RFA-DK-26-310-Full-Announcement.html

Department of Health and Human Services

Part 1. Overview Information

Participating Organization(s)

National Institutes of Health (NIH)

Components of Participating Organizations

National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK)

Funding Opportunity Title

Diabetes Research Centers (P30 Clinical Trial Optional)

Activity Code

P30 Center Core Grants

Announcement Type

Reissue of

RFA-DK-25-008

Related Notices

Check for any recent Notices of NIH Policy Changes that may impact application requirements.

Funding Opportunity Number (FON)

RFA-DK-26-310

Companion Notice of Funding Opportunity

None

Number of Applications

See Section III. 3. Additional Information on Eligibility. Only one application per institution is allowed, as defined in Section III. 3. Additional Information on Eligibility.

Assistance Listing Number(s)

93.847

Notice of Funding Opportunity Purpose

This Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) invites applications for Diabetes Research Centers (DRCs) that are designed to support and enhance the national research effort in diabetes, its complications, and related endocrine and metabolic diseases. The purpose of this Centers program is to bring together basic and clinical investigators to enhance communication, multidisciplinary collaboration, and effectiveness of ongoing research in Diabetes Research Center topic areas. By providing shared access to specialized technical resources (research cores) and supporting a Pilot and Feasibility Program (P&F), DRCs are intended to create an environment that provides the capability for accomplishments greater than those that would be possible by individual research project grant support alone. New Center programs that bring in new approaches, propose unique scientific themes, or provide innovative resources are encouraged. Emphasis will be placed on Center programs that propose enhanced synergies with other NIDDK-funded programs as well as providing a rich mentoring environment for future diabetes researchers.

Funding Opportunity Goal(s)

The objectives of the Diabetes Research Centers are to promote extramural preclinical and clinical biomedical research that improves our understanding of the pathogenic mechanisms underlying diabetes and related metabolic disorders leading to improved prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of diabetes and related metabolic disorders and complications.

Key Dates

Posted Date

Open Date (Earliest Submission Date)

February 10, 2026

March 10, 2026

March 10, 2026

Not Applicable

December 2026

January 27, 2027

January 27, 2027

Not Applicable

December 2027

All applications are due by 5:00 PM local time of applicant organization.

Applicants are encouraged to apply early to allow adequate time to make any corrections to errors found in the application during the submission process by the due date.

No late applications will be accepted for this Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO).

Expiration Date

January 28, 2027

Due Dates for E.O. 12372

Not Applicable

Required Application Instructions

It is critical that applicants follow the Multi-Project (M) Instructions in the How to Apply - Application Guide, except where instructed to do otherwise (in this NOFO or in a Notice from the NIH Guide for Grants and Contracts). Conformance to all requirements (both in the How to Apply - Application Guide and the NOFO) is required and strictly enforced. Applicants must read and follow all application instructions in the How to Apply - Application Guide as well as any program-specific instructions noted in Section IV. When the program-specific instructions deviate from those in the How to Apply - Application Guide, follow the program-specific instructions. Applications that do not comply with these instructions may be delayed or not accepted for review.

Table of Contents

Part 1. Overview Information Key Dates Part 2. Full Text of Announcement Section I. Notice of Funding Opportunity Description Section II. Award Information Section III. Eligibility Information Section IV. Application and Submission Information Section V. Application Review Information Section VI. Award Administration Information Section VII. Agency Contacts Section VIII. Other Information

Part 2. Full Text of Announcement

Section I. Notice of Funding Opportunity Description

Background According to the CDC, the prevalence of diabetes mellitus in the United States continues to rise over time. It was ~14.7% of the adult population in 2021 (~38 million, or 11.6% of the US Population) and about twice that prevalence in those over 65. Diabetes accounts for a major national burden of morbidity, mortality, and health care expenditures. Individuals with diabetes incur average health care expenditures that are around two to three times higher than those without diabetes. Obesity is a significant risk factor for type 2 diabetes and the prevalence of obesity in adults and children in the U.S. has dramatically increased in the past four decades. Overweight, obesity, and/or excessive weight gain during pregnancy are also contributing to the rising rates of gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) which in turn increases risk of future type 2 diabetes in the mother and child. Both type 1 and type 2 diabetes in youth are also on the rise. People with diabetes have a higher rate of cardiovascular disease along with a host of other co-morbidities including microvascular complications that may lead to kidney failure, lower limb amputation, and blindness.

Program Objectives The objectives of the Diabetes Research Centers (DRCs) include promoting preclinical, clinical and interdisciplinary biomedical research to improve our understanding of the pathogenic mechanisms underlying diabetes and related metabolic disorders. The DRCs long-term goal is to enhance the effectiveness and synergy around research on the pathogenic mechanisms of diabetes related metabolic diseases (e.g., obesity) along with prevention of or interventions for diabetes and its complications. To accomplish this, Centers may engage scientists from interdisciplinary fields including but not limited to endocrinology, immunology, inflammation, neurosciences, pathology, genetics and other “OMICs”, cell biology, biostatistics, artificial intelligence, machine learning, and other fields that can be leveraged to prevent or cure diabetes, related disorders and complications. The structure of a DRC aims to create and support a community of basic and clinical investigators, and to provide biomedical research cores and a pilot and feasibility grant program to enhance the effectiveness and synergy around this research. DRCs are meant to improve communication among investigators and to integrate, coordinate, and foster interdisciplinary research. To accomplish this mission, the Diabetes Research Centers support a group of established investigators actively conducting programs of important, high-quality research and provide the opportunity to synergize, through the DRC structure, with other NIH funded Centers and NIDDK programs at the DRC's institution and affiliated institutions if applicable. It also provides a rich environment to enhance workforce development of both preclinical and clinical investigators. The overall purpose of the Diabetes Research Centers program is to provide the capability for accomplishments greater than those that would be possible by individual research project grant support alone.

This Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) for the Diabetes Research Centers represents a key component of the NIDDK’s overall strategy to improve the health of Americans by reducing the prevalence ad impact of diabetes and related endocrine and metabolic disorders.

Structure and Activities of a DRC The DRC is composed of three components to be proposed in the application: an Administrative Core (with an Enrichment Program), at least two but not more than five Biomedical Research Cores, and a Pilot and Feasibility (P&F) Grant Program. These components are described in detail below. The DRC must be an identifiable unit within either a single institution (such as a university medical center) or a consortium of cooperating institutions. The DRC is expected to facilitate and leverage relevant expertise and collaborations leading to the formation of a community of scientists whose long-term goals are to prevent or cure diabetes and its complications. DRC applications must identify a process for designating members (as described below) whose research is focused on the proposed scientific theme or themes (as described below). Evidence should exist, that taken as a whole, the group of members have: 1) an existing strong research base of external research funding in basic and/or clinical research in diabetes and/or related areas within NIDDK’s mission, (2) a consistent and outstanding record of reviewed publications related to the theme or themes, and (3) other evidence of impact on the field (e.g., participation in developing new methods or clinical guidelines, progress along the translational spectrum, national collaborations, or other evidence of health and societal impact).

The Administrative Core (includes an Enrichment Program) Each DRC must include an Administrative Core responsible for overall DRC leadership, allocation and oversight of Center resources, and to ensure the coordination and integration of DRC components and activities. Administrative Core personnel provide support for a required External Advisory Committee and the internal committee structure of the Center. The Administrative Core should have a process to a) assess the productivity, effectiveness, and appropriateness of Center activities including reviewing the biomedical research cores for utilization and feedback, and the P&F program; b) considering the criteria and selection process for Center membership and carrying out that process; c) foster collaborations and scientific opportunities among its members; and d) work with other DRCs and NIDDK Center programs and Coordinating Centers to facilitate administration of regional and/or national programs (see below section on Interaction with Coordinating Centers). Irrespective of the leadership approach for the DRC, there should be a succession plan described in the application that will be triggered in the case that the contact PI cannot fulfill their duties for any reason.

The Administrative Core must also support an Enrichment Program that is expected to be key for developing a community of diabetes researchers and growing that community over time. It accomplishes this by providing enrichment activities that in turn foster investigator interactions leading to multidisciplinary diabetes research approaches and attract new investigators with relevant expertise to diabetes research. While many of these activities my already occur at the recipient institution, applicants are encouraged to suggest coordinated efforts, such as educational activities, that might operate on a regional or national level and involve multiple Diabetes Research Centers. Funding support for the Enrichment Program under the auspices of the Administrative Core may be requested. Support for visiting scientists, seminars, and research forums are appropriate items for inclusion in an enrichment program as well as any appropriate, innovative means to support the goals of the Center, e.g.workshops, etc. Also, limited travel support may be requested to allow DRC investigators, particularly early-stage and junior investigators, to learn new laboratory techniques, to develop new collaborations, or to engage in scientific information exchange. In all cases, the enrichment program should further the overall aims and objectives of the DRC as well as its cores. Creative new programs, not precluded by NIH or NIDDK policies, are encouraged. While DRCs may not support stipends for graduate students or postdoctoral fellows, the environment fostered by the existence of the Center with its core facilities in conjunction with its enrichment program and educational opportunities should serve to foster the careers of students, postdoctoral fellows and junior faculty, including those in F-, K- and T- mechanism training programs.

Finally, all DRCs will be required to maintain an institutional DRC website, with the Administrative Core taking primary responsibility for its curation and oversight, as well as for ensuring proper and seamless integration of the Center website with the NIDDK Diabetes Research Center program website http://www.diabetescenters.org/.

Biomedical Resource Cores DRCs are designed around Biomedical Research Cores that provide shared, specialized technical resources and/or expertise that enhance the efficiency, productivity, and multidisciplinary nature of research performed by Center-affiliated investigators. Cores are intended to facilitate basic and/or clinical research in diabetes, endocrinology and metabolic diseases to accomplish the stated goals and theme(s) of the individual DRC. During the application review, the merit of each core is considered separately and NIDDK may only be able to fund those cores that are rated exceptional or outstanding during peer review.

Each Biomedical Research Core should provide state-of-the art services including but not limited to access to specialized equipment for multiple, funded research projects. Examples of current biomedical research cores and the categories they fall into can be found at https://www.diabetescenters.org/cores. However, innovation and cores in new areas such as computational biology or bioinformatic applications to diabetes; biomedical engineering, and support of clinical research in diabetes are encouraged. It is expected that the cores proposed address the specific objectives and theme(s) described in the application which is based on the unique requirements of investigators at the applicant institution(s). Emphasis should be placed on services that support and foster interdisciplinary, integrated and translational approaches to research in Diabetes Center topic or thematic areas. Preference will be given to diabetes-related core support services that are not readily available or cost-effective when supplied from commercial sources, and techniques or technologies that may be technically challenging or require specialized expertise, equipment or infrastructure. A justification for the core will be provided in the application. Establishment and continued support of biomedical research cores within a DRC are justified on the basis of significant use by independently funded Center investigators. Thus, usage tables are part of the application. The application should provide a justification for each core that could include: 1) providing added value and access to the resource beyond that provided through fee-for-service; 2) providing a unique resource that would not otherwise be available to individual Center members because it is too costly, too labor-intensive, or too specialized; 3) providing a service more effectively than would be feasible in individual cores, therefore avoiding duplication and lowering cost for Center members; or 4) the service/ instrumentation/ expertise exists only with the participation of multiple centers and their members’ user fees in proportion to by-in from center to which they belong. The need for core support from the DRC must be well-justified with a broad user base of NIH-funded investigators pursuing research activities in DRC topic areas. The relevance and utilization of the core services by the research base will be emphasized during the review process.

If a proposed biomedical research core is an existing institutional or departmental research core, applicants must provide a strong rationale and compelling justification addressing the value added for Center members. In that case it may be helpful to explain if members would still be able to access the core or what their limitations would be if the DRC did not exist. For an exceptional institutional core for which there is a strong and compelling justification, consider the merit of having a faculty liaison or consultant with expertise in both diabetes, endocrinology or metabolism and the technology of that core to assist the members as needed with experimental design and interpretation of data derived from its use of from a diabetes, endocrinology or metabolism perspective.

Synergy and avoiding duplication among DRC-supported cores should be a priority to leverage NIDDK-supported resources. Centers are encouraged to interact with the broader research community, serving as resources to support research of importance to NIDDK. Therefore, biomedical research core usage by (1) Members of other DRCs; (2) Members of other NIDDK-funded Centers; and (3) Non-Center members, both locally and nationally, is encouraged when Core capacity allows and institutional policies can be accommodated.

Additional Biomedical Research Core Activities Teaching new or complex techniques and methodologies is an important function of a Core. When appropriate, Core staff should provide instruction for investigators, laboratory personnel, and/or fellows to learn, and then become proficient in, technologies that will become part of the repertoire of the user's laboratory. In addition to providing products or services, a Core must ensure appropriate quality control and maintain a record of use. Limited developmental research is also an appropriate function of a Core facility if it is directly related to enhancing the function or usefulness of the Core and is not an undertaking that should more appropriately be funded through other mechanisms. As part of each Core, applicants should provide plans for responding to the changing needs of the Center members.

Pilot and Feasibility (P&F) Program The DRC P&F program provides modest support (typically 1-2 years) for new initiatives or feasibility research studies in Diabetes Center topic areas. At least 25% of the overall Center direct costs should be devoted for support of P&F projects, but additional institutional commitments to increase the pool are welcome. The number and maximum size of the P&F awards, and whether there are different amounts for different types of research grants is entirely up to the applicant, but that should be justified. The P&F program is particularly directed at early-stage or new investigators to provide them minimal support for collecting required preliminary data to support a grant application for independent research in diabetes/metabolic disease focused area. P&F study support is not intended for large projects by established investigators that would otherwise be submitted as separate research grant applications or to support or supplement ongoing funded research. It can be used as a strategy to engage an experience researcher from another field (e.g., immunology, neuroscience, artificial intelligence, machine learning etc.) with the goal of applying their novel technology or innovative science to diabetes, endocrinology or metabolic disease research.

The solicitation and review of P&F applications, as well as the review of progress and management of the P&F program reside within each Center. This approach provides each Center with the needed flexibility for effective and efficient management of their P&F program. DRCs are encouraged to partner with other NIDDK-funded Center programs at their Institution and/or regionally to synergize the process of soliciting, reviewing and managing their P&F programs. DRCs should also participate in contributing to and updating a national reviewer database that is maintained by the NIDDK Diabetes Centers website https://diabetescenters.org/ Additional Opportunities for Resource Cores and Programs The principal goal of the additional opportunities listed below is to provide regional/national DRC shared biomedical research core services or a regional/national P&F grant program opportunities to support diabetes researchers at institutions that are not currently served by a Diabetes Research Center. Mechanisms to provide outreach to other diabetes researchers, that are not part of the DRC membership, is a priority for NIDDK. DRCs are encouraged to propose partnerships that establish national or regional biomedical research cores and/or P&F programs with other institutions. The primary goal of such partnerships is to foster scientific collaborations and to provide access to the DRC infrastructure to investigators at these institutions or organizations.

Thus, to broaden the scope and reach of the DRC P&F program, a DRC may propose, for example, a regional or national P&F program that provides grants to other institutions. In general, NIDDK currently expects DRCs to allow investigators at affiliated hospitals or institutions to participate in the Center P&F program. Expansion of the P&F program to an affiliated institution/hospital is encouraged but is not sufficient to be considered a Regional/National program for purposes of expanding the allowable requested funds. However, applicants may request funds to expand their P&F program to researchers at non-DRC institutions.

Alternatively, to broaden the scope and reach of current research core services, a Center may propose to serve a wider scientific community on a geographic or national level through the establishment of a Regional/National Shared Biomedical ResourceCore that is located at a different institution. Such a Regional/National Core may not be established with an affiliated hospital of the applicant organization; such an arrangement would be considered an institutional, rather than a regional/national, core for the purposes of this NOFO. If the Center is primarily located at an affiliated hospital, then core(s) based at another affiliated hospital of the same academic institution will not be considered Regional/National Shared Resource Cores. In contrast, with a regional or national core located at a different institution, the Center will service a specific research base that is expanded beyond investigators at the academic institution and/or affiliated hospitals where the Center is primarily located. Support for the expansion of the Center P&F program to investigators at the institution where the Regional/National Shared Resource Core is located is also encouraged.

Additional Opportunity for a National Enrichment Program The Diabetes Research Center may request support for a National Enrichment Program to attract medical students to pursue a career in diabetes research, its complications, and related endocrine and metabolic diseases. NIDDK currently supports short-term (2-3 month) research experiences for medical students through its T32 and T35 institutional training grants. To further enrich these activities in a coordinated fashion across all the NIDDK Diabetes Research Centers, applicants may propose a National Enrichment Program. To enhance their short-term research experiences, medical students may be invited to a 2-day research symposium under the auspices of the Diabetes Research Center National Enrichment Program to present their research results, attend lectures presented by internationally recognized diabetes researchers, learn about future funding opportunities for research training and career development, and to interact with the attending faculty, as well as each other. Furthermore, the National Enrichment Program may propose additional enrichment opportunities for the medical students such as lectures and seminars through webinars, video conferences or other broadly disseminated activities.

The DRC Theme(s) and DRC members The application will describe one or more scientific theme(s) that will be the focus over the period of the grant or provides an overarching description of the work of the center members.

The application will also describe the criteria for being a member of the DRC and how potential future members are nominated, identified or evaluated for inclusion. It is our position that there is not a one-size best fits all approach to this. Each DRC may have developed their own approaches for inclusion of and identifying new members that seem to work well for them. As an example, some DRCs only extend membership to faculty members with federal funding, whereas elsewhere faculty seeking funding working in relevant areas may be extended membership. Some centers have membership policies related to P&F grant recipients. Alternatively different levels of membership are sometimes proposed. In other cases a center may prioritize creating a broader community of those focused on the theme or themes of the DRC. That may include faculty seeking funding, emeritus faculty, non-faculty (local diabetes or local industry scientists, community members, patient advocates etc.) or trainees. In other cases, thematic priorities (for example a focus on T1D) may provide a rationale to have a more limited membership. Similarly, institutional policies related to core charge-backs and other factors including the limited ability to support benefits proposed for members may be a valid consideration. While the exact strategy for this will reside with the applicants, the rationale for the approach to membership and the process need to be outlined in the proposal and will be part of the evaluation. If the membership approach includes trainees, non-faculty (e.g., trainees, community or industry representatives) and emeritus faculty, only the biosketches of current funded DRC members who are also institutional faculty on clinical-, research- or tenure- tracks (but not emeritus) should be included in the application. Emphasis in the peer review process will be given to the quality of the members’ research related to the theme(s), potential to benefit from core utilization and potential for collaboration. As mentioned earlier, at least a core group of members should have consistent and outstanding record of reviewed publications related to the theme or themes, likelihood of collaboration within the center, and other evidence beyond publications of impact on the field. It is recognized that the community the center aims to ultimately engage may be broader than the members described in the application.

Description of DRC Research Base Funding should be described in the following three categories: (1) the research base of the proposed DRC members (whose biosketches are included and as reported in dollars from all funding sources ), (2) the research base from NIDDK (of the same group), and (3) all diabetes-related funding to the applicant institution(s) from any source in the most recent fiscal year (not the multi-year total) including from members and nonmembers. These are described in more detail below along with the rationale.

(1) The research base from the most recent full fiscal year provides the major support for DRC members. It is the research funding to the proposed DRC members (whose biosketches are included) from all sources [e.g., from government agencies, private foundations or non-profit organizations (dot-orgs) or companies (dot-coms)] except for training and other Center grants for the most recent whole fiscal year. Funds from research grants and research contracts should be included. These peer-reviewed research awards can include government and privately funded research awards to the members, even if the member is in an interdisciplinary field that is nevertheless beneficial to the center. Since "Facilities and Administration" costs (also known as indirect costs) vary considerably between institutions – the research base should be calculated using direct costs only. While collaboration and synergy between and among training (e.g., T, K, F series awards) and other Centers (e.g., UC2, P, and RC series awards) is strongly encouraged and described within the application, the research base should not include the funding from training or other Center grants. The research base for the DRC, including any affiliated hospitals and proposed partners or partner institutions, must consist of at least $12 million per year in direct costs of peer-reviewed research projects. The focus, relevance, interrelationships, quality, productivity, and, to some extent, quantity are all important considerations for the adequacy of the research base. The quality of the biomedical research base as related to the theme or themes will be given emphasis in the peer review process. The rationale for this request is to insure sufficient Federal support within the members to fulfill the requirement for a minimum of six federally funded Center members utilizing each Biomedical Research Core.

2) The research base from NIDDK is a subset of the research base including only awards from NIDDK. Again, this should be in direct costs, and not including other Center or Training grants. At least $4 million per year of member funding must be secured from the NIDDK. The rationale for this request is to ensure that a sufficient number of members are working within the NIDDK supported mission.

3) The final amount requested is all the diabetes-related funding to the institution(s), that is, the Institution’s (or consortia’s) diabetes-related funding, whether to a member or not. In contrast to the above, this will be reported in total costs from any government or non-government source, and in this case including any diabetes related Center (e.g., CDTR. NORC, DDRC etc.) funding and including diabetes related training grants will be reported for the same FY as the above amounts. Total costs is the sum of direct and “Facilities and Administration" costs also known as indirect costs. For NIH funded grants the applicant can use NIH’s “Diabetes” Spending Category in the NIH Reporter advanced search (https://reporter.nih.gov/advanced-search ) that reports out in total costs for the most recent full FY. For other grant sources, diabetes relatedness should be obvious from the title or source of funding (e.g., American Diabetes Association or Breakthrough T1D, etc.). This allows us to consider the potential impact or importance to the institution of supporting the diabetes research community. Some DRCs for example, that just focus on a subset of diabetes topics (e.g., type 1 diabetes only) may be at an institution that have a broader research portfolio in other aspects of diabetes.

Cooperation, Coordination, and Integration Collaborations with investigators outside the applicant institution/consortium or between DRCs are highly encouraged as these often benefit the DRC’s research base. Examples of benefits resulting from collaboration with one or more other DRCs could be more efficient use of resources by cooperating across DRCs, an augmented enrichment program, leveraging of P&F funds, enhanced quality/impact of the DRC's scientific output, increased productivity, or peer-reviewed funding arising directly from the collaboration. Collaborations with other Core Centers supported by NIDDK are also encouraged and might similarly benefit the DRC's research base. Non-research base investigators at the applicant institution or elsewhere may be encouraged to make use of the core facilities, collaborate with Center members, and participate in enrichment activities when space, time, and funds permit. To leverage resources funded through NIDDK (and across NIH) cooperation, coordination and integration with other Centers across the institution(s) where the DRC is housed as well as with other DRCs regionally (or even potentially nationally) is an important component of the DRC structure. Applicants from institutions with an NIH Clinical and Translational Science Award (CTSA) program (https://ncats.nih.gov/ctsa) are strongly encouraged to utilize their CTSA as a resource for enhancing clinical research programs within the Diabetes Research Center. Diabetes Research Center directors should also seek opportunities for collaboration and synergy not only with other NIDDK-funded Diabetes Research Centers and their programs but also with other NIDDK-funded Centers. Examples of these include: the Centers for Diabetes Translation Research (http://www.diabetes-translation.org,) Nutrition Obesity Research Centers (http://www.norccentral.org,) the Digestive Diseases Research Centers (https://www.niddk.nih.gov/research-funding/research-programs/digestive-disease-centers,) and the Cystic Fibrosis Research and Translation Centers (https://www.cysticfibrosiscenters.org/.). Synergy with other programs supported by the NIDDK Division of Diabetes, Endocrinology and Metabolism programs and consortia that take advantage of existing NIDDK resources to enhance thematic focus and reach, such as the Human Islet Research network (https://hirnetwork.org/ ), the MMPC-Live (https://www.mmpc.org/ ); as well as new and established clinical studies/trials such as TrialNET (https://www.trialnet.org/), or RADIANT (https://www.atypicaldiabetesnetwork.org/) are strongly encouraged.

DRC Directors' Meeting Every 12-18 months, all DRC Directors and Center administrators are expected to attend a meeting at NIH or at one of the DRCs to exchange information, highlight the host Center, and interact with NIDDK senior staff. Regional meetings among DRC Directors and members, as well as with scientifically aligned NIDDK-funded Center programs, are also encouraged. These meetings may be focused on, but not limited to, the following: 1) across program networking and career development of P&F awardees; 2) addressing administrative issues across Center programs as a means towards synergizing and leveraging expertise; or 3) scientific discussions and brainstorming of timely scientific topics.

Applicants are encouraged to consult with NIDDK staff concerning plans for the development of the Diabetes Research Center and the organization of the application.

Investigators proposing NIH-defined clinical trials may refer to the Research Methods Resources website for information about developing statistical methods and study designs.

See Section VIII. Other Information for award authorities and regulations.

Section II. Award Information

Funding Instrument

Grant: A financial assistance mechanism providing money, property, or both to an eligible entity to carry out an approved project or activity.

Application Types Allowed

New

Renewal

Resubmission

Resubmission applications should have applied previously to RFA-DK-25-008, or for the first receipt date from RFA-DK-26-310

The OER Glossary and the How to Apply - Application Guide provides details on these application types. Only those application types listed here are allowed for this NOFO.

Clinical Trial?

Optional: Accepting applications that either propose or do not propose clinical trial(s).

Need help determining whether you are doing a clinical trial?

Funds Available and Anticipated Number of Awards

NIDDK intends to commit $10.4 million in FY 2026 and $7.7 million in FY2027.

Award Budget

Application budgets are limited to $1,000,000 per year in direct costs. Applications proposing a Regional/National Shared Research Core or expanded P&F Program as described in the Additional Opportunities for Resource Cores and Programs Section of the NOFO are limited to $1,250,000 per year in direct costs. These budget limits are exclusive of: (a) first year equipment costs, (b) a National Enrichment Program, and (c) Facility & Administrative (F&A) costs on consortium and subcontract arrangements. It is anticipated that the award budget will be directly correlated to the breadth, quality and relevance to diabetes and related areas of the research base being served by the Center. The award budget will be directly correlated to the breadth, quality and relevance to diabetes and related areas of the research base being served by the Center. Applicants may request first year equipment costs, however funds may not be available to fund those requests.

Award Project Period

The maximum project period is five years.

NIH grants policies as described in the NIH Grants Policy Statement will apply to the applications submitted and awards made from this NOFO.

Section III. Eligibility Information

1. Eligible Applicants

Eligible Organizations

Nonprofits Other Than Institutions of Higher Education

For-Profit Organizations

Local Governments

Federal Governments

Eligible Agencies of the Federal Government

U.S. Territory or Possession

Other

Independent School Districts

Public Housing Authorities/Indian Housing Authorities

Native American Tribal Organizations (other than Federally recognized tribal governments)

Faith-based or Community-based Organizations

Regional Organizations

Special Instructions for this NOFO: Only one application is allowed per institution.

Foreign Organizations/International Collaborations

Non-domestic (non-U.S.) Entities (Foreign Organization) are not eligible to apply.

Non-domestic (non-U.S.) components of U.S. Organizations are not eligible to apply.

Foreign components, as defined in the NIH Grants Policy Statement, are not allowed.

Required Registrations

Applicant organizations

Applicant organizations must complete and maintain the following registrations as described in the How to Apply- Application Guide to be eligible to apply for or receive an award. All registrations must be completed prior to the application being submitted. Registration can take 6 weeks or more, so applicants should begin the registration process as soon as possible. Failure to complete registrations in advance of a due date is not a valid reason for a late submission, please reference NIH Grants Policy Statement Section 2.3.9.2 Electronically Submitted Applications for additional information.

System for Award Management (SAM) – Applicants must complete and maintain an active registration, which requires renewal at least annually. The renewal process may require as much time as the initial registration. SAM registration includes the assignment of a Commercial and Government Entity (CAGE) Code for domestic organizations which have not already been assigned a CAGE Code.

NATO Commercial and Government Entity (NCAGE) Code – Foreign organizations must obtain an NCAGE code (in lieu of a CAGE code) in order to register in SAM.

Unique Entity Identifier (UEI) - A UEI is issued as part of the SAM.gov registration process. The same UEI must be used for all registrations, as well as on the grant application.

eRA Commons - Once the unique organization identifier is established, organizations can register with eRA Commons in tandem with completing their Grants.gov registration; all registrations must be in place by time of submission. eRA Commons requires organizations to identify at least one Signing Official (SO) and at least one Program Director/Principal Investigator (PD/PI) account in order to submit an application.

Grants.gov – Applicants must have an active SAM registration in order to complete the Grants.gov registration.

Program Directors/Principal Investigators (PD(s)/PI(s))

All PD(s)/PI(s) must have an eRA Commons account. PD(s)/PI(s) should work with their organizational officials to either create a new account or to affiliate their existing account with the applicant organization in eRA Commons. If the PD/PI is also the organizational Signing Official, they must have two distinct eRA Commons accounts, one for each role. Obtaining an eRA Commons account can take up to 2 weeks.

Eligible Individuals (Program Director/Principal Investigator)

Any individual(s) with the skills, knowledge, and resources necessary to carry out the proposed research as the Program Director(s)/Principal Investigator(s) (PD(s)/PI(s)) is invited to work with his/her organization to develop an application for support.

For institutions/organizations proposing multiple PDs/PIs, visit the Multiple Program Director/Principal Investigator Policy and submission details in the Senior/Key Person Profile (Expanded) Component of the How to Apply - Application Guide.

2. Cost Sharing This NOFO does not require cost sharing as defined in the NIH Grants Policy Statement Section 1.2- Definitions of Terms.

3. Additional Information on Eligibility Number of Applications

Applicant organizations may submit more than one application, provided that each application is scientifically distinct.

The NIH will not accept duplicate or highly overlapping applications under review at the same time per NIH Grants Policy Statement Section 2.3.7.4 Submission of Resubmission Application. This means that the NIH will not accept:

A new (A0) application that is submitted before issuance of the summary statement from the review of an overlapping new (A0) or resubmission (A1) application.

A resubmission (A1) application that is submitted before issuance of the summary statement from the review of the previous new (A0) application.

An application that has substantial overlap with another application pending appeal of initial peer review (see NIH Grants Policy Statement 2.3.9.4 Similar, Essentially Identical, or Identical Applications).

Research Base: Successful Diabetes Research Center applications require an existing program of excellence in biomedical research in diabetes, its complications, including in related research in endocrine and metabolic diseases. To justify Center support, the Diabetes Research Center must serve a large research base of NIDDK-funded investigators pursuing research activities in Center identified topic areas, as well as diabetes investigators with other sources of peer-reviewed support. The research base for the Center (defined above), including any affiliated hospitals or proposed partners, must consist of at least $12,000,000 ($12 million) per year in direct costs of peer-reviewed research projects. Direct costs, not total (direct and indirect) costs, should be reported. At least $4 million of the research base must be secured from the NIDDK.

Section IV. Application and Submission Information

1. Requesting an Application Package The application forms package specific to this opportunity must be accessed through ASSIST or an institutional system-to-system solution. A button to apply using ASSIST is available in Part 1 of this NOFO. See the administrative office for instructions if planning to use an institutional system-to-system solution.

2. Content and Form of Application Submission It is critical that applicants follow the Multi-Project (M) Instructions in the How to Apply - Application Guide, except where instructed in this notice of funding opportunity to do otherwise (in this NOFO, in a policy notice, or other notice from NIH Guide for Grants and Contracts) and where instructions in the How to Apply - Application Guide are directly related to the Grants.gov downloadable forms currently used with most NIH opportunities. Conformance to the requirements in the How to Apply - Application Guide is required and strictly enforced. Applications that are out of compliance with these instructions may be delayed or not accepted for review.

Page Limitations All page limitations described in the How to Apply- Application Guide and the Table of Page Limits must be followed.

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Instructions for the Submission of Multi-Component Applications

The following section supplements the instructions found in How to Apply- Application Guide and should be used for preparing a multi-component application.

* That is, 2 can be proposed if a National or Regional Pilot and Feasibility Program is proposed

Overall Component When preparing the application, use Component Type ‘Overall’.

All instructions in the How to Apply - Application Guide must be followed, with the following additional instructions, as noted.

SF424(R&R) Cover (Overall) Complete entire form.

PHS 398 Cover Page Supplement (Overall) Note: Human Embryonic Stem Cell lines from other components should be repeated in cell line table in Overall component.

Research & Related Other Project Information (Overall) Follow standard instructions.

Project Summary/Abstract: Describe the scientific theme(s) of the Diabetes Research Center and the need for a Center to support the investigators in the research base. Include the number of Center members and the overall direct costs present in the research base. Provide a brief overview of the research base as it relates to the theme(s) of the Center, as well as an overview of the Biomedical Research Cores, and the Pilot & Feasibility and Enrichment programs.

Project Narrative: In 1-3 sentences describe the relevance of the research to be supported and facilitated by Center activities (Core services; Pilot and Feasibility, and Enrichment programs) on public health.

Facilities and Other Resources: Describe the existing environment and facilities briefly in the context of how the Center will use or change existing access, space, and usage; include space maps as needed. Scientific personnel and institutional resources capable of supporting the research base must be available.

Equipment: A general listing of major, shared pieces of equipment to be used by Center members should be provided.Note: Specific biomedical research core facilities, equipment, and special resources should be listed in each proposed biomedical research core component.

Other Attachments: The following attachments must be included with the Center Overview in order to aid in the review of applications. The filename provided for each attachment will be the name used for the bookmark in the application image. All attachments need to be in .pdf format.

Grant Support: Please title this attachment “Grant Support” and include all Federal and non-federal grant and research contract support for Diabetes Research Center members. Complete and organize alphabetically by the last name of the Center Investigator who is listed as the contact PD/PI on the grant. Include Supporting Organization/Grant Numbers, Complete Grant Title, Project Period, Annual Direct Costs, and Identify Other NIDDK Centers (if the grant listed is also included in its research base). The attachment should include, in order: Table A1, Current Diabetes-Related Research Grant Support, Table A2. Other Grant Support (List by mechanism, e.g., F Mechanism, T Mechanisms etc., and then alphabetically by PI name) and Pending Grant Support (Table A.3). The 'Current Grant Support' table should include research project grants relevant to diabetes and related endocrinology and metabolic diseases research, the PI/PD of which is a potential or likely user of the core services. 'Other Grant Support' should include infrastructure/services grants (other Centers or CTSA awards), training (such as T-, K-, or F-award mechanisms) grants, and other such grants that support diabetes-related research but would not be direct users of the core services. An example of Table A1 is here: Table A: Summary of Current and Pending Grant Support of all Center Members. If that URL is not working, contact the Scientific/Research Contact (program official) for assistance.

Description of Center Research Base Investigators: Please title this attachment “Description of Center Research Base” and organize alphabetically by Center Member (last name). Note: include ONLY those grants awarded, or subcontracted, to support investigators at the applicant institution or consortium, not to support investigators at other locations. Provide a narrative description of ½ page to no more than 1 page per research base investigator. These narratives should include: a) the Center Member’s active grant number(s) and title(s); b) a few descriptive sentences of the investigator’s research projects including how this research fits into the theme(s) of the DRC; and c) brief description regarding what aspect of the investigator’s research justifies the use of Center core facilities.

Core Use by Center Members: Please title this attachment “Table B. Anticipated Core Use by Center Members” and organize alphabetically by Center Member (last name). List all Diabetes Research Center Members including Affiliated Institution (if Center includes more than one institution) Membership Category (only if more than one category of Membership is designated by…