Resource-Related Research Projects for Development of Animal Models and Related Materials (R24) | PAR 16 369

Opportunity Information: Apply for PAR 16 369

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) funding opportunity titled "Resource-Related Research Projects for Development of Animal Models and Related Materials (R24)" (Funding Opportunity Number PAR-16-369; CFDA 93.351) supports projects that build broadly useful research resources rather than narrowly focused disease studies. The core intent is to strengthen the biomedical research community's toolkit by creating, improving, or rigorously characterizing animal models of human disease, along with the associated materials, methods, and information resources that make those models easier to use, compare, and reproduce across labs. The program also welcomes projects that improve access to data and information generated from animal models, as well as efforts that improve the diagnosis, prevention, monitoring, and control of diseases that affect laboratory animals (which directly impacts the reliability and interpretability of animal-based research).

A central requirement of this R24 is that the proposed animal models and related resources must align with the scientific priorities of at least two NIH Institutes and Centers (ICs). In practical terms, NIH is looking for models, datasets, or laboratory-animal health resources that cut across multiple disease areas or research categories and would be valuable to more than one part of NIH. Proposals that are strictly about one specific disease, or that mainly serve the mission of one NIH IC with only a superficial connection to others, are explicitly considered a poor fit. This multi-IC expectation is one of the defining features of the opportunity: the resource needs to have clear, credible, and substantial relevance across more than one NIH research domain.

The types of work encouraged by the announcement include developing new animal models where a gap exists, refining existing models to improve validity or usability, and conducting deeper characterization so the model's strengths, limitations, and appropriate contexts for use are well understood. It also includes building or expanding access to model-related data and information, which can involve organizing, standardizing, curating, or disseminating datasets and supporting documentation generated through model use. Another important area is laboratory animal health: projects can focus on better tools or approaches to detect, manage, or control diseases of laboratory animals, because undetected infections or inconsistent colony health can confound experiments and undermine reproducibility. Across all of these categories, the emphasis is on resource value to the wider community, not just on producing findings for a single research question.

Eligibility is broad and includes many common domestic applicant types: 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 Native American tribal governments; tribal organizations (including those other than federally recognized tribal governments); public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities; nonprofit organizations with or without 501(c)(3) status; for-profit organizations (other than small businesses); small businesses; and other eligible entities. The FOA also highlights additional eligible applicants such as Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian Serving Institutions, Asian American Native American Pacific Islander Serving Institutions (AANAPISI), Hispanic-serving Institutions, Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), Tribally Controlled Colleges and Universities (TCCUs), faith-based or community-based organizations, regional organizations, eligible federal agencies, Indian/Native American tribal governments that are not federally recognized, and U.S. territories or possessions.

Restrictions related to foreign participation are specific. Non-domestic (non-U.S.) entities (foreign organizations and foreign institutions) are not eligible to apply as the applicant organization, and non-domestic components of U.S. organizations are also not eligible to apply as components. However, foreign components as defined in the NIH Grants Policy Statement are allowed, meaning a U.S.-based applicant may include certain foreign collaborations or activities if they meet NIH policy definitions and are well justified.

From the administrative details provided, this is a discretionary grant program administered by NIH under a grant funding instrument, within the health funding activity category. The opportunity record lists an original closing date of 2019-09-07 and a creation date of 2016-07-14. The award ceiling and expected number of awards are not specified in the provided source data, which typically means applicants would need to consult the full FOA text and NIH institute-specific guidance for budget expectations, project period norms, and any institute-level considerations.

Overall, the opportunity is best understood as NIH support for shared, enabling infrastructure in animal-model science: models, materials, health-control tools, and information resources that will be broadly adopted and that demonstrably serve multiple NIH IC missions. Proposals that read like a conventional single-disease animal study, even if they include model development as a component, are not what this FOA is designed to fund; the project has to be framed and executed as a cross-cutting community resource.

• The National Institutes of Health in the health sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Resource-Related Research Projects for Development of Animal Models and Related Materials (R24)" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 93.351.
• This funding opportunity was created on 2016-07-14.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2019-09-07. (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.

Apply for PAR 16 369

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