Opportunity Information: Apply for PAR 23 236
The National Institutes of Health (NIH) funding opportunity titled "Early-stage Biomedical Data Repositories and Knowledgebases (R24 Clinical Trial Not Allowed)" (Funding Opportunity Number PAR-23-236) supports the creation and early development of new biomedical data repositories and knowledgebases. The focus is on building distinct, stand-alone resources that can serve the broader biomedical research community by organizing, preserving, curating, and enabling access to data or structured knowledge in ways that make the information more usable, discoverable, and reusable for scientific work. The mechanism is an R24 grant, which is commonly used by NIH to support resource-related projects that provide infrastructure or capabilities for the research community rather than testing an intervention in a clinical trial setting.
A key point in the title is "Clinical Trial Not Allowed," meaning proposed activities must not include clinical trials as defined by NIH. Applicants should plan projects around data infrastructure, curation pipelines, knowledge representation, repository design, metadata standards, access and governance models, interoperability, and other resource-building elements. The intended outcome is an early-stage repository or knowledgebase that demonstrates clear value and practical utility, with enough structure and planning to show it can become a reliable community resource. This FOA is aimed at resources that are new or in early stages, rather than mature repositories seeking routine operations funding, and it emphasizes the development phase where the core foundation, tooling, and policies are established.
The opportunity is categorized as a discretionary grant program and spans several health-related CFDA numbers, reflecting that it can align with many NIH mission areas depending on the scientific domain of the repository or knowledgebase. The listing includes multiple CFDA numbers (for example 93.113, 93.172, 93.173, 93.213, 93.233, 93.273, 93.279, 93.307, 93.310, 93.837, 93.838, 93.839, 93.840, 93.846, 93.853, 93.866, 93.867), which signals broad applicability across institutes and centers where data resources can accelerate research.
Eligibility is expansive and includes many organization types that could plausibly build and maintain shared data resources. Eligible applicants include state, county, city or township, and 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; other Native American tribal organizations (including those not federally recognized); public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities; nonprofit organizations (both 501(c)(3) and non-501(c)(3), excluding higher education institutions when specified); for-profit organizations (other than small businesses); and small businesses. The FOA also explicitly notes additional eligible categories such as Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian Serving Institutions, Asian American Native American Pacific Islander Serving Institutions (AANAPISISs), 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, U.S. territories or possessions, and even non-U.S. entities (foreign organizations). This breadth suggests NIH is interested in drawing proposals from a wide range of institutions that can serve research communities, including organizations rooted in specific populations or regions that may have unique data assets and stewardship models.
The stated award ceiling is $350,000, which sets an upper bound on funding under this announcement. The source data provided does not specify an exact number of expected awards, indicating that the number of grants made may depend on annual appropriations, application volume, scientific merit, and program priorities across participating NIH components. The opportunity was created on 2023-08-30, and the original closing date listed is 2026-01-25, giving applicants a long planning horizon but also requiring attention to NIH submission schedules, internal review timelines, and any intermediate due dates that may apply in the full FOA.
In practical terms, competitive proposals under this program typically need to articulate what the repository or knowledgebase will contain, who will use it, and what makes it meaningfully different from existing resources. Strong applications usually outline concrete plans for data ingestion and harmonization, metadata and ontologies, quality control and curation processes, user interfaces and programmatic access (such as APIs), documentation and user support, and policies for access, privacy, consent alignment, and governance. Because NIH is funding an early-stage build, applicants generally need to show a credible path from initial development to a sustainable resource, including community engagement, adoption plans, and strategies for long-term maintenance, even if long-term operations are not fully funded by this particular award.Apply for PAR 23 236
- The National Institutes of Health in the education, environment, health sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Early-stage Biomedical Data Repositories and Knowledgebases (R24 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): 93.113, 93.172, 93.173, 93.213, 93.233, 93.273, 93.279, 93.307, 93.310, 93.837, 93.838, 93.839, 93.840, 93.846, 93.853, 93.866, 93.867.
- This funding opportunity was created on 2023-08-30.
- Applicants must submit their applications by 2026-01-25. (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 $350,000.00 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.
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FAQs: NIH Early-stage Biomedical Data Repositories and Knowledgebases (R24 Clinical Trial Not Allowed) - PAR-23-236
What is this NIH funding opportunity?
This is an NIH funding opportunity titled "Early-stage Biomedical Data Repositories and Knowledgebases (R24 Clinical Trial Not Allowed)" with Funding Opportunity Number PAR-23-236. It supports the creation and early development of new biomedical data repositories and knowledgebases intended to serve the broader biomedical research community.
What is the main purpose of the program?
The program is designed to help applicants build distinct, stand-alone resources that organize, preserve, curate, and enable access to biomedical data or structured knowledge. The emphasis is on making information more usable, discoverable, and reusable for scientific work.
What kinds of projects are a fit for this opportunity?
Projects that focus on building the foundation of a data repository or knowledgebase are a fit. Examples of relevant development work include repository design, curation workflows, knowledge representation approaches, metadata standards, governance and access models, interoperability, and other resource-building elements needed to make a community-facing resource practical and reliable.
What does "early-stage" mean in this announcement?
"Early-stage" refers to resources that are new or still in their initial phases of development. The focus is on establishing the core foundation, tooling, and policies that demonstrate the resource can become a dependable community asset, rather than funding routine operations for mature repositories.
What does "Clinical Trial Not Allowed" mean?
"Clinical Trial Not Allowed" means proposed activities must not include clinical trials as defined by NIH. Applicants should plan work around infrastructure and resource development rather than testing interventions in a clinical trial setting.
What is the grant mechanism for this opportunity?
The mechanism is an R24 grant. NIH commonly uses R24 awards to support resource-related projects that provide infrastructure or capabilities for the research community.
What is the expected outcome NIH is looking for?
NIH is looking for an early-stage repository or knowledgebase that shows clear value and practical utility to a broader biomedical research community, along with sufficient structure and planning to demonstrate it can grow into a reliable, community-serving resource.
How much funding is available per award?
The stated award ceiling is $350,000, which is the upper bound on funding under this announcement.
How many awards will NIH make?
The information provided does not specify an expected number of awards. The number of grants may depend on annual appropriations, application volume, scientific merit, and program priorities across participating NIH components.
When was this opportunity created and what is the closing date?
The opportunity was created on 2023-08-30. The original closing date listed is 2026-01-25.
Does the long closing window mean there are no intermediate deadlines?
Not necessarily. While a long open period provides planning time, applicants still need to pay attention to NIH submission schedules, internal review timelines, and any intermediate due dates that may apply in the full FOA.
Who is eligible to apply?
Eligibility is broad and includes many organization types that could build and maintain shared biomedical data resources, including:
- State, county, city or township, and 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
- Other Native American tribal organizations (including those not federally recognized)
- Public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities
- Nonprofit organizations (501(c)(3) and non-501(c)(3), excluding higher education institutions when specified)
- For-profit organizations (other than small businesses)
- Small businesses
Are minority-serving institutions and community-based organizations eligible?
Yes. The FOA explicitly notes additional eligible categories including Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian Serving Institutions; Asian American Native American Pacific Islander Serving Institutions (AANAPISISs); Hispanic-serving Institutions; Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs); Tribally Controlled Colleges and Universities (TCCUs); and faith-based or community-based organizations.
Are federal agencies, regional entities, and U.S. territories eligible?
Yes. The FOA lists eligible federal agencies, regional organizations, and U.S. territories or possessions among the eligible applicant categories.
Can non-U.S. organizations apply?
Yes. The eligibility list includes non-U.S. entities (foreign organizations).
What types of resources does NIH want to fund under this FOA?
NIH is targeting distinct, stand-alone biomedical data repositories and knowledgebases that serve the wider research community. These resources should help organize and preserve data or structured knowledge and enable access in ways that improve discoverability and reuse.
What practical elements are typically important in competitive proposals?
Based on the description provided, competitive proposals typically describe:
- What the repository or knowledgebase will contain
- Who will use it and how it benefits the broader research community
- Why it is meaningfully different from existing resources
- Concrete plans for data ingestion and harmonization
- Metadata approaches and use of ontologies
- Quality control and curation processes
- User interfaces and programmatic access (for example, APIs)
- Documentation and user support plans
- Policies for access, privacy, consent alignment, and governance
- Interoperability approaches to connect with other systems and standards
Does this funding support long-term operations of an existing mature repository?
The FOA is aimed at new or early-stage resources rather than mature repositories seeking routine operations funding. The emphasis is on the development phase where core foundations, tooling, and policies are established.
Is sustainability expected even though this is an early-stage award?
Yes. Because NIH is funding an early-stage build, applicants are generally expected to show a credible path from initial development to a sustainable resource. The description highlights the importance of community engagement, adoption plans, and strategies for long-term maintenance, even if long-term operations are not fully funded by this award.
What scientific areas can this repository or knowledgebase cover?
The opportunity spans multiple health-related CFDA numbers, signaling that it can align with many NIH mission areas depending on the scientific domain of the repository or knowledgebase.
Which CFDA numbers are associated with this opportunity?
The listing includes multiple CFDA numbers, for example: 93.113, 93.172, 93.173, 93.213, 93.233, 93.273, 93.279, 93.307, 93.310, 93.837, 93.838, 93.839, 93.840, 93.846, 93.853, 93.866, 93.867.
What does it mean that this is a discretionary grant program?
It is categorized as a discretionary grant program, meaning awards are generally made through a competitive process and can depend on factors such as scientific merit, program priorities, application volume, and available appropriations.
What should applicants focus on if clinical trials are not allowed?
Applicants should focus on building and validating the resource itself: data infrastructure, curation pipelines, knowledge representation, metadata standards, access and governance frameworks, interoperability, and user-facing tools that make the repository or knowledgebase valuable and usable by the research community.
What makes a proposed repository or knowledgebase "community-serving" under this FOA?
Based on the description, a community-serving resource is one that supports the broader biomedical research community by improving how data or structured knowledge is organized, curated, preserved, and accessed, with features that promote discoverability and reuse for scientific work.
Does this FOA require the resource to be stand-alone?
Yes. The focus is on building distinct, stand-alone resources rather than incremental additions that do not function as a separate, clearly defined repository or knowledgebase.
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Applicants who have applied for this opportunity (PAR 23 236) also looked into and applied for these:
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| Intervention Research to Improve Native American Health (R21 Clinical Trials Optional) Apply for PAR 23 299 Funding Number: PAR 23 299 Agency: National Institutes of Health Category: Education, Environment, Health Funding Amount: Case Dependent |
| Intervention Research to Improve Native American Health (R34 Clinical Trial Optional) Apply for PAR 23 285 Funding Number: PAR 23 285 Agency: National Institutes of Health Category: Education, Environment, Health Funding Amount: Case Dependent |
| Center for Exposome Research Coordination to Accelerate Precision Environmental Health (U24 Clinical Trial Not Allowed) Apply for RFA ES 23 010 Funding Number: RFA ES 23 010 Agency: National Institutes of Health Category: Education, Environment, Health Funding Amount: Case Dependent |
| Transformative Research to Address Health Disparities and Advance Health Equity (U01 Clinical Trial Optional) Apply for RFA NR 24 004 Funding Number: RFA NR 24 004 Agency: National Institutes of Health Category: Education, Environment, Health Funding Amount: $500,000 |
| Emergency Competitive Revision to Existing NIH Awards (Emergency Supplement - Clinical Trial Optional) Apply for PA 24 201 Funding Number: PA 24 201 Agency: National Institutes of Health Category: Education, Environment, Health Funding Amount: Case Dependent |
| Midcareer Investigator Award in Patient-Oriented Research (Parent K24 Independent Clinical Trial Not Allowed) Apply for PA 24 188 Funding Number: PA 24 188 Agency: National Institutes of Health Category: Education, Environment, Health Funding Amount: Case Dependent |
| Midcareer Investigator Award in Patient-Oriented Research (Parent K24 Independent Clinical Trial Required) Apply for PA 24 187 Funding Number: PA 24 187 Agency: National Institutes of Health Category: Education, Environment, Health Funding Amount: Case Dependent |
| Midcareer Investigator Award in Patient-Oriented Research (Parent K24 - Independent Basic Experimental Studies with Humans Required) Apply for PA 24 189 Funding Number: PA 24 189 Agency: National Institutes of Health Category: Education, Environment, Health Funding Amount: Case Dependent |
| Summer Research Education Experience Program (R25 Clinical Trial Not Allowed) Apply for PAR 24 204 Funding Number: PAR 24 204 Agency: National Institutes of Health Category: Education, Environment, Health Funding Amount: Case Dependent |
| Blueprint Neurotherapeutics Network (BPN): Biologic-based Drug Discovery and Development for Disorders of the Nervous System (U44 Clinical Trial Optional) Apply for PAR 24 294 Funding Number: PAR 24 294 Agency: National Institutes of Health Category: Education, Environment, Health Funding Amount: Case Dependent |
| Blueprint Neurotherapeutics Network (BPN): Biologic-based Drug Discovery and Development for Disorders of the Nervous System (UG3/UH3 Clinical Trial Optional) Apply for PAR 24 293 Funding Number: PAR 24 293 Agency: National Institutes of Health Category: Education, Environment, Health Funding Amount: Case Dependent |
| Emerging Global Leader Award (K43 Independent Clinical Trial Required) Apply for PAR 24 295 Funding Number: PAR 24 295 Agency: National Institutes of Health Category: Education, Environment, Health Funding Amount: Case Dependent |
| Emerging Global Leader Award (K43 Independent Clinical Trial Not Allowed) Apply for PAR 24 296 Funding Number: PAR 24 296 Agency: National Institutes of Health Category: Education, Environment, Health Funding Amount: Case Dependent |
| CCRP Initiative: NIH Countermeasures Against Chemical Threats (CounterACT) Translational Exploratory/Developmental Research Projects (R21 Clinical Trial Not Allowed) Apply for PAR 25 114 Funding Number: PAR 25 114 Agency: National Institutes of Health Category: Education, Environment, Health Funding Amount: $275,000 |
| Time-Sensitive Research Opportunities in Environmental Health Sciences (R21 Clinical Trials Not Allowed) Apply for RFA ES 25 003 Funding Number: RFA ES 25 003 Agency: National Institutes of Health Category: Education, Environment, Health Funding Amount: $800,000 |
| Transformative Research to Address Health Disparities and Advance Health Equity (U01 Clinical Trial Optional) Apply for RFA NR 25 003 Funding Number: RFA NR 25 003 Agency: National Institutes of Health Category: Education, Environment, Health Funding Amount: $500,000 |
| Ruth L. Kirschstein National Research Service Award (NRSA) Individual Senior Fellowship (Parent F33) Apply for PA 25 424 Funding Number: PA 25 424 Agency: National Institutes of Health Category: Education, Environment, Health Funding Amount: Case Dependent |
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