Diabetes Research Centers (P30 Clinical Trial Optional) | RFA DK 21 029

Opportunity Information: Apply for RFA DK 21 029

The Diabetes Research Centers (P30 Clinical Trial Optional) funding opportunity (RFA-DK-21-029) is a National Institutes of Health (NIH) grant program, administered through the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK), aimed at strengthening and accelerating diabetes-related research in the United States. The overall purpose is not to fund a single stand-alone research project, but to build and sustain an institutional "center" structure that makes a broad portfolio of diabetes, endocrine, and metabolic disease research more efficient, more collaborative, and more productive. The FOA emphasizes diabetes itself, its complications, and closely related endocrine and metabolic conditions, with the expectation that funded centers will serve as shared research infrastructure and a hub for multidisciplinary work across investigators and departments.

At the heart of the Diabetes Research Center model are two required activity types. First are Research Core services, which are centralized shared resources that multiple investigators can use to support their externally funded and developing research programs. In practice, these cores typically provide specialized technologies, services, expertise, and standardized processes that are hard for individual labs to maintain alone, helping investigators reduce duplication, improve quality control, and increase throughput. Second is a Pilot and Feasibility (P and F) program, which supports early-stage, innovative, or high-risk ideas and helps investigators generate preliminary data needed for future independent grant applications. The P and F program is also commonly used to bring new investigators into the diabetes research field, to help established researchers pivot into diabetes-related questions, and to catalyze cross-disciplinary collaborations that might not otherwise get started.

The FOA frames all center activities around improving the efficiency, productivity, effectiveness, and multidisciplinary nature of research within the center's topic areas. That means the program is designed to create institutional capacity: shared cores, coordinated administration, and a mechanism to seed new science. The NIDDK notes that, as of 2021, the national program included 16 Diabetes Research Centers housed at research institutions with strong track records in diabetes research excellence. Additional general context about the broader program is referenced through the Diabetes Centers website (www.diabetescenters.org), which is positioned as a resource for understanding how these centers function nationally.

This opportunity is categorized as a discretionary grant in the health and food/nutrition domain (CFDA 93.847). It is "clinical trial optional," meaning applications may include clinical trial activity if appropriate, but clinical trials are not inherently required by the mechanism. The funding instrument is a P30 center grant, which traditionally supports shared resources and developmental projects rather than large numbers of full independent research projects under the center award itself.

Eligibility is broad across U.S.-based organizations and includes many types of governmental, academic, nonprofit, and private-sector entities. 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 Native American tribal governments; tribal organizations that are not federally recognized tribal governments; public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities; nonprofits with and without 501(c)(3) status (when not acting as institutions of higher education); for-profit organizations other than small businesses; small businesses; and other organizations as allowed. The FOA also explicitly calls out additional eligible applicant types such as Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), Hispanic-serving institutions, Tribally Controlled Colleges and Universities (TCCUs), Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian Serving Institutions, and Asian American Native American Pacific Islander Serving Institutions (AANAPISIs), along with faith-based or community-based organizations, eligible federal agencies, regional organizations, and U.S. territories or possessions.

Foreign eligibility is limited. Non-domestic (non-U.S.) entities and non-domestic components of U.S. organizations are not eligible to apply as the applicant organization. However, foreign components are allowed when they meet the NIH Grants Policy Statement definition, which generally means certain parts of the work can be performed outside the U.S. when there is a strong justification and the arrangement aligns with NIH policy.

Key administrative details provided include the opportunity number (RFA-DK-21-029), the creation date (October 13, 2021), and an original closing date of March 8, 2022. The source text does not provide an award ceiling or expected number of awards in the fields shown, so prospective applicants would typically need to consult the full FOA and NIH budget guidance for allowable costs, scope expectations, and any institute-specific budgeting considerations tied to cores and the P and F program.

• The National Institutes of Health in the food and nutrition, health sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Diabetes Research Centers (P30 Clinical Trial Optional)" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 93.847.
• This funding opportunity was created on 2021-10-13.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2022-03-08. (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 RFA DK 21 029

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