The Role of Epitranscriptomics in Development and Disease (R01 - Clinical Trial Not Allowed) | PAR 18 830

Opportunity Information: Apply for PAR 18 830

The grant opportunity titled "The Role of Epitranscriptomics in Development and Disease" (PAR 18 830) is a National Institutes of Health (NIH) R01 funding announcement that supports investigator-initiated research on epitranscriptomics, meaning the chemical modifications that occur on RNA molecules. The focus is on building a stronger scientific understanding of how RNA modifications influence the behavior and function of both coding RNAs (such as mRNA) and noncoding RNAs (such as lncRNAs and other regulatory RNAs). The announcement reflects a growing body of evidence that RNA chemical marks can shape gene regulation and cellular behavior in powerful ways, potentially affecting normal development as well as contributing to disease. At the same time, the FOA emphasizes that many core questions in the field remain open, including which modifications exist across different biological contexts, how widespread they are, and what specific roles they play in particular developmental pathways or disease processes.

The main goal of the FOA is to stimulate high-quality, mechanistic research that connects RNA chemical modifications to the initiation and progression of developmental processes and disease states that align with the missions of three NIH institutes: the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD), the National Cancer Institute (NCI), and the National Eye Institute (NEI). In practical terms, this means projects might examine how RNA modifications help govern embryonic or postnatal development, tissue differentiation and maturation, reproductive biology, pediatric health conditions, cancer initiation and progression, tumor cell plasticity, or disorders affecting the eye and visual system. The FOA is interested not only in cataloging modifications, but in clarifying what these marks do biologically, how they are added and removed, how they are interpreted by cells, and how they ultimately affect phenotype in development and disease-relevant settings.

This is an R01 grant mechanism, which generally supports substantial, multi-year research programs that can include hypothesis-driven studies, technology development in service of biological questions, and integrative approaches that tie molecular changes to cellular or organism-level outcomes. The opportunity is explicitly "Clinical Trial Not Allowed," meaning the supported work must not involve NIH-defined clinical trials that prospectively assign human participants to interventions to evaluate health-related outcomes. Applicants can still propose research that uses human biospecimens, patient-derived model systems, or observational human data, as long as the proposed work does not meet the NIH definition of a clinical trial. The activity category spans education, health, and social services-related domains, and the listed CFDA numbers (93.393, 93.396, 93.865, 93.867) correspond to NIH program areas relevant to the participating institutes.

Eligibility is broad and is designed to include a wide range of research performers. 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; Native American tribal organizations and tribal governments that are not federally recognized; public housing authorities and Indian housing authorities; nonprofits with and without 501(c)(3) status (excluding institutions of higher education in those categories); for-profit organizations (other than small businesses); small businesses; and other organizations that meet NIH eligibility requirements. The FOA also explicitly calls out additional eligible groups such as Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian Serving Institutions, Asian American Native American Pacific Islander Serving Institutions (AANAPISI), Hispanic-serving Institutions, Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), Tribally Controlled Colleges and Universities (TCCUs), faith-based or community-based organizations, eligible federal agencies, U.S. territories or possessions, regional organizations, and non-U.S. entities (foreign organizations). This breadth signals NIH interest in drawing from a diverse research community, including institutions that serve underrepresented populations and organizations outside the United States where appropriate expertise or resources may exist.

From the administrative details provided, the opportunity is a discretionary grant with an award ceiling listed as 499,999 (as provided in the source data), created on 2018-06-14, with an original closing date of 2021-06-03. The number of expected awards is not specified in the provided text, which typically means awards depend on application volume, quality, and available funds. Overall, the FOA is aimed at accelerating foundational and translationally relevant basic research on RNA chemical modifications by supporting projects that can explain how epitranscriptomic regulation influences key biological processes tied to child health and development, cancer biology, and eye and vision health, while keeping the work outside the scope of clinical trials.

• The National Institutes of Health in the education, health, income security and social services sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "The Role of Epitranscriptomics in Development and Disease (R01 - 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): 93.393, 93.396, 93.865, 93.867.
• This funding opportunity was created on 2018-06-14.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2021-06-03. (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 $499,999.00 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 PAR 18 830

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