Opportunity Information: Apply for RFA AI 19 012
The Centers for Medical Countermeasures Against Radiation Consortium (U19 Clinical Trial Not Allowed) funding opportunity (RFA AI 19 012) is a National Institutes of Health (NIH) cooperative agreement designed to build and support a coordinated, national network of multidisciplinary research centers focused on radiation and nuclear public health preparedness. The overall aim is to speed the development of practical medical countermeasures that can be used across the full civilian population, including groups with different ages, health conditions, and vulnerabilities, in the aftermath of a radiological or nuclear emergency such as a terrorist event or an accident. The program emphasizes building comprehensive capabilities that connect basic science to translational work, with the expectation that funded centers will contribute to a broader consortium effort rather than operate as isolated projects.
The scientific scope centers on creating and advancing medical products and approaches that can assess, diagnose, mitigate, and treat radiation injury over multiple time horizons. This includes immediate (short-term) effects of radiation exposure, delayed complications that emerge after the initial event, and long-term health consequences that can persist or develop months to years later. The FOA is intentionally broad in the sense that it invites integrated approaches spanning multiple disciplines, but it is also clearly targeted toward deliverables that move the field toward usable countermeasures in real-world emergencies.
The FOA highlights three core technical goals. First, it seeks new techniques and devices to measure radiation exposure in the human body, reflecting the need for reliable biodosimetry and exposure assessment tools that can support triage and clinical decision-making during mass casualty situations. Second, it prioritizes identifying and tracking biomarkers that reflect tissue damage and recovery, which would help clinicians understand injury severity, monitor progression, and evaluate whether interventions are working. Third, it supports further development of both existing therapies (including products already used clinically for other indications) and novel therapies, with the intent to reduce tissue damage, accelerate recovery, restore normal physiological function, and improve survival following radiation exposure. Taken together, these goals point toward end-to-end preparedness: knowing who was exposed and how much, understanding what the exposure is doing biologically, and having interventions that can prevent or reverse harm.
This opportunity uses the U19 mechanism, meaning it is a multi-project cooperative agreement. In practical terms, a cooperative agreement signals substantial NIH programmatic involvement compared with a standard research grant, and it typically aligns with consortium-style coordination, shared milestones, and collaborative expectations across funded sites. The notice also specifies "Clinical Trial Not Allowed," indicating applications should not propose independent clinical trials under this award. The work is oriented toward basic and translational research and product development activities short of proposing a clinical trial as part of the application.
Eligibility is broad and includes many types of U.S.-based organizations, such as state, county, city, township, and special district governments; independent school districts; public and state-controlled institutions of higher education; private institutions of higher education; nonprofit organizations with or without 501(c)(3) status (excluding higher education institutions in those specific categories); for-profit organizations other than small businesses; small businesses; and Native American tribal governments (federally recognized) as well as tribal organizations that are not federally recognized. The FOA also explicitly encourages or recognizes additional eligible applicant categories such as Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), Hispanic-serving Institutions, Tribally Controlled Colleges and Universities (TCCUs), Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian Serving Institutions, and Asian American Native American Pacific Islander Serving Institutions (AANAPISIs), along with faith-based or community-based organizations, eligible federal agencies, regional organizations, and U.S. territories or possessions.
Foreign eligibility is constrained. Non-domestic (non-U.S.) entities and 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 NIH policy are allowed, which generally means a U.S. applicant organization may include certain foreign involvement or activities when justified and consistent with NIH rules, even though the applicant organization itself must be domestic.
From the published opportunity details, this is a discretionary funding opportunity in the health category (CFDA 93.855) administered by NIH, with an original closing date of May 31, 2019, and a creation date of February 8, 2019. The award ceiling and expected number of awards are not specified in the provided listing, which often means applicants would need to consult the full FOA text for budget limits, consortium size, required cores, expected scope per center, and any milestone or data-sharing requirements typical of consortium programs.
In plain terms, this FOA is about strengthening national readiness for radiological and nuclear incidents by funding coordinated research centers that can deliver better exposure measurement tools, clearer biological readouts of injury and recovery, and more effective treatments to reduce harm and save lives, while operating within a collaborative NIH-managed consortium framework and without proposing clinical trials under the award.Apply for RFA AI 19 012
- The National Institutes of Health in the health sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Centers for Medical Countermeasures Against Radiation Consortium (U19 Clinical Trial Not Allowed)" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 93.855.
- This funding opportunity was created on 2019-02-08.
- Applicants must submit their applications by 2019-05-31. (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.
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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What is the name of this funding opportunity?
The opportunity is titled Centers for Medical Countermeasures Against Radiation Consortium (U19 Clinical Trial Not Allowed). The referenced funding opportunity number is RFA AI 19 012.
Which federal agency is offering this grant?
This is a National Institutes of Health (NIH) funding opportunity.
What type of award mechanism is this?
This opportunity uses the U19 mechanism, which is a multi-project cooperative agreement. It is designed to support a coordinated set of projects under a center-like structure rather than a single, standalone research project.
What does a "cooperative agreement" mean in practice?
A cooperative agreement typically involves substantial NIH programmatic involvement compared with a standard research grant. Based on the description, recipients should expect consortium-style coordination, shared goals, and collaborative expectations across funded sites rather than operating as isolated projects.
Is this funding opportunity focused on clinical trials?
No. The opportunity is explicitly labeled "Clinical Trial Not Allowed", meaning applications should not propose independent clinical trials under this award.
What is the overall purpose of the program?
The program is intended to build and support a coordinated, national network of multidisciplinary research centers focused on radiation and nuclear public health preparedness, with the goal of speeding development of practical medical countermeasures that could be used after a radiological or nuclear emergency.
What kinds of emergencies is this program designed to address?
The program is framed around preparedness for radiological or nuclear emergencies, including scenarios such as a terrorist event or an accident.
Who should benefit from the medical countermeasures developed under this program?
The stated aim is for countermeasures to be usable across the full civilian population, including people with different ages, health conditions, and vulnerabilities.
What is meant by "medical countermeasures" in this FOA?
Within this opportunity, medical countermeasures include medical products and approaches intended to assess, diagnose, mitigate, and treat radiation injury. This spans tools for exposure measurement, biological indicators of injury and recovery, and therapies to reduce harm and improve outcomes.
What is the scientific scope of the research?
The scope focuses on advancing approaches that address radiation injury across multiple time horizons, including immediate (short-term) effects, delayed complications after the initial event, and long-term health consequences that may appear or persist months to years later.
How broad is the research scope?
The FOA is described as intentionally broad in welcoming integrated, multidisciplinary approaches, but it is also clearly oriented toward deliverables that move the field toward usable countermeasures in real-world emergencies.
What are the three core technical goals highlighted by the FOA?
The opportunity emphasizes three core goals: (1) developing new techniques and devices to measure radiation exposure in the human body (biodosimetry/exposure assessment), (2) identifying and tracking biomarkers of tissue damage and recovery, and (3) further developing existing therapies (including repurposed clinically used products) and novel therapies to reduce damage, accelerate recovery, restore function, and improve survival after radiation exposure.
What kinds of exposure measurement tools are of interest?
The FOA highlights interest in techniques and devices that can measure radiation exposure in the human body to support triage and clinical decision-making, particularly in mass casualty situations.
Why are biomarkers a priority in this program?
Biomarkers are prioritized because they can help characterize injury severity, monitor progression, and determine whether interventions are working by reflecting tissue damage and recovery over time.
What types of therapies does the FOA support?
The FOA supports development of both existing therapies (including products already used clinically for other indications) and novel therapies, with the intent to reduce tissue damage, accelerate recovery, restore physiological function, and improve survival following radiation exposure.
Does the program expect awardees to work together?
Yes. The program is described as a coordinated national network and a broader consortium effort, with an expectation that funded centers will contribute to consortium-wide goals rather than function as isolated projects.
Who is eligible to apply?
Eligibility is broad for U.S.-based organizations. Eligible applicants include various levels of U.S. government entities (state, county, city, township, special district), independent school districts, public/state-controlled and private institutions of higher education, nonprofits (with or without 501(c)(3) status, excluding higher education institutions in those nonprofit categories), for-profit organizations (other than small businesses), small businesses, federally recognized Native American tribal governments, and tribal organizations that are not federally recognized.
Are certain institution types specifically encouraged or recognized as eligible?
Yes. The FOA explicitly encourages or recognizes additional eligible categories, including Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), Hispanic-serving Institutions, Tribally Controlled Colleges and Universities (TCCUs), Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian Serving Institutions, and Asian American Native American Pacific Islander Serving Institutions (AANAPISIs), as well as faith-based or community-based organizations, eligible federal agencies, regional organizations, and U.S. territories or possessions.
Can a non-U.S. organization apply?
No. Non-domestic (non-U.S.) entities and non-U.S. institutions are not eligible to apply, and non-domestic components of U.S. organizations are not eligible to apply.
Are any foreign activities allowed at all?
Yes. While the applicant organization must be U.S.-based, "foreign components" (as defined by NIH policy) are allowed. This generally means a U.S. applicant may include certain foreign involvement or activities when justified and consistent with NIH rules.
What is the CFDA number and category associated with this opportunity?
The listing identifies this as a discretionary funding opportunity in the health category with CFDA 93.855.
What were the key dates provided for this opportunity?
The listing shows a creation date of February 8, 2019 and an original closing date of May 31, 2019.
Does the provided listing include an award ceiling or the expected number of awards?
No. The provided information states that the award ceiling and expected number of awards are not specified in the listing.
What information appears to be missing from the provided listing?
Based on the description, details such as budget limits, consortium size, required cores, the expected scope per center, and any specific milestones or data-sharing requirements typical of consortium programs are not included in the provided summary and would normally be found in the full FOA text.
What is the main takeaway for prospective applicants?
This FOA funds coordinated research centers working within an NIH-managed consortium to strengthen readiness for radiological and nuclear incidents by delivering improved exposure assessment tools, better biological readouts of injury and recovery, and more effective therapies, while not proposing clinical trials under the award.
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Previous opportunity: High-End Instrumentation (HEI) Grant Program (S10 Clinical Trial Not Allowed)
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