Opportunity Information: Apply for RFA TR 19 014
The National Institutes of Health (NIH) funding opportunity RFA-TR-19-014, titled '"Clinical Trials" on a Chip: Tissue Chips to Inform Clinical Trial Design and Implementation in Precision Medicine,' supports projects that put microphysiological systems (MPS), often called tissue chips, to a very practical test: showing how these platforms can directly improve how clinical trials are planned and carried out. The core idea is to generate convincing, late-stage preclinical evidence that tissue chips can inform real clinical trial frameworks by helping researchers anticipate both safety issues and likely efficacy outcomes before human testing. Rather than focusing on basic technology development alone, the emphasis is on applied use cases where tissue chips meaningfully guide decisions that would normally be made with more limited preclinical tools.
A central goal of this program is to strengthen precision medicine by using tissue-chip data to refine trial design. That includes identifying which patient subgroups are most likely to benefit from a candidate therapy, which can translate into clearer recruitment criteria, better stratification strategies, and more efficient trials with stronger signal detection. In practice, applicants are expected to show how their MPS-based approach can help distinguish likely responders from non-responders, support selection of biomarkers or functional readouts that align with patient biology, and reduce uncertainty around dosing or toxicity that might otherwise emerge late in development. The opportunity is framed around demonstrating utility: evidence that the tissue chip system changes or improves the clinical trial plan in a measurable, defensible way.
The mechanism is a cooperative agreement using the UG3/UH3 phased approach, meaning projects typically start with a milestone-driven planning and feasibility stage (UG3) and, if milestones are met, transition into a more advanced implementation stage (UH3). Because it is a cooperative agreement, NIH expects substantial programmatic involvement, such as coordination on milestones, progress assessment, and alignment with the initiative’s broader goals. The announcement is explicitly labeled "Clinical Trial Not Allowed," so funded activities must remain preclinical and cannot include prospective assignment of human participants to interventions. The intent is to inform and de-risk clinical trials, not to run them under this award.
In terms of funding details provided, the award ceiling is listed as $500,000, and the opportunity falls under NIH assistance listings (CFDA) 93.121, 93.350, 93.393, 93.846, and 93.865. The original closing date shown is 2019-10-09, and the opportunity was created on 2019-06-12, indicating this specific solicitation is historical, even though the concept may continue under newer NIH notices or related programs.
Eligibility is broad across public and private sectors. Eligible applicants include state, county, city/township, and special district governments; independent school districts; public and state-controlled institutions of higher education; private institutions of higher education; federally recognized tribal governments and other tribal organizations; public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities; nonprofits with and without 501(c)(3) status; for-profit organizations (other than small businesses); and small businesses. The FOA also highlights additional eligible organization types such as Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian Serving Institutions, Asian American Native American Pacific Islander Serving Institutions (AANAPISIs), Hispanic-serving Institutions, Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), Tribally Controlled Colleges and Universities (TCCUs), faith-based or community-based organizations, eligible federal agencies, regional organizations, and U.S. territories or possessions.
The foreign eligibility rules are specific: non-domestic (non-U.S.) entities and non-domestic components of U.S. organizations are not eligible to apply. However, foreign components, as defined in the NIH Grants Policy Statement, are allowed, which generally means a U.S.-based applicant can include certain foreign collaborations or performance sites if they are well-justified and meet NIH policy requirements.
Overall, this opportunity targets teams that can bridge advanced tissue-chip biology with concrete clinical development decision-making. Competitive projects would be expected to show a credible pathway from chip-generated evidence to actionable trial recommendations, such as how to choose inclusion/exclusion criteria, how to stratify participants, which endpoints or biomarkers to prioritize, and how to anticipate safety liabilities earlier, all while staying firmly on the preclinical side of the translational pipeline.Apply for RFA TR 19 014
- The National Institutes of Health in the education, health, income security and social services sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled ""Clinical Trials" on a Chip: Tissue Chips to Inform Clinical Trial Design and Implementation in Precision Medicine (UG3/UH3 - 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): 93.121, 93.350, 93.393, 93.846, 93.865.
- This funding opportunity was created on 2019-06-12.
- Applicants must submit their applications by 2019-10-09. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
- Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $500,000.00 in funding.
- 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.
[Watch] Creating a grant proposal using the step-by-step wizard inside the applicant portal:
Browse more opportunities from the same category: Education, Health, Income Security and Social Services
Next opportunity: Specialized Alcohol Research Centers (P50 Clinical trial Optional)
Previous opportunity: Promoting the Benefits of U.S. Economic Engagement in Indonesia
Applicant Portal:
Are you interested in learning about about how to apply for this government funding opportunity? You can create a free applicant account and receive instant access to our applicant portal that many business owners like you have benefited from.
Apply for RFA TR 19 014
Applicants also applied for:
Applicants who have applied for this opportunity (RFA TR 19 014) also looked into and applied for these:
| Funding Opportunity |
|---|
| BRAIN Initiative: Proof of Concept Development of Early Stage Next Generation Human Brain Imaging (R01 Clinical Trial Not Allowed) Apply for RFA EB 19 001 Funding Number: RFA EB 19 001 Agency: National Institutes of Health Category: Education, Health, Income Security and Social Services Funding Amount: $300,000 |
| BRAIN Initiative: Development of Next Generation Human Brain Imaging Tools and Technologies (U01 Clinical Trial not allowed) Apply for RFA EB 19 002 Funding Number: RFA EB 19 002 Agency: National Institutes of Health Category: Education, Health, Income Security and Social Services Funding Amount: Case Dependent |
| Science of Behavior Change (SOBC) Resource and Coordinating Center (U24 Clinical Trial Not Allowed) Apply for RFA AG 20 024 Funding Number: RFA AG 20 024 Agency: National Institutes of Health Category: Education, Health, Income Security and Social Services Funding Amount: Case Dependent |
| BRAIN Initiative: Non-Invasive Neuromodulation - New Tools and Techniques for Spatiotemporal Precision (R01 Clinical Trial Optional) Apply for RFA MH 20 310 Funding Number: RFA MH 20 310 Agency: National Institutes of Health Category: Education, Health, Income Security and Social Services Funding Amount: Case Dependent |
| Clinical Sites for the ECHO IDeA States Pediatric Clinical Trials Network - 2 (UG1 Clinical Trial Required) Apply for RFA OD 19 026 Funding Number: RFA OD 19 026 Agency: National Institutes of Health Category: Education, Health, Income Security and Social Services Funding Amount: $275,000 |
| Small Research Grants for Analyses of Gabriella Miller Kids First Pediatric Research Data (R03 Clinical Trial Not Allowed) Apply for PAR 19 375 Funding Number: PAR 19 375 Agency: National Institutes of Health Category: Education, Health, Income Security and Social Services Funding Amount: $200,000 |
| Mobile Health: Technology and Outcomes in Low and Middle Income Countries (R21/R33 - Clinical Trial Optional) Apply for PAR 19 376 Funding Number: PAR 19 376 Agency: National Institutes of Health Category: Education, Health, Income Security and Social Services Funding Amount: Case Dependent |
| Research on biopsychosocial factors of social connectedness and isolation on health, wellbeing, illness, and recovery (R01 Clinical Trials Not Allowed) Apply for PAR 19 373 Funding Number: PAR 19 373 Agency: National Institutes of Health Category: Education, Health, Income Security and Social Services Funding Amount: Case Dependent |
| Research on biopsychosocial factors of social connectedness and isolation on health, wellbeing, illness, and recovery (R01 Basic Experimental Studies with Humans Required) Apply for PAR 19 384 Funding Number: PAR 19 384 Agency: National Institutes of Health Category: Education, Health, Income Security and Social Services Funding Amount: Case Dependent |
| HEAL Initiative: Development of Therapies and Technologies Directed at Enhanced Pain Management (R41/R42 Clinical Trial Not Allowed) Apply for RFA NS 20 009 Funding Number: RFA NS 20 009 Agency: National Institutes of Health Category: Education, Health, Income Security and Social Services Funding Amount: Case Dependent |
| HEAL INITIATIVE: Development of Therapies and Technologies Directed at Enhanced Pain Management (R43/R44 - Clinical Trial Not Allowed) Apply for RFA NS 20 011 Funding Number: RFA NS 20 011 Agency: National Institutes of Health Category: Education, Health, Income Security and Social Services Funding Amount: Case Dependent |
| Pediatric HIV/AIDS Cohort Study (PHACS) 2020 (P01 Clinical Trial Not Allowed) Apply for RFA HD 20 002 Funding Number: RFA HD 20 002 Agency: National Institutes of Health Category: Education, Health, Income Security and Social Services Funding Amount: $12,000,000 |
| BRAIN Initiative Advanced Postdoctoral Career Transition Award to Promote Diversity (K99/R00 Independent Clinical Trial Not Allowed) Apply for RFA NS 19 043 Funding Number: RFA NS 19 043 Agency: National Institutes of Health Category: Education, Health, Income Security and Social Services Funding Amount: Case Dependent |
| BRAIN Initiative Advanced Postdoctoral Career Transition Award to Promote Diversity (K99/R00 Independent Clinical Trial Required) Apply for RFA NS 19 044 Funding Number: RFA NS 19 044 Agency: National Institutes of Health Category: Education, Health, Income Security and Social Services Funding Amount: Case Dependent |
| Clinical Trials Development for Co-Occurring Conditions in Individuals with Down syndrome: Phased Awards for INCLUDE (R61/R33 Clinical Trial Required) Apply for RFA OD 20 003 Funding Number: RFA OD 20 003 Agency: National Institutes of Health Category: Education, Health, Income Security and Social Services Funding Amount: Case Dependent |
| BRAIN Initiative: Biology and Biophysics of Neural Stimulation and Recording Technologies (R01 Clinical Trials Optional) Apply for RFA NS 20 006 Funding Number: RFA NS 20 006 Agency: National Institutes of Health Category: Education, Health, Income Security and Social Services Funding Amount: Case Dependent |
| Genomic Expert Curation Panels (U24 Clinical Trial Not Allowed) Apply for PAR 20 101 Funding Number: PAR 20 101 Agency: National Institutes of Health Category: Education, Health, Income Security and Social Services Funding Amount: $220,000 |
| BRAIN Initiative: Standards to Define Experiments Related to the BRAIN Initiative (R01 Clinical Trial Not Allowed) Apply for RFA MH 20 128 Funding Number: RFA MH 20 128 Agency: National Institutes of Health Category: Education, Health, Income Security and Social Services Funding Amount: Case Dependent |
| Blueprint Neurotherapeutics Network (BPN): Small Molecule Drug Discovery and Development for Disorders of the Nervous System (U44 Clinical Trial Optional) Apply for PAR 20 111 Funding Number: PAR 20 111 Agency: National Institutes of Health Category: Education, Health, Income Security and Social Services Funding Amount: Case Dependent |
| Blueprint Neurotherapeutics Network (BPN): Small Molecule Drug Discovery and Development of Disorders of the Nervous System (UG3/UH3 Clinical Trial Optional) Apply for PAR 20 122 Funding Number: PAR 20 122 Agency: National Institutes of Health Category: Education, Health, Income Security and Social Services Funding Amount: Case Dependent |
Grant application guides and resources
It is always free to apply for government grants. However the process may be very complex depending on the funding opportunity you are applying for. Let us help you!
Apply for Grants
Inside Our Applicants Portal
Access Applicants Portal
- Grants Repository - Access current and historic funding opportunities with ease. Thousands of funding opportunities are published every week. We can help you sort through the database and find the eligible ones to apply for.
- Applicant Video Guides - The grant application process can be challenging to follow. We can help you with intuitive video guides to speed up the process and eliminate errors in submissions.
- Grant Proposal Wizard - We have developed a network of private funding organizations and investors across the United States. We can reach out and submit your proposal to these contacts to maximize your chances of getting the funding you need.
Premium leads for funding administrators, grant writers, and loan issuers
Thousands of people visit our website for their funding needs every day. When a user creates a grant proposal and files for submission, we pass the information on to funding administrators, grant writers, and government loan issuers.
If you manage government grant programs, provide grant writing services, or issue personal or government loans, we can help you reach your audience.
Learn More
Request more information:
Would you like to learn more about this funding opportunity, similar opportunities to "RFA TR 19 014", eligibility, application service, and/or application tips? Submit an inquiry below:
Don't forget to subscribe to our grant alerts mailing list to receive weekly alerts on new and updated grant funding opportunities like this one in your email.