Cystic Fibrosis Research and Translation Center (P30) | RFA DK 17 007

Opportunity Information: Apply for RFA DK 17 007

The Cystic Fibrosis Research and Translation Center (P30) funding opportunity (RFA-DK-17-007) is a National Institutes of Health (NIH), National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK) program designed to strengthen and accelerate cystic fibrosis (CF) research by supporting specialized “core center” infrastructure at institutions with an established record of excellence in CF science. Rather than funding a single research project, the P30 mechanism is meant to build shared capacity: it helps an institution organize people, services, and resources in a way that makes many individual CF research projects more effective, more collaborative, and more likely to translate discoveries into therapies.

At its core, this program supports both basic and clinical CF research by creating a hub that multiple investigators can rely on. The center model is intended to lower barriers that slow down research, such as lack of access to specialized technologies, standardized assays, biostatistical or informatics support, clinical research coordination, patient-oriented resources, or other highly technical capabilities that are expensive or inefficient to duplicate across separate labs. By concentrating these capabilities into shared cores, the program aims to improve rigor, reproducibility, efficiency, and cross-disciplinary collaboration, ultimately speeding progress toward developing and testing new treatments for CF.

The FOA specifies three major activity areas that the center must provide. First are Research Core services, meaning shared scientific cores that deliver specialized methods, technologies, and expertise to CF investigators. Second is a Pilot and Feasibility (P and F) program, which provides smaller, targeted internal awards to help investigators generate preliminary data, explore innovative ideas, or bring new researchers into CF, often serving as a bridge to larger independent NIH grants. Third is an Administrative Core that includes an enrichment program, which typically covers leadership, governance, evaluation and continuous improvement, coordination among cores, and community-building activities such as seminars, workshops, visiting speakers, trainee development, and other efforts that broaden participation and strengthen the CF research environment.

The opportunity is categorized as a discretionary grant and sits within the broader health-related funding activity area (CFDA 93.847). A wide range of applicant types are listed as eligible, including state and local governments, public and private institutions of higher education, nonprofit organizations (with or without 501(c)(3) status), tribal governments and tribal organizations, public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities, for-profit organizations (other than small businesses), small businesses, and other applicants as allowed in the additional eligibility language. Even though eligibility is broad on paper, the nature of a P30 center competition generally implies that successful applicants will be organizations capable of demonstrating a strong, ongoing CF research base and the ability to run shared cores and a competitive pilot program.

From a funding standpoint, the announcement anticipated making about three awards, with an award ceiling of $750,000. The FOA was created on May 3, 2017, with an original closing date of July 20, 2017. NIDDK noted that it already supported seven CF Research and Translation Centers at the time, and it provided a link to information about those existing centers, signaling that this initiative fits into an established national network of CF center programs and is meant to sustain and expand that collaborative ecosystem.

Overall, this grant opportunity focuses on building and maintaining the infrastructure that enables high-impact CF research: shared cores that make advanced science and clinical translation more accessible, pilot funding that seeds innovation and new investigators, and administrative and enrichment activities that keep the center cohesive, collaborative, and productive. The intended outcome is a stronger, more connected CF research community capable of moving discoveries from basic mechanisms to clinical testing and, ultimately, to improved therapies for people living with cystic fibrosis.

• The Department of Health and Human Services, National Institutes of Health in the food and nutrition, health sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Cystic Fibrosis Research and Translation Center (P30)" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 93.847.
• This funding opportunity was created on May 03, 2017.
• Applicants must submit their applications by Jul 20, 2017. (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 $750,000.00 in funding.
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 3 candidate(s).
• 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 (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification).

Apply for RFA DK 17 007

[Watch] Creating a grant proposal using the step-by-step wizard inside the applicant portal: