Complex Integrated Multi-Component Projects in Aging Research (U19 Clinical Trial Optional) | PAR 18 296

Opportunity Information: Apply for PAR 18 296

The Complex Integrated Multi-Component Projects in Aging Research (U19 Clinical Trial Optional) opportunity (FOA number PAR-18-296) is a National Institutes of Health (NIH) funding announcement designed to support large, ambitious aging-research efforts that cannot be carried out well as a single, standalone project. It uses the U19 cooperative agreement mechanism, which generally signals that NIH expects substantial interaction with awardees during the life of the project, often including active programmatic involvement, coordination, and shared oversight consistent with a cooperative agreement. The focus is on projects that bring together multiple, tightly linked components (for example, several research projects plus shared cores or centralized resources) that all align around one overarching scientific question that is clearly relevant to aging.

A central theme of the announcement is integration: the application is expected to describe a complex, multi-part research program where the individual components are not just running in parallel, but are intentionally designed to inform and strengthen one another. These kinds of projects typically require a multidisciplinary team and may be housed within one institution or built as a consortium across multiple institutions. In practice, that means applicants should be prepared to show how leadership, governance, communication, data/resource sharing, and scientific decision-making will work across the project as a whole, so the final product is more than the sum of its parts.

The FOA is labeled “Clinical Trial Optional,” meaning a proposed project may include a clinical trial component if it is appropriate for the scientific aims, but a clinical trial is not required. This allows applicants to propose anything from mechanistic or translational work to human-subjects research, including clinical studies, as long as the overall structure fits the multi-component U19 model and stays centered on an aging-related research question.

Eligibility is broad and includes many types of U.S.-based organizations. Government entities can apply, including state, county, city or township, special district governments, and independent school districts. Higher education institutions are eligible across the spectrum, including public/state-controlled and private institutions of higher education. Tribal eligibility includes federally recognized Native American tribal governments as well as Native American tribal organizations that are not federally recognized tribal governments. The FOA also allows nonprofit organizations, both those with 501(c)(3) IRS status and those without 501(c)(3) status (in both cases, other than institutions of higher education). For-profit organizations (other than small businesses) are eligible, and small businesses are explicitly included as well. The announcement also highlights additional eligible applicant categories 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 (AANAPISI). It also notes that eligible agencies of the federal government, faith-based or community-based organizations, regional organizations, and U.S. territories or possessions may apply, reflecting NIH’s intent to encourage participation from a wide range of organizational types and communities.

At the same time, the FOA draws clear boundaries on foreign participation. Non-domestic (non-U.S.) entities (foreign institutions) are not eligible to apply, and non-domestic components of U.S. organizations are also not eligible to apply. However, “foreign components” as defined in the NIH Grants Policy Statement are allowed, which typically means a U.S. applicant organization can include certain well-justified, discrete elements of work performed outside the United States when they are scientifically necessary and meet NIH policy requirements. In other words, the application must be led by an eligible domestic applicant, but it may incorporate allowable international elements if they are appropriately structured and justified under NIH rules.

From an administrative standpoint, the opportunity is categorized as discretionary, uses the cooperative agreement funding instrument, and falls under the health activity category with CFDA number 93.866. The source information provided lists an original closing date of 2019-09-13 and a creation date of 2017-11-01. Award ceiling and expected awards are not specified in the provided text, so applicants would typically look to NIH institute guidance, budget instructions for U19s, and any FOA-specific budget constraints (if stated elsewhere in the full announcement) to plan the scale of the request. Overall, the program is aimed at enabling complex, coordinated aging research programs that require multiple integrated pieces and a team science approach to answer a shared, central question.

• The National Institutes of Health in the health sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Complex Integrated Multi-Component Projects in Aging Research (U19 Clinical Trial Optional)" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 93.866.
• This funding opportunity was created on 2017-11-01.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2019-09-13. (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 18 296

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