Central Coordinating Site for the Polycystic Kidney Disease Research Core Centers (U24 Clinical Trial Not Allowed) | RFA DK 25 015

Opportunity Information: Apply for RFA DK 25 015

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) is soliciting applications for a Central Coordinating Site (CCS) to support a national Polycystic Kidney Disease (PKD) Research Consortium through a U24 cooperative agreement mechanism under funding opportunity number RFA-DK-25-015. The CCS is meant to function as the organizational hub that keeps the consortium running smoothly, working in close partnership with four Polycystic Kidney Disease Research and Translation Core Centers (RTCCs) that will be funded under the companion U54 announcement (RFA-DK-25-016). The overall purpose of the consortium is to accelerate progress in PKD by strengthening coordination across centers, expanding resource sharing, and building a more connected research community focused on understanding disease mechanisms and improving clinical care.

At its core, this opportunity is about infrastructure and coordination rather than running clinical trials. The CCS will provide centralized administrative management and communications support for the consortium, helping align activities across the four RTCCs and making the consortiums tools, resources, and outputs more accessible to the broader PKD research community. All consortium efforts are expected to contribute to improving understanding of PKD pathogenesis and progression and to support better prevention strategies and clinical management approaches. While the RTCCs will be the main engines delivering specialized cores and translational capabilities, the CCS is positioned as the integrating center that enables collaboration, standardization where appropriate, and consistent engagement across stakeholders.

The award is a cooperative agreement (U24), which typically means NIH will have substantial programmatic involvement compared with a standard research grant. In practical terms, applicants should expect an active partnership with NIH staff and an emphasis on consortium-level deliverables, coordination plans, communication workflows, and shared governance rather than a purely investigator-driven project. The notice explicitly states "Clinical Trial Not Allowed," signaling that the CCS application should not propose an independent clinical trial as part of the funded activities. The program sits within NIHs health-focused portfolio (CFDA 93.847) and is categorized under discretionary funding.

Eligibility is broad and includes many types of domestic organizations, such as state, county, and local governments; public and private institutions of higher education; nonprofit organizations (with or without 501(c)(3) status); for-profit organizations (other than small businesses) and small businesses; independent school districts; special district governments; public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities; and federally recognized Native American tribal governments and other tribal organizations. 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 (AANAPISIs), as well as faith-based or community-based organizations, eligible federal agencies, regional organizations, and U.S. territories or possessions. However, non-domestic (non-U.S.) entities are not eligible to apply, and non-domestic components of U.S. organizations are also not eligible to apply. At the same time, foreign components, as defined by NIH policy, are allowed, which generally means a U.S. applicant may include certain well-justified foreign collaborations or elements consistent with NIH rules even though the applicant organization itself must be domestic.

Key administrative details included in the notice are that NIH is the sponsoring agency, the opportunity was created on 2024-08-12, and the original application closing date is 2024-11-14. The funding ceiling and expected number of awards are not specified in the provided listing, so applicants would need to rely on the full NOFO text or NIH communications for budget constraints, award size expectations, and any limits on direct costs or project period.

In summary, RFA-DK-25-015 is aimed at establishing a central coordination and communications backbone for a four-center PKD Research Consortium. The CCS is expected to support efficient consortium operations, promote robust sharing of resources, and strengthen a national PKD research community, all with the broader objective of advancing knowledge and improving prevention and clinical management of polycystic kidney disease.

• The National Institutes of Health in the food and nutrition, health sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Central Coordinating Site for the Polycystic Kidney Disease Research Core Centers (U24 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 2024-08-12.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2024-11-14. (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 25 015

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