Tropical Medicine Research Centers (U01 Clinical Trial Not Allowed) | RFA AI 21 004

Opportunity Information: Apply for RFA AI 21 004

The Tropical Medicine Research Centers (TMRCs) funding opportunity (RFA-AI-21-004) is a National Institutes of Health initiative run through the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) to support research centers focused on select Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTDs) in the places where these diseases are endemic. The award mechanism is a U01 cooperative agreement, meaning projects are supported through a partnership model in which NIH/NIAID is expected to have substantial scientific involvement compared with a typical grant. A key boundary condition is that clinical trials are not allowed under this FOA, so proposed work needs to be structured as non-trial clinical research and/or preclinical, field, laboratory, implementation-supportive, or translational activities that do not meet the definition of a clinical trial.

Scientifically, the program is designed to fund research that builds a deeper and more actionable understanding of NTDs and helps translate that knowledge into better tools and strategies for real-world use. The FOA specifically highlights research across the full disease spectrum, including etiology (causes and drivers of infection and disease), epidemiology (who is affected, where, when, and why), pathogenesis (biological mechanisms of disease), clinical manifestations (how illness presents and progresses), and improved approaches for diagnosis, prevention, treatment, and control. In practice, that scope supports projects ranging from studies that clarify transmission dynamics and risk factors, to work that identifies and validates biomarkers or diagnostics, to research that informs prevention and control strategies, including vector control approaches. The emphasis is on generating results that can be adapted to the operational realities of low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), as defined by World Bank classifications, where constraints like infrastructure, cost, supply chains, and workforce capacity often determine whether a promising idea can actually improve health outcomes.

A central purpose of the TMRC model is capacity building and durable collaboration in endemic countries, not just funding stand-alone research. The FOA stresses creating and sustaining in-country research capacity, stimulating scientific collaboration and global partnerships, and working closely with in-country scientists to develop training activities. It also explicitly aims to create opportunities for junior and early-stage investigators to conduct NTD research, which signals that mentorship, career development pathways, and meaningful roles for newer investigators are valued components of a strong center application. Another priority is enabling sample sharing to accelerate translational research, so applicants should anticipate plans and infrastructure for responsible specimen collection, storage, governance, and access that can support downstream work to develop or evaluate new drugs, diagnostics, vaccines, therapeutics, or vector control strategies, while staying within the non-clinical-trial constraint.

Eligibility is broad and includes a wide range of U.S. and non-U.S. organizations, reflecting the program’s global and partnership-driven intent. Eligible applicants listed for the opportunity 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 Native American tribal governments and other Native American 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; and other entities. The FOA also calls out additional eligible categories such as Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian Serving Institutions, Asian American Native American Pacific Islander Serving Institutions (AANAPISIs), Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), Hispanic-serving Institutions, Tribally Controlled Colleges and Universities (TCCUs), faith-based or community-based organizations, eligible federal agencies, U.S. territories or possessions, regional organizations, and non-domestic (non-U.S.) entities/foreign organizations. This breadth is consistent with the expectation that successful TMRCs will often be multi-institutional networks that combine strong scientific capabilities with on-the-ground partnerships, training capacity, and sustained engagement in endemic settings.

From an administrative standpoint, the opportunity falls under the Health funding activity category and references CFDA number 93.855. The original posting indicates an original closing date of 2021-06-18 and a creation date of 2021-03-05. The award ceiling and expected number of awards are not specified in the provided source data, so applicants would normally confirm budget and award details in the full FOA text. Overall, the TMRC FOA is best understood as support for center-like, collaborative research programs that produce practical, LMIC-ready advances against NTDs while strengthening local research ecosystems, training pipelines, and translational platforms in endemic countries, all within a cooperative agreement framework and without conducting clinical trials.

• The National Institutes of Health in the health sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Tropical Medicine Research Centers (U01 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): 93.855.
• This funding opportunity was created on 2021-03-05.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2021-06-18. (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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