Bioengineering Research Grants (BRG) (R01 Clinical Trial Optional) | PAR 18 206

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs): Bioengineering Research Grants (BRG) (R01 Clinical Trial Optional) - PAR 18-206

What is the Bioengineering Research Grants (BRG) (R01 Clinical Trial Optional) opportunity?

Bioengineering Research Grants (BRG) (R01 Clinical Trial Optional) is a National Institutes of Health (NIH) discretionary grant opportunity (Funding Opportunity Number PAR 18-206) intended to advance biomedical solutions that sit at the intersection of the life sciences and the physical sciences. It supports collaborative, multidisciplinary bioengineering projects aimed at solving a clearly defined biomedical problem and accelerating real-world usefulness of innovative tools, methods, and techniques.

What is the central goal of this program?

The central goal is to support small, focused, cross-disciplinary teams that apply engineering principles to make measurable progress on a targeted biomedical challenge and to speed adoption of resulting tools, methods, or techniques in research or healthcare settings. NIH is looking for projects that go beyond proposing a clever new technology by integrating it into a specific biological, translational, or clinical context through optimization, validation, translation toward practical use, or other steps that accelerate adoption.

What kinds of projects does NIH want to support under BRG?

NIH wants projects that tackle a clearly defined biomedical problem using an integrative bioengineering strategy and that demonstrate a pathway toward practical utility. The program emphasizes integrating an innovative tool/method/technique into a specific context and strengthening it through activities like refining performance, validating results, translating toward use, or accelerating uptake in real research or clinical environments.

Does the program require the project to include a clinical trial?

No. Clinical trials are optional. Applicants may propose projects that do not include a clinical trial, as well as projects that do include a clinical trial, when a trial is appropriate and well-justified for the proposed aims.

If clinical trials are optional, what stages of research can this program support?

The program is flexible for teams working at different stages, ranging from bench-level tool validation through to human studies, as long as the proposal remains centered on accelerating solutions through bioengineering collaboration and rigorous evaluation.

What is meant by “bioengineering” in the context of this funding opportunity?

In this context, bioengineering refers to applying engineering principles and methods (often drawing from fields like engineering, physics, chemistry, and computation) in a deliberate, integrated way with biological and clinical sciences to solve biomedical problems and produce tools or approaches that can be used and trusted in real settings.

What does NIH mean by “collaborative, multidisciplinary” teams?

The opportunity is built around the idea that small, focused teams can make major advances when they intentionally combine expertise across disciplines, including engineering, physics, chemistry, computation, and the biological and clinical sciences. The expectation is that cross-disciplinary collaboration is central to the strategy, not incidental.

What scientific approaches are allowed in BRG applications?

Applications may use different approaches, including: (1) design-directed work (engineering a solution to a defined need), (2) developmental efforts (refining and improving a method or device), (3) discovery-driven studies (using bioengineering to reveal new biology), or (4) hypothesis-driven research (testing a defined scientific hypothesis using bioengineering approaches). The unifying theme is an integrative bioengineering strategy that drives measurable progress on a targeted biomedical problem.

Is this program focused only on basic science, or can it support translational and clinical work?

It can support basic science, translational research, or clinical practice-oriented work, provided the project uses an integrative bioengineering strategy to advance a targeted biomedical solution and includes rigorous steps to integrate and evaluate the innovation for practical use.

What distinguishes a strong BRG proposal from a proposal that is “just a technology idea”?

The program emphasizes that projects should do more than introduce a novel technology. Strong proposals typically (1) define a real biomedical problem that needs a solution, (2) explain why the problem requires an engineering-life science partnership, (3) provide a plan to integrate the innovation into a specific biological/translational/clinical context, and (4) describe concrete deliverables or performance benchmarks demonstrating progress beyond proof-of-concept toward something ready to be used and trusted.

What kinds of outcomes or progress does NIH expect projects to demonstrate?

The description highlights measurable progress such as optimizing a tool or method, validating it, translating it toward practical use, or otherwise accelerating adoption. The strongest proposals typically include concrete deliverables or performance benchmarks that show movement beyond proof-of-concept toward a tool, method, or technique that is ready for reliable use in a specific scientific or clinical setting.

Who is eligible to apply?

Eligibility is broad. Eligible applicants include: state, county, and local governments; special district governments; independent school districts; public and state-controlled institutions of higher education; private institutions of higher education; federally recognized Native American tribal governments and other Native American tribal organizations; public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities; nonprofit organizations with or without 501(c)(3) status; for-profit organizations (other than small businesses) and small businesses; and other eligible entities.

Are community-focused or minority-serving institutions explicitly included in eligibility?

Yes. The announcement explicitly highlights a wide range of institution types and community-focused organizations, 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), faith-based or community-based organizations, regional organizations, eligible federal agencies, and U.S. territories or possessions.

Are non-U.S. (foreign) organizations eligible?

Yes. The eligibility list explicitly includes non-U.S. (foreign) organizations.

What funding mechanism is used for this opportunity?

This opportunity uses an NIH R01-style mechanism. The listing describes it as an NIH grant mechanism under an R01-style program and categorizes it as a grant funding instrument.

What is the Funding Opportunity Number (FOA number) for this program?

The Funding Opportunity Number provided is PAR 18-206.

What activity areas are associated with the opportunity listing?

The opportunity listing indicates activity areas spanning education, environment, health, and social services.

Which CFDA numbers are associated with this announcement?

The CFDA numbers listed for the announcement are: 93.113, 93.172, 93.279, 93.286, 93.393, 93.394, 93.395, 93.396, 93.399, 93.855, 93.856, 93.865, and 93.867. This suggests alignment with multiple NIH funding areas and/or participation by multiple NIH institutes and centers.

What are the key dates shown in the opportunity record?

The opportunity record lists an original closing date of 2019-02-07 and a creation date of 2017-11-07.

Is this opportunity still active?

The information provided includes an original closing date of 2019-02-07 and notes that NIH announcements are often renewed or replaced over time. Applicants should verify the current status, active receipt dates, and any updated reissues or related funding opportunity announcements in NIH systems.

What is the main “fit test” for whether a project belongs in BRG?

A strong fit is a project that can convincingly show: (1) a real biomedical problem in need of a solution, (2) a bioengineering-driven plan that depends on cross-disciplinary collaboration, and (3) a pathway to integrate and validate a promising approach so it can be adopted faster and more reliably by researchers or clinicians.

Does the program require a specific type of team size or structure?

The program is structured around the idea that small, focused teams can make major advances when they deliberately combine expertise across engineering/physical sciences and biological/clinical sciences. While no specific headcount is stated, the emphasis is on focused, collaborative, multidisciplinary effort.

What does “integrative strategy” mean for BRG applications?

It means the engineering and life science components are intertwined to drive progress on the biomedical problem. The project should not treat engineering as an add-on; it should apply engineering principles to achieve measurable progress, and it should integrate the resulting innovation into a specific biological, translational, or clinical context through steps like optimization and validation.

What does “accelerating adoption” look like in the context of BRG?

Based on the description, accelerating adoption can include strengthening the innovation through optimization and validation, translating it toward practical use, and positioning it so it can be used more quickly and reliably by researchers or clinicians in a defined setting. The emphasis is on moving beyond proof-of-concept toward something that is ready to be used and trusted.