NIDCD Clinical Research Center Grant (P50 Clinical Trial Optional) | PAR 19 137

Opportunity Information: Apply for PAR 19 137

The NIDCD Clinical Research Center Grant (P50, Clinical Trial Optional) is a National Institutes of Health funding opportunity intended to support multi-project clinical research centers focused on improving how human communication disorders are diagnosed, prevented, treated, and ultimately reduced in impact. NIDCD defines "clinical research" broadly for this program: it includes studies that directly involve people who have communication disorders, as well as research using data or biospecimens (such as tissues) obtained from individuals with a communication disorder. In practice, this means a proposed center can support a wide range of clinically grounded work, as long as it is clearly tied to disorders within NIDCD's mission areas.

The scientific scope covers diseases and disorders affecting hearing, balance, smell, taste, voice, speech, and language. Projects may address prevention and risk reduction, underlying causes and disease mechanisms (including pathogenesis and pathophysiology), improved diagnostic approaches, clinical management strategies, treatment development and testing, and epidemiology or population-level patterns. Importantly, the announcement allows (but does not require) the inclusion of a clinical trial. Applicants can propose a center that includes a clinical trial component if it fits the overall scientific rationale, or they can build a center around other forms of clinical research without running a trial.

The funding mechanism is a discretionary grant under the NIH P50 activity code, which is typically used to support specialized center-style programs rather than a single stand-alone research project. The opportunity is associated with CFDA number 93.173 and was issued by the National Institutes of Health, specifically NIDCD. The opportunity number is PAR-19-137, and the original closing date listed in the source information is 2021-10-06. The provided source text does not specify an award ceiling or the expected number of awards.

A broad set of organizations can apply. Eligible applicants include various levels of government (state, county, city or township, and special district governments), independent school districts, and public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities. Higher education institutions are eligible, including public/state-controlled and private institutions of higher education. Tribal eligibility includes federally recognized Native American tribal governments as well as Native American tribal organizations that are not federally recognized tribal governments. Nonprofits are eligible whether or not they have 501(c)(3) status (as long as they are not institutions of higher education in those categories), and both 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 eligible entity types described in the announcement.

The announcement also highlights specific categories of "other eligible applicants" to emphasize inclusivity across institution types and communities, 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, Indian/Native American tribal governments other than federally recognized ones, and U.S. territories or possessions. At the same time, the opportunity makes clear limits around foreign participation: non-domestic (non-U.S.) entities and non-domestic (non-U.S.) institutions are not eligible to apply, and non-domestic components of U.S. organizations are not eligible to apply. However, "foreign components" as defined by the NIH Grants Policy Statement are allowed, which generally means a U.S.-based applicant can include certain well-justified elements of the work that take place outside the U.S. under NIH rules, even though foreign institutions cannot be the direct applicant.

Overall, this opportunity is aimed at building coordinated clinical research center programs that can move the field forward on real-world communication health problems, supporting integrated efforts across multiple clinical research projects (and often shared infrastructure) to generate evidence that improves prevention, diagnosis, and care for people with communication disorders.

• The National Institutes of Health in the health sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "NIDCD Clinical Research Center Grant (P50 Clinical Trial Optional)" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 93.173.
• This funding opportunity was created on 2018-12-26.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2021-10-06. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
• 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 19 137

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