Opportunity Information: Apply for RFA DA 15 002
Apply for RFA DA 15 002
- The National Institutes of Health in the education health sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Tools for Monitoring and Manipulating Modified RNAs in the Nervous System (R41/R42)" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 93.242 Mental Health Research Grants 93.279 Drug Abuse and Addiction Research Programs.
- This funding opportunity was created on Jan 22, 2014 and posted on Jan 17, 2014.
- Applicants must submit their applications by Apr 24, 2014. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
- The funding agency has allocated a total of $2,000,000.00 to eligible and selected applicants.
- Eligible applicants include: Small businesses.
- Other Eligible Applicants include the following 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, may be allowed.
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Opportunity Summary:
Tools for Monitoring and Manipulating Modified RNAs in the Nervous System (R41/R42) is a National Institutes of Health (NIH) small business funding opportunity that supports the development of practical, enabling technologies for studying and controlling chemically (covalently) modified RNAs in the nervous system. The central idea is to push forward new tools and products that allow researchers to detect, measure, map, and experimentally manipulate modified eukaryotic messenger RNAs (mRNAs) as well as regulatory RNAs, with an emphasis on applications relevant to brain biology, mental health, and substance use and addiction research. In other words, the program is aimed at moving beyond basic discovery and into tool-building that makes it easier for the broader research community to understand how RNA modifications influence neural function and disease.
This opportunity was released as a discretionary grant initiative under Funding Opportunity Number RFA-DA-15-002, titled exactly as listed above, and it uses the NIH small business phased innovation mechanism R41/R42. Those mechanisms correspond to the STTR pathway (Small Business Technology Transfer), which is structured to help small companies move technologies from early feasibility work into more mature development stages that are closer to real-world use. While the announcement itself is framed around the nervous system, the tools being developed are meant to be broadly useful for monitoring and manipulating modified RNAs in eukaryotic systems, especially in contexts that matter to neuroscience.
The activity categories and program alignment point to the NIH mission areas most relevant to the topic. The CFDA listings include 93.242 (Mental Health Research Grants) and 93.279 (Drug Abuse and Addiction Research Programs), which signals that the initiative is connected to research priorities in mental health and addiction. The emphasis on “monitoring and manipulating” modified RNAs highlights a desire for concrete, usable platforms, assays, reagents, and technologies rather than purely descriptive studies. Practically speaking, NIH is encouraging small businesses to produce research-enabling products that can help measure RNA modifications (for example, identifying where modifications occur, how abundant they are, and how they change across cell types or conditions) and also intervene experimentally (for example, tools that can add, remove, or otherwise modulate specific RNA modifications to test causal effects).
From an administrative standpoint, the opportunity is a grant (Funding Instrument Type: Grant) and falls under health and education-related funding activity categories. The program did not require cost sharing or matching, which typically lowers barriers for small businesses by not requiring applicants to commit a formal non-federal cost share. NIH estimated total funding at about $2,000,000 for the initiative, indicating a targeted program with a defined budget envelope rather than an open-ended standing solicitation.
Eligibility was limited to small businesses, consistent with the R41/R42 mechanism. The eligibility language also makes clear that non-U.S. (foreign) institutions are not eligible to apply as applicant organizations, and non-U.S. components of U.S. organizations are also not eligible to apply. However, the notice indicates that “foreign components,” as defined in the NIH Grants Policy Statement, may be allowed. In practical terms, that usually means a U.S. small business could potentially include certain foreign collaborations or elements in the project if they meet NIH policy requirements and are well-justified, but the applicant organization itself must be eligible and U.S.-based.
Key dates show that the opportunity was posted on January 17, 2014, created on January 22, 2014, and had an original and current closing date of April 24, 2014, with an archive date of May 25, 2014. That means the solicitation is historical/archived now, but the summary still reflects how NIH framed the scientific and technical goals at the time and what kinds of projects it was looking to stimulate in the small business ecosystem.
For reference and full details, NIH provided an additional information link to the archived announcement page at grants.nih.gov (RFA-DA-15-002). They also listed support contacts through the NIH Office of Extramural Research (OER) webmaster addresses for access or linking issues, which is typical for NIH postings and indicates where applicants could get technical help retrieving the full announcement text rather than scientific guidance.
Overall, the program’s purpose is straightforward: accelerate the creation of next-generation RNA modification toolkits specifically suited to nervous system research, with the expectation that small businesses can turn methodological gaps into robust products that help the field measure and control modified RNAs more accurately, more sensitively, and more conveniently across experimental systems relevant to mental health and addiction.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What is the name of this grant opportunity?
The opportunity is titled Tools for Monitoring and Manipulating Modified RNAs in the Nervous System (R41/R42).
What is the Funding Opportunity Number (FOA) for this program?
The Funding Opportunity Number is RFA-DA-15-002.
Which federal agency is offering this opportunity?
This is a National Institutes of Health (NIH) funding opportunity.
What type of funding instrument is this?
The funding instrument type is a grant.
What NIH small business mechanisms does this opportunity use?
This opportunity uses the R41/R42 phased innovation mechanisms, which correspond to the STTR (Small Business Technology Transfer) pathway.
What is the overall purpose of the program?
The purpose is to support small businesses in developing practical, enabling technologies that help researchers study and control chemically (covalently) modified RNAs in the nervous system, with an emphasis on producing usable tools and products for the broader research community.
What scientific focus area does the program emphasize?
The program emphasizes tools for the nervous system, with applications relevant to brain biology, mental health, and substance use and addiction research.
What kinds of RNAs are in scope?
The scope includes modified eukaryotic messenger RNAs (mRNAs) as well as regulatory RNAs, specifically focusing on chemically (covalently) modified RNAs.
What does "monitoring" modified RNAs mean in the context of this program?
Monitoring refers to tool capabilities that allow researchers to detect, measure, and map RNA modifications, including identifying where modifications occur, their abundance, and how they may change across cell types or conditions.
What does "manipulating" modified RNAs mean in the context of this program?
Manipulating refers to technologies that allow researchers to experimentally intervene in RNA modification states, such as tools that can add, remove, or otherwise modulate specific RNA modifications to test causal effects on neural function and disease-related processes.
Is this program more about basic discovery research or building tools?
It is aimed at moving beyond basic discovery and into tool-building, emphasizing concrete platforms, assays, reagents, and technologies that are broadly usable by the research community.
Are the tools intended to be useful only for neuroscience?
While the announcement is framed around the nervous system, the tools are intended to be broadly useful for monitoring and manipulating modified RNAs in eukaryotic systems, especially for neuroscience-relevant applications.
Which NIH mission or program areas does this opportunity align with?
The CFDA listings indicate alignment with 93.242 (Mental Health Research Grants) and 93.279 (Drug Abuse and Addiction Research Programs), reflecting relevance to mental health and addiction research priorities.
Who is eligible to apply?
Eligibility is limited to small businesses, consistent with the R41/R42 (STTR) mechanism.
Are foreign (non-U.S.) institutions eligible to apply as the applicant organization?
No. Non-U.S. (foreign) institutions are not eligible to apply as applicant organizations.
Are non-U.S. components of U.S. organizations eligible to apply?
No. The opportunity states that non-U.S. components of U.S. organizations are not eligible to apply as the applicant organization.
Can a U.S. small business include any foreign involvement in the project?
The notice indicates that "foreign components" (as defined in the NIH Grants Policy Statement) may be allowed. Practically, this suggests a U.S. small business could potentially include certain foreign collaborations or elements if they meet NIH policy requirements and are well-justified, while the applicant organization itself must be eligible and U.S.-based.
Is cost sharing or matching required?
No. The program did not require cost sharing or matching.
How much total funding did NIH estimate for this initiative?
NIH estimated total funding at approximately $2,000,000 for the initiative.
What are the key dates for this opportunity?
Key dates provided were: posted on January 17, 2014, created on January 22, 2014, closing date (original and current) of April 24, 2014, and archive date of May 25, 2014.
Is this funding opportunity still open?
No. Based on the listed closing and archive dates, this solicitation is archived and is not currently open.
Where can someone find the official archived announcement?
NIH provided an additional information link to the archived announcement page at grants.nih.gov for RFA-DA-15-002.
Who were the listed contacts for support?
Support contacts were provided through the NIH Office of Extramural Research (OER) webmaster addresses, intended for access or linking issues related to retrieving the full announcement text.
What kinds of outputs is NIH trying to stimulate through this small business program?
The program is designed to accelerate the creation of next-generation RNA modification toolkits suited to nervous system research, aiming for robust products that help researchers measure and control modified RNAs more accurately, sensitively, and conveniently across relevant experimental systems.
What do the activity categories indicate about the nature of the funding?
The opportunity falls under health and education-related funding activity categories, consistent with NIH biomedical research and research-enabling technology development.
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Previous opportunity: Tools for Monitoring and Manipulating Modified RNAs in the Nervous System (R43/R44)
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