Collaborative Science to Achieve Disruptive Innovations in Dental, Oral and Craniofacial (DOC) Research (RM1 Clinical Trial Not Allowed) | RFA DE 24 003

Opportunity Information: Apply for RFA DE 24 003

This funding opportunity, RFA-DE-24-003, is a National Institutes of Health (NIH) grant run through the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research (NIDCR). It supports large, tightly coordinated research teams working on high-impact problems in dental, oral, and craniofacial (DOC) science. The program is built around the idea that certain scientific questions are now too complex to be solved by one or two investigators working independently, and that real breakthroughs often come from sustained collaboration across disciplines. The NOFO is specifically aimed at projects that can plausibly deliver disruptive innovations, meaning advances that could significantly shift current understanding, methods, or future directions in DOC research rather than producing incremental improvements.

The required structure is a collaborative, integrated team project with one unified and well-defined scientific goal that fits squarely within the NIDCR mission. The expectation is not simply that multiple labs participate, but that the work is designed so the different areas of expertise meaningfully depend on each other. In other words, the team should be constructed to create synergy, with clear plans for managed interactions, coordination, and integration of efforts. The NOFO signals that applicants should propose research that genuinely requires diverse technical and intellectual approaches, such as combining complementary specialties, technologies, or analytic frameworks that a single PI or small group could not realistically execute at the necessary depth and scale.

The award mechanism is an RM1 (a specialized NIH grant mechanism used for multi-component, team-based research programs). The title includes "Clinical Trial Not Allowed," which means applicants should not propose a project that meets the NIH definition of a clinical trial. While the project can still be clinically relevant or use human-derived materials or observational approaches depending on NIH rules, the application cannot include interventional studies designed to prospectively assign human participants to an intervention to measure health-related outcomes. If human components are involved, they must remain within the boundaries permitted for a non-clinical-trial application under NIH policy.

Eligibility is broad and includes many common applicant types: 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 with or without 501(c)(3) status (other than institutions of higher education); for-profit organizations (other than small businesses); and small businesses. The NOFO also explicitly highlights additional eligible applicant categories 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, regional organizations, eligible federal agencies, and U.S. territories or possessions. At the same time, it draws clear lines around foreign involvement: non-domestic (non-U.S.) entities and non-domestic components of U.S. organizations are not eligible to apply. However, "foreign components" (as NIH defines them in the NIH Grants Policy Statement) are allowed, meaning a U.S.-based applicant may be able to include certain international elements of the work if they meet NIH criteria and are appropriately justified and managed.

From an administrative standpoint, this is a discretionary grant in the health funding category (CFDA 93.121). The listing indicates an award ceiling of $750,000, which is the maximum amount shown in the source data for the opportunity. The original closing date shown is November 22, 2023, and the opportunity record creation date is August 29, 2023. Applicants would typically be expected to align their budgets, scope, and team structure with the RM1 mechanism and NIH/NIDCR expectations for integrated, milestone-driven collaboration.

In practical terms, a competitive application under this NOFO would usually read like a single cohesive program rather than a bundle of loosely connected subprojects. Reviewers will likely look for a compelling central problem, a strong rationale for why a team-based RM1 approach is necessary, clear integration across disciplines, and an effective management plan showing how the collaboration will be executed (communication cadence, decision-making, data sharing, integration of methods, and handling of cross-team dependencies). The overall emphasis is on ambitious DOC research that is both scientifically rigorous and organized in a way that makes genuinely collaborative progress more likely than a traditional, single-lab award.

• The National Institutes of Health in the health sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Collaborative Science to Achieve Disruptive Innovations in Dental, Oral and Craniofacial (DOC) Research (RM1 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): 93.121.
• This funding opportunity was created on 2023-08-29.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2023-11-22. (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 $750,000.00 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 DE 24 003

[Watch] Creating a grant proposal using the step-by-step wizard inside the applicant portal: