Research Collaboration Network in Structural Racism Measurement and Modeling (U24 Clinical Trial Optional) | RFA AG 25 003

Opportunity Information: Apply for RFA AG 25 003

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) is soliciting applications under the funding opportunity titled "Research Collaboration Network in Structural Racism Measurement and Modeling (U24 Clinical Trial Optional)" (RFA-AG-25-003). This program is designed to build an interdisciplinary collaboration network that brings together scholars from multiple fields to improve how structural racism is measured and modeled in research. The central aim is to strengthen the scientific tools and approaches needed to study how structural racism shapes health across the life course, with a particular focus on health and aging outcomes. The intent is less about funding a single, isolated research project and more about supporting a coordinated, cooperative effort that can accelerate progress in methods, shared resources, and cross-disciplinary alignment.

The award mechanism is a U24 cooperative agreement, meaning NIH expects substantial involvement and partnership between the awardees and the agency in carrying out the network's activities. The "Clinical Trial Optional" designation indicates that applicants may propose work that includes a clinical trial if it is appropriate, but a clinical trial is not required. In practical terms, applicants should expect to propose a structured set of network functions such as convening investigators, establishing shared measurement frameworks, harmonizing data or metrics across studies, advancing statistical or computational models that capture structural racism at different levels (policy, institutional, neighborhood, and historical), and promoting best practices that make resulting measures usable and comparable across health and aging research settings.

A wide range of organizations are eligible to apply. Eligibility includes governmental entities (state, county, city or township, and special district governments), independent school districts, and public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities. Higher education institutions are eligible across types, including public/state-controlled and private institutions. Tribal entities are included, such as federally recognized Native American tribal governments as well as tribal organizations and Indian/Native American tribal governments that are not federally recognized. The NOFO also explicitly highlights eligibility for mission-driven and community-rooted institutions and organizations, including Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), Hispanic-serving Institutions, Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian Serving Institutions, Asian American Native American Pacific Islander Serving Institutions (AANAPISIs), Tribally Controlled Colleges and Universities (TCCUs), faith-based or community-based organizations, and regional organizations. Both nonprofit organizations (with or without 501(c)(3) status) and for-profit organizations (other than small businesses), as well as small businesses, are listed as eligible applicants. U.S. territories or possessions are also included as eligible applicants.

At the same time, the opportunity places clear restrictions on foreign involvement. Non-domestic (non-U.S.) entities (foreign organizations) are not eligible to apply. Non-domestic components of U.S. organizations are not eligible to apply, and foreign components, as defined in the NIH Grants Policy Statement, are not allowed. These limitations mean the applicant organization and all proposed components must be domestic and compliant with NIH rules on foreign components.

Key administrative details include that this is a discretionary funding opportunity administered by NIH, within the health funding activity category, and associated with CFDA numbers 93.307 and 93.866. The original application closing date is listed as October 17, 2024, and the opportunity was created on June 12, 2024. The award ceiling is $1,000,000. The listing also notes "ExpectedAwards:" without a number provided in the supplied text, so the expected count of awards is not specified here.

Overall, this NOFO is aimed at creating a formal, collaborative infrastructure for advancing rigorous and actionable measurement and modeling of structural racism, specifically to enable stronger research on how these structural forces affect health trajectories over time, including aging-related outcomes. The cooperative agreement format signals that applicants should be prepared to operate as a coordinated network with shared deliverables and ongoing engagement with NIH rather than functioning as a standalone research team working independently.

• The National Institutes of Health in the health sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Research Collaboration Network in Structural Racism Measurement and Modeling (U24 Clinical Trial Optional)" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 93.307, 93.866.
• This funding opportunity was created on 2024-06-12.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2024-10-17. (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 $1,000,000.00 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 AG 25 003

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