NIDDK Catalyst Award (DP1 Clinical Trial Not Allowed) | RFA DK 23 014

Opportunity Information: Apply for RFA DK 23 014

The NIDDK Catalyst Award (DP1, Clinical Trial Not Allowed), Funding Opportunity Number RFA-DK-23-014, is a discretionary NIH grant mechanism intended to complement NIDDKs traditional investigator-initiated programs by backing bold, high-risk, high-reward research from individual scientists. Its core purpose is to accelerate pioneering and potentially transformational studies that tackle major scientific challenges aligned with two NIDDK divisions: the Division of Diabetes, Endocrinology and Metabolic Diseases, and the Division of Digestive Diseases and Nutrition. Projects are expected to aim for unusually high impact on diseases and conditions central to those missions, meaning the opportunity is geared toward research that could meaningfully shift scientific understanding or open new directions for prevention, diagnosis, or treatment down the line, even if the work is early-stage or unconventional.

A key feature of this opportunity is the emphasis on novelty and distinctiveness. To be considered responsive, the proposed research must reflect new and novel scientific directions that are clearly different from the investigators existing research program and also distinct from approaches already being widely pursued in the field. In practice, that means reviewers are looking for ideas that are not just incremental extensions of ongoing work, but rather creative concepts, tools, frameworks, or lines of inquiry that could change how a problem is approached in diabetes, endocrinology, metabolism, digestive diseases, or nutrition research. The award is positioned as a catalyst, so the expectation is that the funding will enable exploratory but rigorous work that can unlock new possibilities and generate a strong foundation for future advances.

This funding opportunity specifically does not allow clinical trials, as indicated by the title and policy language. Applicants need to ensure that the proposed aims do not meet NIH definitions of a clinical trial, and that human studies, if any, are structured in a way that stays outside clinical trial parameters. This typically steers the portfolio toward mechanistic studies, foundational biology, preclinical work, technology development, computational approaches, or other translationally relevant research that is not itself a clinical trial.

Eligibility is broad across many types of U.S.-based organizations and public entities. Eligible applicants include state, county, city or township 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; tribal organizations that are not federally recognized; public housing authorities and Indian housing authorities; nonprofits with or without 501(c)(3) status (other than institutions of higher education); for-profit organizations (other than small businesses); small businesses; and other categories permitted by NIH. The opportunity also explicitly highlights additional eligible applicant types such as Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian Serving Institutions, Asian American Native American Pacific Islander Serving Institutions (AANAPISIs), Hispanic-serving Institutions, Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), Tribally Controlled Colleges and Universities (TCCUs), faith-based or community-based organizations, eligible federal agencies, regional organizations, and U.S. territories or possessions.

Foreign participation is explicitly restricted. Non-domestic (non-U.S.) entities and foreign institutions are not eligible to apply. In addition, non-domestic components of U.S. organizations are not eligible, and foreign components as defined by the NIH Grants Policy Statement are not allowed. Taken together, these restrictions mean the applicant organization and the work supported under the award must be conducted within allowable domestic organizational structures without foreign components.

From the provided source details, the opportunity falls under activity areas associated with health and food/nutrition and is tied to CFDA number 93.847. The award ceiling listed is $500,000. The posting indicates an original closing date of 2023-09-28 and a creation date of 2023-06-15. While the expected number of awards is not specified in the provided text, the overall framing suggests a competitive selection designed to identify especially innovative investigators and ideas with the potential for outsized scientific impact within NIDDKs diabetes/endocrinology/metabolism and digestive diseases/nutrition priorities.

• The National Institutes of Health in the food and nutrition, health sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "NIDDK Catalyst Award (DP1 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): 93.847.
• This funding opportunity was created on 2023-06-15.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2023-09-28. (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 $500,000.00 in funding.
• 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 23 014

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