Opportunity Information: Apply for RFA HL 15 022
Apply for RFA HL 15 022
- The National Institutes of Health in the health sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Stem Cell Derived Blood Products for Therapeutic Use (R01)" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 93.839 Blood Diseases and Resources Research.
- This funding opportunity was created on Nov 7, 2014 and posted on Nov 7, 2014.
- Applicants must submit their applications by Feb 20, 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 $3,600,000.00 to eligible and selected applicants.
- Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $300,000.00 in funding.
- The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 8 candidate(s).
- Eligible applicants include: For profit organizations other than small businesses Small businesses City or township governments County governments Native American tribal organizations (other than Federally recognized tribal governments) Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification) Independent school districts Private 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 Public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities Nonprofits that do not have a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education Special district governments Public and State controlled institutions of higher education State 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 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.
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Opportunity Summary:
The NIH funding opportunity RFA-HL-15-022, titled "Stem Cell Derived Blood Products for Therapeutic Use (R01)," is focused on advancing the science needed to make stem cell-derived red blood cells and platelets practical therapeutic products. The central idea behind the program is that stem cell technology could eventually provide a nearly unlimited supply of safe, immune-matched blood components for patients, helping address shortages, compatibility challenges, and certain safety concerns associated with donated products. The FOA emphasizes that blood products without a nucleus, particularly red blood cells and platelets, may be among the earliest stem cell-based therapies to reach clinical use because they can face fewer regulatory complexities compared to nucleated cell therapies. Even so, the announcement makes it clear that major scientific gaps still exist, especially around how these cells differentiate and mature, and that solving those gaps is key to successful translation.
This R01 call is designed to support research that answers the remaining fundamental questions that limit reliable, scalable production of clinically useful stem cell-derived platelets and red blood cells. While groups have demonstrated that it is possible to generate large numbers of these cells, often by applying cellular engineering strategies, the NIH is pointing to the need for deeper basic and translational biology to understand and control the underlying processes. In practical terms, the FOA is aimed at projects that improve understanding of lineage commitment, differentiation pathways, maturation steps, and the biological bottlenecks that prevent efficient, consistent generation of functional end products. The goal is not only to show that cells can be produced, but to enable approaches that produce cells that are clinically relevant in function, quality, and reproducibility, which is what ultimately determines whether the technology can be used routinely for patient care.
The opportunity is offered as a discretionary grant under the R01 mechanism within the health funding activity category, associated with CFDA 93.839 (Blood Diseases and Resources Research). NIH anticipated making around eight awards, with an estimated total program funding level of about $3.6 million. The award ceiling listed is $300,000, and there is no cost sharing or matching requirement. The original posting date was November 7, 2014, with an application due date of February 20, 2015, and the announcement later archived on March 23, 2015. Although the dates indicate this particular FOA is no longer active, the summary reflects the intent and structure of the program as published.
Eligibility is broad and includes many types of U.S.-based applicants across academia, government, and the nonprofit and for-profit sectors. Eligible applicants include public and state-controlled institutions of higher education, private institutions of higher education, nonprofits (including 501(c)(3) and non-501(c)(3) organizations), for-profit organizations other than small businesses, and small businesses, along with various levels of government such as state governments, county governments, city or township governments, special district governments, and public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities. The eligibility language also explicitly includes a range of mission-driven and community-linked institutions and organizations, 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. Non-U.S. entities (foreign organizations and foreign institutions) are not eligible to apply directly, and non-U.S. components of U.S. organizations are also not eligible. However, foreign components, as defined under NIH policy, are allowed, meaning collaborations that include foreign work may be permissible if structured as a foreign component under a U.S. applicant organization and aligned with NIH requirements.
The FOA also notes that this academic/research-focused R01 opportunity is complemented by two companion announcements (RFA-HL-15-029 and RFA-HL-15-030) intended to support small business research. Those companion FOAs were meant to drive the development of improved techniques and tools that make production of functional, clinically relevant stem cell-derived red blood cells or platelets more efficient and cost-effective. Taken together, the structure signals an NIH strategy that pairs fundamental scientific problem-solving (under this R01) with tool-building and process innovation (through the small business mechanisms), with the shared end goal of accelerating translation of stem cell-derived blood products into real therapeutic use.
For applicants, the practical takeaway is that NIH was seeking projects that would move the field past proof-of-concept production and toward a more controllable, biology-informed manufacturing reality. The announcement frames the remaining barriers as scientific and technical issues around differentiation and maturation, and it positions research that clarifies these mechanisms as the key lever for achieving efficient production of clinically useful red blood cells and platelets. The sponsoring agency is the National Institutes of Health, and the full archived announcement was made available through the NIH grants guide at the link provided in the source material.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What is the NIH funding opportunity RFA-HL-15-022 about?
RFA-HL-15-022 is an NIH Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) titled "Stem Cell Derived Blood Products for Therapeutic Use (R01)." It focuses on advancing the science needed to make stem cell-derived red blood cells and platelets practical therapeutic products for patient care.
What is the main goal of this FOA?
The goal is to support research that closes key scientific gaps limiting reliable, scalable production of clinically useful stem cell-derived platelets and red blood cells. The FOA is aimed at moving the field beyond proof-of-concept cell generation toward consistent production of functional, reproducible end products suitable for therapeutic use.
Why is NIH interested in stem cell-derived blood products?
The FOA is built around the idea that stem cell technology could eventually enable a nearly unlimited supply of safe, immune-matched blood components. This could help address supply shortages, compatibility challenges, and some safety concerns associated with donated blood products.
Which blood products are the focus: red blood cells, platelets, or both?
Both. The FOA specifically targets stem cell-derived red blood cells and stem cell-derived platelets intended for therapeutic use.
Why does the FOA emphasize non-nucleated blood products?
The FOA highlights that blood products without a nucleus, particularly red blood cells and platelets, may be among the earliest stem cell-based therapies to reach clinical use because they can face fewer regulatory complexities compared to nucleated cell therapies.
If groups can already generate large numbers of these cells, what problem is NIH trying to solve?
While large-scale generation has been demonstrated (often using cellular engineering strategies), the FOA emphasizes that major scientific gaps remain. NIH is seeking deeper basic and translational biology to understand and control differentiation and maturation so that production becomes efficient, consistent, and clinically relevant in function and quality.
What kinds of scientific questions does this R01 call want to address?
Projects are expected to address fundamental questions that limit reliable production, including understanding and improving lineage commitment, differentiation pathways, maturation steps, and biological bottlenecks that prevent efficient and consistent generation of functional red blood cells and platelets.
Is the FOA mainly about manufacturing scale-up or about basic biology?
Based on the FOA summary, it is strongly focused on the biology that enables controllable, reproducible production rather than simply demonstrating that cells can be produced. The intent is to build a biology-informed foundation that supports scalable, reliable approaches.
What does NIH mean by "clinically relevant" red blood cells and platelets?
In this FOA, "clinically relevant" refers to end products that meet expectations for therapeutic use, including functional performance, quality, and reproducibility. The emphasis is not just on producing cells, but on producing consistent and useful blood components.
What grant mechanism is used for this opportunity?
This opportunity uses the NIH R01 research project grant mechanism.
What is the funding activity category and CFDA number associated with this FOA?
The FOA is within the health funding activity category and is associated with CFDA 93.839 (Blood Diseases and Resources Research).
How many awards did NIH anticipate making?
NIH anticipated making around eight awards under this FOA.
What was the estimated total program funding level?
The estimated total program funding level was about $3.6 million.
What is the award ceiling listed in the FOA?
The award ceiling listed is $300,000.
Is cost sharing or matching required?
No. The FOA states there is no cost sharing or matching requirement.
When was this FOA originally posted and when were applications due?
The original posting date was November 7, 2014, and the application due date was February 20, 2015.
Is this FOA still active?
No. The FOA was later archived on March 23, 2015. The dates indicate this particular opportunity is no longer active, although the summary reflects the program's intent and structure as published.
Who is the sponsoring agency?
The sponsoring agency is the National Institutes of Health (NIH).
What types of organizations were eligible to apply?
Eligibility was broad and included many U.S.-based applicants across academia, government, nonprofit, and for-profit sectors. Eligible applicants included public and state-controlled institutions of higher education, private institutions of higher education, nonprofits (both 501(c)(3) and non-501(c)(3)), for-profit organizations other than small businesses, small businesses, and multiple levels of government.
Which government entities were listed as eligible applicants?
The FOA included eligibility for state governments, county governments, city or township governments, special district governments, and public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities.
Did the FOA explicitly include minority-serving and community-linked institutions?
Yes. The eligibility language explicitly included institutions and organizations such as Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), Hispanic-serving institutions, Tribally Controlled Colleges and Universities (TCCUs), Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian serving institutions, Asian American Native American Pacific Islander Serving Institutions (AANAPISIs), as well as faith-based or community-based organizations.
Are federal agencies eligible to apply?
Yes. The eligibility language includes eligible federal agencies.
Can foreign organizations apply directly?
No. Non-U.S. entities (foreign organizations and foreign institutions) are not eligible to apply directly under this FOA.
Are non-U.S. components of U.S. organizations eligible?
No. The FOA states that non-U.S. components of U.S. organizations are not eligible.
Are foreign collaborations allowed in any form?
Yes, in a limited way. The FOA indicates that foreign components (as defined under NIH policy) are allowed. This suggests foreign work may be permissible if structured as a foreign component under a U.S. applicant organization and aligned with NIH requirements.
Were there related or companion funding opportunities connected to this R01?
Yes. The FOA notes two companion announcements, RFA-HL-15-029 and RFA-HL-15-030, intended to support small business research related to developing improved techniques and tools for producing functional, clinically relevant stem cell-derived red blood cells or platelets more efficiently and cost-effectively.
How does this R01 relate to the small business companion FOAs?
The structure described signals an NIH strategy pairing fundamental scientific problem-solving under this R01 with tool-building and process innovation through small business mechanisms, with the shared goal of accelerating translation of stem cell-derived blood products into therapeutic use.
What is the practical takeaway for applicants described in the FOA summary?
NIH was looking for projects that would push the field beyond proof-of-concept production and toward a controllable, biology-informed manufacturing reality by clarifying and addressing scientific barriers in differentiation and maturation.
Where was the full announcement made available?
The full archived announcement was made available through the NIH grants guide (via the link referenced in the original source material).
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