Opportunity Information: Apply for RFA NS 18 034
The Stroke Preclinical Assessment Network (SPAN) Coordinating Center opportunity (RFA-NS-18-034) is a National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS), NIH cooperative agreement (U24; clinical trial not allowed) designed to build a centralized hub that manages and coordinates a national preclinical testing network focused on acute ischemic stroke neuroprotection. The scientific motivation is tied to major progress in endovascular thrombectomy: because clinicians can now reopen blocked vessels more effectively, there is renewed potential for neuroprotective drugs or interventions to be used alongside reperfusion therapy to preserve brain tissue, extend the practical treatment window, and improve long-term functional outcomes. This FOA is not funding the individual experimental sites directly; instead, it funds the Coordinating Center (CC) that will organize and oversee the network and ensure that candidate neuroprotectants are evaluated in a rigorous, standardized, and efficient way.
At the core of SPAN is a translational pipeline intended to bridge the persistent gap between promising preclinical stroke findings and therapies that are truly ready for pivotal clinical trials. The network is expected to support testing of up to six promising neuroprotective drugs or interventions, specifically those intended to be administered prior to reperfusion or around the time reperfusion occurs. The preclinical work is expected to use experimental models of ischemic stroke that mirror key clinical realities, with the FOA citing models such as transient middle cerebral artery occlusion as an example. The Coordinating Center is responsible for putting the structure around these studies so that results are credible and comparable across sites, reducing redundancy, shortening timelines, and improving decision-making about which therapies have the strongest evidence to justify moving forward into expensive, high-stakes human trials.
Functionally, the Coordinating Center is the administrative and operational backbone of the SPAN consortium. It is expected to work closely with the funded network testing sites supported under the companion announcement (RFA-NS-18-033). In practice, that means providing centralized administrative oversight and coordinating "all aspects of the network," which typically includes harmonizing protocols and timelines across laboratories, organizing governance and communication (such as steering committee operations and cross-site meetings), tracking progress and milestones for each candidate therapy, supporting consistent data practices and reporting, and maintaining overall project management so studies remain aligned with the network's translational aims. Because this is a cooperative agreement, NIH is likely to have substantial programmatic involvement compared with a standard grant mechanism, with the CC acting as the point of integration between NIH expectations and multi-site execution.
The opportunity is categorized as discretionary funding in the health area (CFDA 93.853) and uses the cooperative agreement funding instrument type. The listed award ceiling is $500,000. The original closing date provided in the source information is December 13, 2018, and the FOA was created on August 6, 2018. While the source excerpt does not specify the number of anticipated awards, the intent is to support a single coordinating entity that can serve the network as a centralized hub.
Eligibility is broad across U.S.-based organizations and governmental entities, reflecting the infrastructure-heavy nature of a coordinating center. Eligible applicants include state, county, and local governments; special districts; independent school districts; public and state-controlled institutions of higher education; private institutions of higher education; federally recognized tribal governments and other tribal organizations; 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); small businesses; and other organizations. The FOA also highlights additional eligible applicant types such as Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian Serving Institutions, AANAPISI institutions, 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, and U.S. territories or possessions. At the same time, there are clear restrictions on foreign involvement: non-domestic (non-U.S.) entities and non-domestic components of U.S. organizations are not eligible to apply, and foreign components (as defined by NIH policy) are not allowed.
Overall, this SPAN Coordinating Center FOA is about building a disciplined, networked preclinical evaluation system for acute stroke neuroprotection in the modern reperfusion era. The intended payoff is practical and translational: by running coordinated, multi-site, well-managed preclinical studies on a limited set of high-potential candidates, SPAN aims to identify which neuroprotective approaches are most compelling for subsequent pivotal clinical trials, while saving time and resources and improving the reliability of go/no-go decisions.Apply for RFA NS 18 034
- The National Institutes of Health in the health sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Stroke Preclinical Assessment Network (SPAN) to Support Translational Studies for Acute Neuroprotection - Coordinating Center (U24 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): 93.853.
- This funding opportunity was created on 2018-08-06.
- Applicants must submit their applications by 2018-12-13. (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 $500,000.00 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: Stroke Preclinical Assessment Network (SPAN) Coordinating Center (RFA-NS-18-034)
What is RFA-NS-18-034?
RFA-NS-18-034 is a National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS), NIH funding opportunity to support the Stroke Preclinical Assessment Network (SPAN) Coordinating Center. It uses a cooperative agreement mechanism (U24) and is focused on building and running a centralized coordinating hub for a national preclinical testing network in acute ischemic stroke neuroprotection.
Who is sponsoring this opportunity?
The opportunity is sponsored by NINDS within the National Institutes of Health (NIH).
What is the main purpose of the SPAN Coordinating Center award?
The purpose is to fund a single Coordinating Center (CC) that manages and coordinates a national preclinical stroke neuroprotection testing network. The CC provides the structure, oversight, and operational backbone needed so candidate neuroprotectants can be evaluated rigorously, consistently, and efficiently across multiple testing sites.
Is this grant funding individual preclinical experimental sites?
No. This funding opportunity is for the Coordinating Center and does not directly fund the individual experimental testing sites. The network testing sites are supported under a companion announcement (RFA-NS-18-033), and the CC is expected to work closely with those funded sites.
What type of research is SPAN focused on?
SPAN is focused on preclinical testing for acute ischemic stroke neuroprotection, with a specific emphasis on therapies meant to be administered prior to reperfusion or around the time reperfusion occurs.
Why is there renewed interest in neuroprotection for acute ischemic stroke?
The scientific motivation is tied to major progress in endovascular thrombectomy. Because clinicians can now reopen blocked vessels more effectively, there is renewed potential for neuroprotective drugs or interventions to be used alongside reperfusion therapy to preserve brain tissue, extend the practical treatment window, and improve long-term functional outcomes.
What is the translational goal of SPAN?
SPAN is intended to bridge the long-standing gap between promising preclinical stroke findings and therapies that are truly ready for pivotal clinical trials. By coordinating multi-site, standardized preclinical testing, the network aims to produce more credible evidence and better go/no-go decisions about which candidates should move forward into expensive and high-stakes human trials.
How many candidate therapies is the network expected to test?
The network is expected to support testing of up to six promising neuroprotective drugs or interventions.
When are the candidate neuroprotectants intended to be administered?
They are specifically intended to be administered prior to reperfusion or around the time reperfusion occurs.
What kinds of preclinical stroke models are expected to be used?
The preclinical work is expected to use experimental models of ischemic stroke that mirror key clinical realities. The funding description cites transient middle cerebral artery occlusion as an example model.
What does the Coordinating Center actually do for the network?
The Coordinating Center is expected to provide centralized administrative oversight and coordinate all aspects of the network. Based on the description, this typically includes harmonizing protocols and timelines across laboratories, organizing governance and communication (including steering committee operations and cross-site meetings), tracking progress and milestones for each candidate therapy, supporting consistent data practices and reporting, and providing overall project management so studies remain aligned with the network's translational aims.
How does the cooperative agreement (U24) structure affect the project?
Because this is a cooperative agreement, NIH is likely to have substantial programmatic involvement compared with a standard grant. The Coordinating Center functions as a key integration point between NIH expectations and the day-to-day execution of the multi-site network.
Are clinical trials allowed under this award?
No. The mechanism is described as U24 with clinical trial not allowed.
What problem is SPAN trying to solve in preclinical stroke research?
SPAN is designed to reduce redundancy, shorten timelines, and improve decision-making by ensuring that candidate neuroprotectants are evaluated in a rigorous, standardized, and efficient way across sites. The Coordinating Center is responsible for building the framework that helps make results credible and comparable.
What is the funding instrument type?
The opportunity uses a cooperative agreement funding instrument type (U24).
What is the award ceiling listed for this opportunity?
The listed award ceiling is $500,000.
What is the CFDA number and program area?
The opportunity is categorized as discretionary funding in the health area and lists CFDA 93.853.
When was the FOA created and when did it close?
The FOA was created on August 6, 2018. The original closing date provided is December 13, 2018.
How many awards are anticipated?
The provided information does not specify the number of anticipated awards. However, the stated intent is to support a single coordinating entity that serves as the centralized hub for the network.
Who is eligible to apply?
Eligibility is broad across U.S.-based organizations and governmental entities. Eligible applicants include state, county, and local governments; special districts; independent school districts; public and state-controlled institutions of higher education; private institutions of higher education; federally recognized tribal governments and other tribal organizations; 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); small businesses; and other organizations.
Are there additional eligible applicant categories called out?
Yes. The FOA highlights additional eligible types such as Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian Serving Institutions, AANAPISI institutions, 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, and U.S. territories or possessions.
Are foreign organizations or foreign components allowed?
No. Non-domestic (non-U.S.) entities and non-domestic components of U.S. organizations are not eligible to apply, and foreign components (as defined by NIH policy) are not allowed.
What is the relationship between this FOA and RFA-NS-18-033?
This FOA (RFA-NS-18-034) supports the SPAN Coordinating Center. The Coordinating Center is expected to work closely with the network testing sites that are funded under the companion announcement (RFA-NS-18-033).
What is the intended long-term outcome of funding the Coordinating Center?
The intended payoff is practical and translational: coordinated, multi-site, well-managed preclinical studies on a limited set of high-potential candidates should identify the most compelling neuroprotective approaches for subsequent pivotal clinical trials, while saving time and resources and improving the reliability of go/no-go decisions.
Does the description indicate the Coordinating Center will manage milestones and reporting?
Yes. The Coordinating Center is expected to track progress and milestones for each candidate therapy and support consistent data practices and reporting across the network.
What kind of governance and communications support is expected from the Coordinating Center?
The Coordinating Center is expected to organize governance and communication for the consortium, including activities such as steering committee operations and cross-site meetings.
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