Opportunity Information: Apply for RFA RM 12 011
Apply for RFA RM 12 011
- The National Institutes of Health in the health sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Reference Profiles of Human Extracellular RNA (U01)" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 93.310 Trans NIH Research Support.
- This funding opportunity was created on Aug 3, 2012 and posted on Aug 3, 2012.
- Applicants must submit their applications by Nov 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 $4,000,000.00 to eligible and selected applicants.
- Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $700,000.00 in funding.
- Eligible applicants include: Special district governments State governments Small businesses For profit organizations other than small businesses Independent school districts City or township governments Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification) Native American tribal organizations (other than Federally recognized tribal governments) Nonprofits that do not have 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 Native American tribal governments (Federally recognized) Nonprofits having a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education County governments Public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities.
- 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 grant opportunity "Reference Profiles of Human Extracellular RNA (U01)" (Funding Opportunity Number RFA-RM-12-011) is a discretionary, cooperative agreement mechanism designed to build foundational reference profiles of non-coding, regulatory extracellular RNAs (exRNA) found in healthy humans. The central goal is to generate well-characterized baseline exRNA signatures from normal human biofluids, creating a reference point that the broader research community can later use to interpret changes associated with disease, physiology, or environmental factors. The emphasis on "reference profiles" signals that the work is meant to be broadly enabling and standards-oriented, rather than focused on testing a specific disease hypothesis.
The FOA is specifically targeted to human sample research and makes clear that studies based on animals or other non-human disease models are not responsive. Applicants are expected to work with healthy human specimens and to profile extracellular RNA species that circulate or are shed into body fluids. The announcement highlights blood as a primary source but also explicitly includes a wide range of additional fluids, such as saliva, urine, breast milk, semen, amniotic fluid, cerebrospinal fluid, ascites, and pleural effusions. By including both commonly collected fluids (blood, urine, saliva) and more specialized clinical fluids (CSF, amniotic fluid, effusions), the FOA is effectively encouraging development of reference datasets that capture multiple biological compartments and collection contexts.
A notable feature of the announcement is its encouragement to use existing human biospecimen collections. This reflects a preference for leveraging already-assembled cohorts and biobanks where sample handling, donor metadata, and longitudinal or demographic coverage may already exist, potentially improving statistical power and diversity while reducing the time and cost associated with new recruitment. It also suggests that rigor around pre-analytical variables (how samples were collected, processed, stored, and shipped) and associated annotation is likely to be important, because these factors can strongly influence extracellular RNA measurements and the reliability of reference profiles.
The award uses the U01 cooperative agreement mechanism, which typically means substantial NIH programmatic involvement compared with standard investigator-initiated grants. In practice, this often implies coordination with NIH staff and possibly with other awardees to align methods, data standards, quality control practices, and sharing expectations so that resulting reference profiles are consistent and broadly usable. The funding instrument type listed is a cooperative agreement, and the activity category is health, with CFDA number 93.310 (Trans-NIH Research Support), indicating that the effort is positioned as a cross-cutting, infrastructure-like initiative rather than confined to a single institute mission area.
In terms of funding scale and limits, the FOA lists an estimated total funding level of $4,000,000 and an award ceiling of $700,000. There is no cost-sharing or matching requirement. These figures suggest an intent to support multiple awards or multiple coordinated projects that collectively cover different biofluids, platforms, and analytic approaches while staying within a defined per-award budget cap. The opportunity was posted on August 3, 2012, with an original and current closing date of November 13, 2012, and an archive date of December 14, 2012, meaning it was a time-limited solicitation and is now closed.
Eligibility is broad and includes many types of domestic applicants, such as state, local, county, and special district governments; public and private institutions of higher education; nonprofit organizations (including those with and without 501(c)(3) status, with exceptions noted for higher education); independent school districts; public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities; small businesses and other for-profit organizations. The FOA also explicitly allows foreign participation: non-U.S. entities (foreign institutions) may apply, and foreign components of U.S. organizations are allowed, consistent with NIH policy definitions. It further calls out a range of mission- and community-oriented eligible applicants, including faith-based or community-based organizations, HBCUs, Hispanic-serving institutions, tribally controlled colleges and universities, Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian-serving institutions, regional organizations, U.S. territories or possessions, and eligible federal agencies.
Overall, the opportunity is best understood as an NIH-led effort to create standardized, high-quality baseline datasets for extracellular non-coding RNAs across multiple healthy human biofluids, with a strong preference for using existing biospecimens and a strict restriction to human samples. The expected outcome is a set of reference profiles that can serve as a benchmark for future biomarker discovery, mechanistic studies of intercellular communication, and clinical translation efforts where deviations from healthy exRNA patterns may prove informative. For full details, the FOA points applicants to the archived announcement at http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/rfa-files/RFA-RM-12-011.html and provides NIH Office of Extramural Research webmaster contact information for access or linking issues.
FAQs: NIH "Reference Profiles of Human Extracellular RNA (U01)" (RFA-RM-12-011)
What is the official title and funding opportunity number for this NIH grant?
The opportunity is titled "Reference Profiles of Human Extracellular RNA (U01)" and the Funding Opportunity Number is RFA-RM-12-011.
What is the main purpose of this funding opportunity?
The central purpose is to build foundational, well-characterized reference profiles of non-coding, regulatory extracellular RNAs (exRNA) found in healthy humans. These baseline signatures are intended to serve as a reference point the broader research community can use later to interpret changes associated with disease, physiology, or environmental factors.
What does the emphasis on "reference profiles" mean for the type of research NIH is seeking?
It indicates the work is meant to be broadly enabling and standards-oriented, rather than focused on testing a specific disease hypothesis. The goal is to produce consistent, high-quality baseline datasets that others can use for comparison in future studies.
What type of samples are required for this FOA?
The FOA is specifically targeted to human sample research using healthy human specimens. Studies based on animals or other non-human disease models are explicitly described as not responsive.
Are disease-focused studies responsive to this FOA?
The FOA description emphasizes generating baseline exRNA signatures from normal human biofluids as a community reference. The focus is on healthy human reference profiles rather than testing a particular disease hypothesis.
What is extracellular RNA (exRNA) in the context of this announcement?
In this FOA, exRNA refers to extracellular RNA species, including non-coding, regulatory RNAs, that circulate in or are shed into body fluids (biofluids). The project aim is to profile these extracellular RNA species in healthy humans to establish baseline signatures.
Which human biofluids are specifically mentioned as relevant sources for exRNA profiling?
The announcement highlights blood as a primary source and also explicitly includes saliva, urine, breast milk, semen, amniotic fluid, cerebrospinal fluid, ascites, and pleural effusions.
Is the opportunity limited to common biofluids like blood and urine?
No. While blood is highlighted and commonly collected fluids such as urine and saliva are included, the FOA also names specialized clinical fluids such as cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), amniotic fluid, and effusions (including pleural effusions), as well as ascites.
Does the FOA encourage using existing biospecimen collections?
Yes. A notable feature is the encouragement to use existing human biospecimen collections, including already-assembled cohorts and biobanks.
Why does the FOA place value on using existing cohorts or biobanks?
Based on the description provided, using existing collections may improve statistical power and diversity and reduce the time and cost associated with new recruitment. It also implies that sample handling and donor metadata may already exist, which can strengthen the resulting reference datasets.
What kinds of sample handling details appear important for this program?
The opportunity suggests that rigor around pre-analytical variables is likely to be important. Examples mentioned include how samples were collected, processed, stored, and shipped, along with associated annotation, because these factors can strongly influence extracellular RNA measurements and the reliability of reference profiles.
What funding mechanism is used for this opportunity?
This FOA uses the U01 cooperative agreement mechanism.
What does a U01 cooperative agreement generally imply about NIH involvement?
The description indicates that a U01 typically includes substantial NIH programmatic involvement compared with standard investigator-initiated grants. In practice, this can involve coordination with NIH staff and possibly other awardees to align methods, data standards, quality control practices, and sharing expectations so outputs are consistent and broadly usable.
What is the funding instrument type and activity category?
The funding instrument type is a cooperative agreement and the activity category is health.
What CFDA number is associated with this program, and what does it suggest?
The CFDA number listed is 93.310 (Trans-NIH Research Support). The description suggests this positioning reflects a cross-cutting, infrastructure-like initiative rather than something limited to a single institute mission area.
How much funding is available in total, and what is the per-award limit?
The FOA lists an estimated total funding level of $4,000,000 and an award ceiling of $700,000.
Is cost sharing or matching required?
No. The FOA states there is no cost-sharing or matching requirement.
Does the funding level suggest multiple awards?
The description indicates that the total estimated funding level ($4,000,000) and the per-award ceiling ($700,000) suggest an intent to support multiple awards or coordinated projects that collectively cover different biofluids, platforms, and analytic approaches while staying within the per-award cap.
When was this opportunity posted, and what were the key dates?
The opportunity was posted on August 3, 2012. The original and current closing date was November 13, 2012. The archive date was December 14, 2012.
Is this funding opportunity currently open?
No. The dates provided indicate it was a time-limited solicitation and is now closed and archived.
Who is eligible to apply?
Eligibility is described as broad and includes domestic applicants such as state, local, county, and special district governments; public and private institutions of higher education; nonprofit organizations (including those with and without 501(c)(3) status, with exceptions noted for higher education); independent school districts; public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities; small businesses; and other for-profit organizations.
Are foreign institutions eligible to apply?
Yes. The FOA explicitly allows foreign participation: non-U.S. entities (foreign institutions) may apply, and foreign components of U.S. organizations are allowed, consistent with NIH policy definitions.
Are community-based, faith-based, and minority-serving institutions included in eligibility?
Yes. The eligibility language explicitly calls out faith-based or community-based organizations, HBCUs, Hispanic-serving institutions, tribally controlled colleges and universities, Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian-serving institutions, and regional organizations.
Are U.S. territories or possessions included as eligible applicants?
Yes. U.S. territories or possessions are explicitly listed among eligible applicants.
Are eligible federal agencies included?
Yes. The FOA lists eligible federal agencies among the eligible applicant types.
What is the expected outcome of projects funded under this FOA?
The expected outcome is a set of standardized, high-quality baseline datasets (reference profiles) for extracellular non-coding RNAs across multiple healthy human biofluids, suitable for broad use as benchmarks in future work.
How might the resulting reference profiles be used by the broader research community?
As described, these reference profiles can serve as a benchmark for future biomarker discovery, mechanistic studies of intercellular communication, and clinical translation efforts where deviations from healthy exRNA patterns may be informative.
Where can applicants find the full archived announcement?
The FOA points to the archived announcement at: http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/rfa-files/RFA-RM-12-011.html
Who is listed as a point of contact for access or linking issues?
The FOA provides NIH Office of Extramural Research webmaster contact information for access or linking issues.
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