Elucidating the Role of the Autonomic Nervous System in Peripheral Metabolism and Metabolic Disease through the Application of Novel Tools and Methodologies (RC2 Clinical Trial Optional) | PAR 18 898

Opportunity Information: Apply for PAR 18 898

This funding opportunity (PAR 18-898) is a National Institutes of Health (NIH) grant announcement from the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK) that uses the High Impact, Interdisciplinary Science mechanism known as the RC2. The central purpose is to push forward a new or underdeveloped area of research by bringing together interdisciplinary teams to create enabling resources or generate discovery-driven findings that can reshape how the broader research community studies a problem. In this case, the problem is how the autonomic nervous system (ANS) regulates peripheral metabolism and how ANS function or dysfunction contributes to diabetes, obesity, and related metabolic diseases. The opportunity is labeled "Clinical Trial Optional," meaning applicants may propose studies that include a clinical trial if it is scientifically justified, but a clinical trial is not required.

The scientific focus is tightly targeted: NIDDK is looking for advances that clarify what the ANS is doing in metabolic tissues outside the brain and spinal cord, and how those neural signals influence metabolic processes relevant to disease. The ANS, which includes sympathetic and parasympathetic branches, is known to affect organs such as the liver, pancreas, adipose tissue, skeletal muscle, and gut. However, the FOA is signaling that major knowledge gaps remain, especially around causal mechanisms, functional mapping, and the ability to measure or manipulate relevant neural pathways in ways that translate into clearer metabolic insight and ultimately better prevention or treatment strategies. Proposals are expected to be ambitious and cross-disciplinary, leveraging expertise that could span neuroscience, metabolism, endocrinology, bioengineering, computational biology, imaging, device development, and other fields where new methods can unlock previously inaccessible biology.

The FOA encourages two broad types of projects. One path is resource generation: building novel tools, technologies, or methodologies that can be applied to the autonomic nervous system to reveal its functional role in metabolism. This could include new approaches to map ANS innervation of metabolic organs, methods to record ANS activity with better resolution or in more physiologically relevant settings, techniques to selectively stimulate or inhibit specific autonomic circuits, or analytical pipelines that integrate neural and metabolic data. The key idea is that the output should be broadly useful, not just for a single lab, and should enable a step-change in what researchers can test or observe. The other path is discovery-based and hypothesis-generating research that uses novel approaches to address well-defined knowledge gaps or important scientific questions about ANS control of metabolism. Here, the emphasis is on producing insights that substantially advance understanding of ANS-metabolism relationships, even if the work is exploratory, provided it has clear potential to accelerate progress toward metabolic disease interventions.

From an administrative and eligibility perspective, this is a discretionary grant with an NIH funding instrument type of "Grant" and an activity category aligned with health, food, and nutrition (CFDA 93.847). A wide range of applicant organizations are eligible, 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; tribal organizations that are not federally recognized; public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities; nonprofits (both 501(c)(3) and non-501(c)(3), excluding higher education institutions in those specific nonprofit categories); for-profit organizations other than small businesses; and small businesses. The announcement 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.

There are important foreign eligibility details. Non-domestic (non-U.S.) entities and non-U.S. institutions are not eligible to apply as the applicant organization. However, non-domestic components of U.S. organizations are eligible to apply, and foreign components, as defined in the NIH Grants Policy Statement, are allowed. In practice, this means a U.S.-based applicant can include certain types of foreign collaboration or foreign components if they meet NIH policy requirements, but a foreign institution cannot serve as the primary applicant.

Key logistical details included in the source data are that the opportunity was created on 2018-08-09 and listed an original closing date of 2021-06-01. The award ceiling and expected number of awards are not specified in the provided data, which is sometimes the case for NIH FOAs where budgets and award counts can depend on annual appropriations, program priorities, and the quality of the application pool.

Overall, the opportunity is best understood as an NIDDK effort to catalyze a leap forward in a high-potential intersection of neuroscience and metabolic disease research. The institute is seeking interdisciplinary projects that either deliver widely enabling tools/methods for studying autonomic control of peripheral metabolism or produce major advances in understanding through innovative, potentially paradigm-shifting approaches. The end goal is not just incremental knowledge, but a foundation that helps the field move faster toward preventing and treating diabetes, obesity, and related metabolic disorders by clarifying how autonomic pathways contribute to metabolic regulation and dysfunction.

• The National Institutes of Health in the food and nutrition, health sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Elucidating the Role of the Autonomic Nervous System in Peripheral Metabolism and Metabolic Disease through the Application of Novel Tools and Methodologies (RC2 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 2018-08-09.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2021-06-01. (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 18 898

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