Opportunity Information: Apply for RFA AR 18 001
The Senator Paul D. Wellstone Muscular Dystrophy Specialized Research Centers (MRSRCs) (P50) funding opportunity (RFA-AR-18-001) is a National Institutes of Health (NIH), Department of Health and Human Services grant competition designed to support a small number of specialized, center-based programs focused on muscular dystrophy research. The overall aim is to build and sustain highly collaborative research centers that can move discoveries along the full pipeline, from basic science through translational work and into clinical research. In addition to producing new knowledge, these centers are expected to function as shared hubs for the broader muscular dystrophy research community by developing and maintaining resources and capabilities that other investigators can use.
A major emphasis of the program is teamwork and integration across disciplines. Rather than funding isolated projects, the P50 center mechanism typically supports coordinated research efforts that benefit from shared leadership, common scientific goals, and core resources that enable multiple projects to operate more efficiently and with higher impact. In this FOA, the centers are framed as vehicles for accelerating progress in high-priority areas of muscular dystrophy by encouraging close collaboration among laboratory scientists, translational researchers, and clinicians. The intention is that discoveries made in one part of the center can be quickly evaluated, validated, and advanced by other parts of the same center, increasing the odds that promising findings ultimately translate into meaningful clinical advances.
Beyond research outcomes, the FOA highlights two additional expectations: training and community engagement. The centers are intended to provide a strong training environment for early-career scientists and clinicians who want to build careers in muscular dystrophy research. That generally implies a structured setting with mentorship, exposure to interdisciplinary work, and access to specialized tools, patient populations, or datasets that make training more rigorous and relevant. At the same time, investigators supported by these centers are expected to take community outreach seriously, including efforts to raise awareness of muscular dystrophy research, explain why the work matters, and communicate the practical implications of the research to patient communities and advocacy organizations. In other words, the centers are not only research engines but also visible, engaged partners to the communities affected by these diseases.
In terms of administrative details, this is a discretionary grant opportunity under the NIH umbrella, categorized under Health, Income Security and Social Services funding activity areas. The program is associated with multiple CFDA numbers (93.837, 93.846, 93.853, 93.865), reflecting the NIH’s cross-institute structure and the way related research areas can span multiple awarding components. The opportunity was created on June 30, 2017, with an original application closing date of October 19, 2017. The FOA anticipated making about three awards, with an award ceiling listed at $1,000,000, signaling that NIH expected to fund a limited number of high-capacity centers at a relatively substantial scale.
Eligibility is broad and includes many types of domestic organizations capable of running complex biomedical research programs. Eligible applicants include state, county, and local governments; 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 tribal organizations; public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities; nonprofit organizations with or without 501(c)(3) status (excluding higher education institutions in those categories); for-profit organizations other than small businesses; and small businesses. The broad eligibility list reflects the fact that center-based biomedical research can be housed in universities, academic medical centers, independent research institutes, hospitals, and, in some circumstances, well-qualified private-sector or nonprofit entities, as long as they can meet NIH expectations for scientific leadership, infrastructure, compliance, and stewardship of federal funds.
Taken together, this FOA is essentially about creating a small national network of muscular dystrophy research centers that do more than fund individual experiments. The program is structured to concentrate expertise, share specialized resources with the wider field, train the next generation of muscular dystrophy researchers, and maintain active, transparent communication with patients and advocacy groups. The expectation is that this combination of coordinated research, shared infrastructure, workforce development, and outreach will speed progress toward better understanding muscular dystrophies and improving prevention, diagnosis, and treatment over time.Apply for RFA AR 18 001
- The Department of Health and Human Services, National Institutes of Health in the health, income security and social services sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Senator Paul D. Wellstone Muscular Dystrophy Specialized Research Centers (MRSRCs) (P50)" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 93.837, 93.846, 93.853, 93.865.
- This funding opportunity was created on Jun 30, 2017.
- Applicants must submit their applications by Oct 19, 2017. (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 $1,000,000.00 in funding.
- The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 3 candidate(s).
- 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 (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification).
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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What is the Senator Paul D. Wellstone Muscular Dystrophy Specialized Research Centers (MRSRCs) (P50) funding opportunity?
It is an NIH (Department of Health and Human Services) discretionary grant competition (RFA-AR-18-001) intended to support a small number of specialized, center-based programs focused on muscular dystrophy research using the P50 center mechanism.
What is the main purpose of this program?
The program aims to build and sustain highly collaborative muscular dystrophy research centers that can move discoveries along the full research pipeline, from basic science through translational work and into clinical research, while also serving as shared hubs for the broader research community.
What does it mean that these are "center-based" programs?
Rather than supporting isolated projects, the P50 center mechanism supports coordinated research efforts with shared leadership, common scientific goals, and core resources that enable multiple projects to operate more efficiently and with greater impact.
How many awards were anticipated under this FOA?
The FOA anticipated making about three awards, indicating NIH planned to fund a limited number of centers.
What is the award ceiling for this opportunity?
The award ceiling is listed at $1,000,000, reflecting a relatively substantial scale intended for high-capacity centers.
When was this opportunity created and when did it close?
The opportunity was created on June 30, 2017, and the original application closing date was October 19, 2017.
Which federal agency is offering this grant?
The funding opportunity is offered under the National Institutes of Health (NIH), within the Department of Health and Human Services.
What research areas are these centers expected to cover?
The centers are expected to focus on muscular dystrophy research and to be able to advance work across basic science, translational research, and clinical research, allowing discoveries to be evaluated, validated, and advanced within the same integrated program.
Why does the FOA emphasize teamwork and integration across disciplines?
The FOA is designed to accelerate progress in high-priority areas by encouraging close collaboration among laboratory scientists, translational researchers, and clinicians, so that promising findings can move more quickly toward meaningful clinical advances.
What role do shared cores or common resources play in a P50 center?
Core resources are intended to support multiple projects within the center, improving efficiency and enabling higher-impact research by providing shared capabilities, tools, or infrastructure that individual projects can draw upon.
Are these centers expected to support the broader muscular dystrophy research community?
Yes. In addition to producing new knowledge, the centers are expected to function as shared hubs by developing and maintaining resources and capabilities that other investigators can use.
What kinds of resources or capabilities are centers expected to develop and maintain?
The FOA states that centers should develop and maintain resources and capabilities usable by other investigators. The specific types of resources are not enumerated in the provided description, but the expectation is that they support broader community access and use.
Is training a required or emphasized component of the program?
Training is highlighted as a key expectation. The centers are intended to provide a strong training environment for early-career scientists and clinicians pursuing muscular dystrophy research careers.
What does a "strong training environment" imply in this FOA?
It generally implies a structured setting that includes mentorship, exposure to interdisciplinary work, and access to specialized tools, patient populations, or datasets that make training more rigorous and relevant.
Is community outreach part of what NIH expects from these centers?
Yes. The FOA emphasizes that investigators supported by these centers are expected to take community outreach seriously, including raising awareness of muscular dystrophy research and communicating why the work matters to patient communities and advocacy organizations.
How are these centers expected to interact with patient communities and advocacy organizations?
The centers are expected to communicate the practical implications of their research, explain the importance of the work, raise awareness, and function as visible and engaged partners to communities affected by muscular dystrophies.
What is meant by moving discoveries "along the full pipeline"?
It means the centers are expected to support research progression from basic discovery science through translational validation and onward into clinical research, with integrated teams enabling faster evaluation and advancement of promising findings.
What is the funding activity category for this opportunity?
This opportunity is categorized under Health, Income Security and Social Services funding activity areas, as described in the provided information.
What CFDA numbers are associated with this program?
The program is associated with multiple CFDA numbers: 93.837, 93.846, 93.853, and 93.865, reflecting NIH’s cross-institute structure and the way related research areas can span multiple awarding components.
Who is eligible to apply for this FOA?
Eligibility includes a broad range of domestic organizations, including: state, county, and local governments; 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 tribal organizations; public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities; nonprofit organizations with or without 501(c)(3) status (excluding higher education institutions in those categories); for-profit organizations other than small businesses; and small businesses.
Why is eligibility so broad for this center-based biomedical research program?
The broad eligibility reflects that center-based biomedical research can be housed in universities, academic medical centers, independent research institutes, hospitals, and sometimes well-qualified private-sector or nonprofit entities, provided they can meet NIH expectations for scientific leadership, infrastructure, compliance, and stewardship of federal funds.
Does the FOA suggest these centers will form a network?
Yes. The FOA is described as essentially creating a small national network of muscular dystrophy research centers designed to concentrate expertise, share specialized resources, train researchers, and engage with patient and advocacy communities.
What is the P50 mechanism intended to accomplish in this context?
In this FOA, the P50 mechanism is presented as a way to fund integrated, collaborative centers with shared goals and shared resources, enabling discoveries to move more rapidly from laboratory research through translational and clinical stages.
Is the focus only on generating new scientific knowledge?
No. While producing new knowledge is central, the FOA also expects centers to act as shared hubs for other investigators, provide robust training for early-career researchers and clinicians, and maintain active community outreach and communication.
What are the expected long-term outcomes of establishing these centers?
The FOA’s expectation is that coordinated research, shared infrastructure, workforce development, and outreach will speed progress toward better understanding muscular dystrophies and improving prevention, diagnosis, and treatment over time.
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