Biology of Aging in Reproductive Tissues (R01 Clinical Trial Not Allowed) | RFA AG 20 036

Opportunity Information: Apply for RFA AG 20 036

The Biology of Aging in Reproductive Tissues (R01 Clinical Trial Not Allowed) funding opportunity (RFA-AG-20-036) is a National Institutes of Health (NIH) research grant solicitation focused on understanding how and why reproductive tissues age. The goal is to support rigorous, mechanism-driven studies that explain the cellular and molecular processes controlling aging across the reproductive system. That includes not only the gonads (ovaries and testes), but also the surrounding and supporting environments that sustain them (the gonadal niche), reproductive accessory organs, and the reproductive neuroendocrine system that regulates reproductive function through hormonal and brain-endocrine signaling. The work funded through this announcement is intended to build foundational knowledge about reproductive aging, with the broader payoff of clarifying how reproductive capacity and reproductive tissue health change over time.

A key feature of the announcement is its emphasis on basic mechanistic research. Projects are expected to go beyond describing age-related changes and instead identify underlying biological mechanisms, pathways, and cellular interactions that drive those changes. The FOA explicitly allows basic mechanistic studies conducted in human subjects as well as vertebrate animal models, which gives applicants flexibility to choose the most appropriate systems to test hypotheses about reproductive aging. At the same time, the opportunity is labeled “Clinical Trial Not Allowed,” meaning applications should not propose clinical trials as defined by NIH. In practice, that generally steers applicants toward observational or mechanistic human studies and preclinical experimental work rather than interventional clinical efficacy or treatment-testing trials.

This opportunity uses the NIH R01 mechanism, which is the standard investigator-initiated research project grant designed for substantial, multi-year research programs. The funding instrument type is a grant, and the activity category is health-related research. The opportunity is listed under CFDA numbers 93.313 and 93.866, reflecting its alignment with NIH research program areas. The source information lists an award ceiling of $250,000, signaling an upper limit noted in the opportunity record (applicants would still be expected to follow the specific NIH budget rules and FOA instructions that apply to R01 submissions). The original closing date for this particular announcement was January 29, 2020, and the opportunity record shows it was created on June 5, 2019.

Eligibility for applying is broad and includes many types of organizations. Eligible applicants include 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; Native American tribal organizations that are not federally recognized; public housing authorities and Indian housing authorities; and a range of nonprofit organizations (both 501(c)(3) and non-501(c)(3), excluding institutions of higher education in those nonprofit categories as specified). For-profit organizations other than small businesses and small businesses are also listed as eligible, along with an “Other” category that NIH sometimes uses to capture additional qualifying entities. The announcement further highlights additional eligible applicant types, including 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); eligible federal government agencies; faith-based or community-based organizations; regional organizations; U.S. territories or possessions; and even non-domestic (non-U.S.) entities (foreign organizations). Taken together, the eligibility language signals an intent to attract a diverse applicant pool and encourage participation from institutions serving underrepresented communities as well as organizations outside the United States when appropriate.

In plain terms, this FOA is aimed at researchers who want to explain the biology that drives reproductive aging: how reproductive tissues and their regulatory systems change with age, what cellular programs and molecular signals are responsible, and how the reproductive system’s supporting environments contribute to age-related decline. Successful projects under this announcement would be expected to sharpen the scientific understanding of reproductive aging mechanisms in ways that can support future advances in reproductive health, healthy aging, and the biology of lifespan-related changes in endocrine and reproductive function, while staying clearly within the boundaries of non-clinical-trial research.

• The National Institutes of Health in the health sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Biology of Aging in Reproductive Tissues (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): 93.313, 93.866.
• This funding opportunity was created on 2019-06-05.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2020-01-29. (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 $250,000.00 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 20 036

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