Development of Resources and Technologies for Enhancing Rigor, Reproducibility, and Translatability of Animal Models in Biomedical Research (R01)

Background
The Office of Research Infrastructure Programs (ORIP) encourages research project grant applications aimed at developing and implementing broadly applicable technologies, tools, and resources for validating animal models and enhancing rigor, reproducibility, and translatability of animal research. Research projects submitted under this Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) should be hypothesis driven with strong preliminary data. Proposed studies, models, resources, or technologies under this FOA must either address research interests of multiple NIH Institutes and Centers (ICs), explore multiple organ systems, or be applicable to diseases and processes that impact multiple organ systems in order to align with ORIP’s NIH-wide mission and programs.

Grant Details
The success of developing drugs or therapeutic approaches relies heavily on the use of animal models in preclinical studies. The rigor and reproducibility of animal models have been long recognized as key factors facilitating the translation of findings in animal studies to successful clinical trials. With this Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA), ORIP intends to support research projects aimed at developing or improving technologies, tools, and resources for validating animal models and improving rigor, reproducibility, and translatability of animal research, which will be broadly applicable to biomedical research involving animal models.

Animal models of interest for this FOA include, but are not limited to, invertebrate and vertebrate organisms ranging from C. elegans and Drosophila to zebrafish, mice, rats, pigs, and nonhuman primates.

Eligibility Requirements
Eligible applicants include higher education institutions, nonprofits with 501(c)(3) IRS status, for-profit organizations (including small businesses), state governments, county governments, city or township governments, special district governments, Indian/Native American tribal governments (federally recognized), 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.

Period of Performance
The duration of the proposed project may not exceed five years.

Grant Value
Application budgets are not limited but need to reflect the actual needs of the proposed project. The number of awards is contingent upon NIH appropriations and the submission of a sufficient number of meritorious applications.