Opportunity Information: Apply for RFA NS 26 010
Apply for RFA NS 26 010
- The National Institutes of Health in the health sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "The NINDS Human Biospecimen and Data Repository (U24 - Clinical Trial Not Allowed)" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 93.853.
- This funding opportunity was created on 2026-02-06.
- Applicants must submit their applications by 2026-03-09. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
- Eligible applicants include: State governments, County governments, City or township governments, Special district governments, Independent school districts, Public and State controlled institutions of higher education, Native American tribal governments (Federally recognized), Public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities, Native American tribal organizations (other than Federally recognized tribal governments), Nonprofits having a 501 (c) (3) status with the IRS, other than 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, Small businesses, Others.
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Opportunity Summary:
The National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS), part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), is soliciting applications for a cooperative agreement to operate the NINDS Human Biospecimen and Data Repository in Neurological Disorders. The opportunity is published as a Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) titled "The NINDS Human Biospecimen and Data Repository (U24 - Clinical Trial Not Allowed)" under funding opportunity number RFA-NS-26-010. In practical terms, NINDS is looking for an organization to serve as a centralized national resource that receives, manages, stores, and distributes human biospecimens and associated data that are relevant to neurological disorders, with the aim of accelerating basic, translational, and clinical research across the neuroscience community.
The core purpose of the award is to ensure the continued stewardship of an existing NINDS-supported biospecimen collection while also enabling expansion of that collection in ways that align with the NINDS mission. That means the funded repository is expected not only to maintain and preserve current inventory (including long-term storage, quality control, tracking, and documentation), but also to support growth of the collection over time. Expansion typically implies the ability to incorporate additional samples and datasets, standardize how they are processed and annotated, and ensure they remain usable for a wide range of downstream research applications. The emphasis on neurological disorders indicates that the repository should be positioned to serve studies spanning multiple disease areas within neurology, and to manage the accompanying human data needed to make biospecimens scientifically valuable (for example, clinical metadata, demographic variables, diagnostic information, and other relevant research annotations, consistent with consent and privacy rules).
A central expectation of this repository is broad and timely distribution of biospecimens to qualified researchers in both academia and industry. NINDS is signaling that the repository should function as a national enabling platform, not a closed collection reserved for a narrow set of investigators. The distribution function implies the awardee must have clear access policies, request review processes, and operational capabilities to fulfill orders reliably while maintaining compliance with ethical and regulatory requirements. It also implies the repository must support the kinds of documentation and data linkages that allow scientists to select appropriate samples and interpret findings, while maintaining participant protections and any consent-based limitations on use.
The award mechanism is a U24 cooperative agreement, which generally indicates substantial programmatic involvement by NIH staff compared with a typical grant. In cooperative agreements, the NIH scientific and program staff often participate in shaping expectations, monitoring performance, and coordinating with the awardee on key decisions and priorities. The activity category is health, and the associated CFDA (assistance listing) number is 93.853, which corresponds to NINDS. The NOFO explicitly states "Clinical Trial Not Allowed," meaning the proposed work under this award cannot include conducting clinical trials. The focus is instead on infrastructure and services: biorepository operations, data management, and distribution to support research conducted by others.
Eligibility is broad across domestic U.S. organizations and includes many applicant types: state, county, city or township governments; special district governments; independent school districts; public and state-controlled institutions of higher education; private institutions of higher education; federally recognized Native American tribal governments; other Native American tribal organizations; public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities; nonprofit organizations (with or without 501(c)(3) status, excluding institutions of higher education in those nonprofit categories as listed); for-profit organizations other than small businesses; small businesses; and other eligible entities as described in the NOFO. At the same time, there are strict restrictions related to foreign involvement. Non-domestic (non-U.S.) entities are not eligible to apply. Non-domestic components of U.S. organizations are not eligible to apply. In addition, foreign components as defined by the NIH Grants Policy Statement are not allowed, which effectively means the funded activities must be carried out without foreign components under NIH definitions.
Key administrative details provided include an original closing date of 2026-03-09 and a creation date of 2026-02-06. The opportunity is categorized as discretionary funding and uses the cooperative agreement instrument type. The summary information provided does not list an award ceiling or expected number of awards, so those specifics would need to be confirmed in the full NOFO text. Applicants are directed to consult Section III (Eligibility Information) of the NOFO for full eligibility requirements and any additional constraints or clarifications not captured in the brief synopsis.
Overall, this NOFO is about selecting an organization to run a national-scale neurological biorepository and associated data repository that preserves and grows NINDS collections and makes them widely accessible to qualified academic and industry investigators. The goal is to increase the availability of high-quality human biospecimens and curated data so researchers can more quickly test hypotheses, validate biomarkers, understand disease mechanisms, and support translational progress across neurological disorders, while ensuring responsible governance, compliance, and sustainability consistent with NIH expectations for a cooperative agreement.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What is this funding opportunity?
This is a Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) from the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS), part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), seeking applications to operate the NINDS Human Biospecimen and Data Repository in Neurological Disorders.
What is the NOFO title and funding opportunity number?
The NOFO is titled "The NINDS Human Biospecimen and Data Repository (U24 - Clinical Trial Not Allowed)" and the funding opportunity number is RFA-NS-26-010.
What is NINDS looking to fund under this NOFO?
NINDS is looking for an organization to serve as a centralized national resource that receives, manages, stores, and distributes human biospecimens and associated data relevant to neurological disorders to accelerate basic, translational, and clinical research across the neuroscience community.
What is the main purpose of the award?
The core purpose is continued stewardship of an existing NINDS-supported biospecimen collection, while also enabling expansion of that collection in ways that align with the NINDS mission.
What does "stewardship" mean in this context?
Based on the description provided, stewardship includes maintaining and preserving current inventory through long-term storage, quality control, tracking, and documentation.
Is the repository expected to expand the collection over time?
Yes. The funded repository is expected to support growth of the collection over time, including incorporating additional samples and datasets, standardizing processing and annotation, and keeping materials usable for downstream research applications.
What kinds of disorders are in scope?
The emphasis is on neurological disorders. The repository is expected to be positioned to serve studies spanning multiple disease areas within neurology.
What types of materials and information will the repository handle?
The repository will handle human biospecimens and associated data relevant to neurological disorders. The description notes that associated human data may include items such as clinical metadata, demographic variables, diagnostic information, and other relevant research annotations, consistent with consent and privacy rules.
Who is expected to be able to access biospecimens from the repository?
The repository is expected to support broad and timely distribution of biospecimens to qualified researchers in both academia and industry.
Is the repository intended to be a closed collection for a small group of investigators?
No. NINDS describes the repository as a national enabling platform rather than a closed collection reserved for a narrow set of investigators.
What operational capabilities are implied for distributing biospecimens?
The distribution function implies the awardee should have clear access policies, request review processes, and operational capabilities to fulfill orders reliably while maintaining compliance with ethical and regulatory requirements.
What is the award mechanism for this opportunity?
The mechanism is a U24 cooperative agreement.
What does a cooperative agreement (U24) imply about NIH involvement?
A cooperative agreement generally indicates substantial programmatic involvement by NIH staff compared with a typical grant, including participation in shaping expectations, monitoring performance, and coordinating with the awardee on key decisions and priorities.
Are clinical trials allowed under this NOFO?
No. The NOFO explicitly states "Clinical Trial Not Allowed," meaning the proposed work under this award cannot include conducting clinical trials.
If clinical trials are not allowed, what is the focus of the work?
The focus is on infrastructure and services, including biorepository operations, data management, and distribution to support research conducted by others.
What is the activity category for this opportunity?
The activity category is health.
What is the CFDA/Assistance Listing number associated with this opportunity?
The CFDA (Assistance Listing) number is 93.853, which corresponds to NINDS.
Who is eligible to apply?
Eligibility is broad across domestic U.S. organizations and includes (as listed in the synopsis): state, county, city or township governments; special district governments; independent school districts; public and state-controlled institutions of higher education; private institutions of higher education; federally recognized Native American tribal governments; other Native American tribal organizations; public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities; nonprofit organizations (with or without 501(c)(3) status, excluding institutions of higher education in those nonprofit categories as listed); for-profit organizations other than small businesses; small businesses; and other eligible entities as described in the NOFO.
Are non-U.S. (foreign) entities eligible to apply?
No. Non-domestic (non-U.S.) entities are not eligible to apply.
Can a U.S. organization apply if it proposes a non-domestic component?
No. Non-domestic components of U.S. organizations are not eligible to apply.
Are foreign components allowed under NIH definitions?
No. Foreign components (as defined by the NIH Grants Policy Statement) are not allowed, meaning funded activities must be carried out without foreign components under NIH definitions.
What is the instrument type and funding category?
The opportunity uses the cooperative agreement instrument type and is categorized as discretionary funding.
What is the application deadline?
The original closing date provided in the synopsis is 2026-03-09.
When was this opportunity created?
The creation date provided is 2026-02-06.
Does the synopsis list an award ceiling or expected number of awards?
No. The summary information provided does not list an award ceiling or an expected number of awards. Those details would need to be confirmed in the full NOFO text.
Where should applicants look for full eligibility requirements?
Applicants are directed to consult Section III (Eligibility Information) of the NOFO for full eligibility requirements and any additional constraints or clarifications not captured in the brief synopsis.
What is the overall goal of funding this repository?
The overall goal is to increase availability of high-quality human biospecimens and curated data so researchers can more quickly test hypotheses, validate biomarkers, understand disease mechanisms, and support translational progress across neurological disorders, while ensuring responsible governance, compliance, and sustainability consistent with NIH expectations for a cooperative agreement.
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