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