Solicitation of Assays for High Throughput Screening (HTS) to Discover Chemical Probes (R01) | Apply Online

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) - NIH FOA PAR 12-058

What is the funding opportunity PAR 12-058?

PAR 12-058 is an NIH Funding Opportunity Announcement titled "Solicitation of Assays for High Throughput Screening (HTS) to Discover Chemical Probes (R01)." It supports R01 research projects focused on building or adapting assays so they are ready for large-scale high throughput screening, with the goal of discovering small molecules that function as chemical probes.

What is the main goal of this FOA?

The main goal is to enable the discovery of chemical probes by funding projects that produce assays suitable for large-scale HTS campaigns. The intent is not general exploratory research, but practical assay development/adaptation that can be executed at scale to generate screening outputs and probe candidates.

What type of grant mechanism is used?

This opportunity uses the NIH R01 mechanism, which is intended for substantial, multi-year research projects with defined aims, a coherent research plan, and clear deliverables.

What kinds of collaborations does NIH emphasize for PAR 12-058?

A major emphasis is on strong, practical collaborations between investigators and experienced HTS centers. The FOA prioritizes partnerships with established academic, nonprofit, or commercial HTS facilities that already have the tools, staff expertise, and operational track record to run HTS campaigns efficiently and reliably.

What does "high throughput screening (HTS)" mean in the context of this FOA?

Within this FOA, HTS refers to large-scale screening campaigns run by capable screening centers. The funded work is expected to result in assays that are ready to be executed at scale, producing outputs that can directly support the discovery of small molecules as chemical probes.

What is meant by a "chemical probe" here?

Chemical probes are small molecules intended to serve as research tools. They are described as high-value molecules used to study biology relevant to disease by enabling precise interrogation of pathways, proteins, or cellular processes. They are not framed as finished drugs in this FOA.

Is this FOA intended to fund drug development?

No. The FOA frames the sought-after small molecules as chemical probes for research use rather than as completed drug products. The focus is on tools that help researchers test biological hypotheses and understand disease-relevant mechanisms.

What is the scientific purpose of funding assay development for HTS?

The FOA describes two primary scientific aims: (1) accelerate discovery and development of novel small molecules that can be used as research tools to study disease-relevant biology; and (2) drive the discovery of new biological targets or help validate targets that are still uncertain, to clarify disease mechanisms.

What kinds of project outcomes does NIH appear to expect?

Projects are expected to produce assays and screening outputs that can lead directly to chemical probe discovery. The outputs should either reveal new targets worth pursuing or strengthen evidence that a target is important in a disease process.

What makes an assay concept competitive under this FOA (based on the description provided)?

The FOA emphasizes assays that are both HTS-executable and biologically informative. Competitive concepts are described as those where an HTS-ready assay can open underexplored areas of disease biology, enable a new way to measure target activity or pathway behavior, or support identification of probes that can be broadly shared and used by the research community.

Does the FOA prioritize biological significance as well as technical feasibility?

Yes. The announcement emphasizes that the assay should not only be technically feasible for HTS but also strategically chosen and capable of delivering genuinely new insight into meaningful disease targets and biological processes.

How broad is the scientific scope of PAR 12-058?

The scope is intentionally broad and tied to a wide set of NIH mission areas, reflected by many CFDA program numbers. The description spans cancer research (including prevention, diagnosis, treatment, biology, and control), mental health, alcohol and drug abuse, arthritis and musculoskeletal/skin diseases, diabetes/digestive/kidney diseases, aging, child health and human development, vision research, deafness and communication disorders, and broader biomedical research and research training.

Does an application need to fit a specific disease area to be eligible?

The description indicates the scope is broad; the key requirement is that the assay and probe discovery effort aligns with the missions of participating NIH Institutes and plausibly impacts disease-relevant biology.

What kinds of organizations are eligible to apply?

Eligibility is broad and includes public and private institutions of higher education; nonprofit organizations (both 501(c)(3) and non-501(c)(3)); for-profit organizations; small businesses; state and local governments; tribal governments and tribally controlled organizations; public housing authorities; independent school districts; and other regional or special district entities.

Are small businesses eligible?

Yes. Small businesses are explicitly listed among eligible organization types.

Are for-profit organizations eligible?

Yes. For-profit organizations are included among eligible applicants (with small businesses also listed as eligible).

Are nonprofit organizations eligible?

Yes. The FOA includes nonprofit organizations, including 501(c)(3) and non-501(c)(3) entities.

Are government entities eligible to apply?

Yes. The FOA lists state governments, local governments, tribal governments, tribally controlled organizations, public housing authorities, independent school districts, and other regional or special district entities as eligible.

Are foreign (non-U.S.) organizations eligible?

Yes. The FOA explicitly allows non-U.S. (foreign) institutions to apply. It also allows non-U.S. components of U.S. organizations and permits foreign components as defined by NIH policy.

Are institutions such as HBCUs and Hispanic-serving institutions highlighted as eligible?

Yes. The FOA highlights eligibility for a range of mission-driven and capacity-building institutions and organizations, including HBCUs, Hispanic-serving institutions, Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian-serving institutions, tribally controlled colleges and universities, and faith-based or community-based organizations, as well as U.S. territories or possessions.

Is cost sharing or matching required?

No. The FOA states there is no cost sharing or matching requirement.

Who is the sponsoring agency?

The sponsoring agency is the National Institutes of Health (NIH).

When was this FOA posted?

The opportunity record indicates it was posted on December 13, 2011.

Is PAR 12-058 currently open?

Based on the dates provided, it appears to be an older, archived announcement rather than an open solicitation today. The record shows a current closing date of July 17, 2014, an original closing date of September 7, 2014, and an archive date of August 17, 2014.

Where can applicants find the original FOA document?

The FOA is referenced through the NIH Grants Guide link. NIH's Office of Extramural Research (OER) is also referenced as providing webmaster contact emails for access or linking issues.

What is the overall "best understood" intent of this FOA?

The FOA is best understood as a targeted push to turn biologically meaningful ideas into HTS-executable assays that can yield high-quality chemical probes. It is built around collaboration with proven screening facilities and prioritizes assay/probe efforts that illuminate disease mechanisms, validate or uncover targets, and provide tools useful to the broader research community.