New Paradigms in Tissue Communication-from mediators to metabolic function (RC2 Clinical Trials Optional) | PAR 18 886

Opportunity Information: Apply for PAR 18 886

The National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK), part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), offered this funding opportunity to support high-risk, high-reward research aimed at reshaping how scientists understand communication between metabolic tissues and organs. The program uses the RC2 mechanism, which NIDDK describes as a "High Impact, Interdisciplinary Science" award. The intent is not simply to fund incremental projects, but to seed work that can open up entirely new directions in research within NIDDKs mission area, particularly where traditional single-discipline approaches are limiting. Clinical trials are optional under this announcement, meaning applicants may propose studies that include clinical trial components if appropriate, but they are not required to do so.

At the core of the opportunity is a push to discover and define new biological signals and regulatory networks that drive metabolic crosstalk, both within a single organ and across multiple organs. This includes the mediators and pathways that coordinate metabolism across tissues such as adipose tissue, liver, muscle, pancreas, gut, and other metabolically active systems. The focus is on how these communication networks influence the development and progression of diabetes and obesity. In practical terms, the announcement encourages projects that can identify previously unrecognized signaling molecules, pathways, cell-to-cell communication modes, or systems-level regulatory circuits, and then connect those discoveries to metabolic function and disease-relevant phenotypes.

NIDDK emphasizes interdisciplinary design as a defining requirement rather than a nice-to-have feature. Proposals are expected to intentionally bring together distinct fields, methods, and ways of thinking to create new synergies. The goal is to accelerate conceptual breakthroughs (new frameworks for understanding tissue communication) and technical breakthroughs (new tools, platforms, datasets, models, or analytic methods). The RC2 mechanism is positioned to support work that is discovery-based or hypothesis-generating, including efforts that produce broadly useful research resources. These resources could include data portals, atlases, experimental platforms, standardized methods, novel model systems, or other community-enabling outputs that extend beyond a single labs interests and can be leveraged by many investigators.

The opportunity falls under the category of discretionary grant funding, with an activity focus aligned to health and food and nutrition research (CFDA 93.847). The funding opportunity title is "New Paradigms in Tissue Communication-from mediators to metabolic function (RC2 Clinical Trials Optional)" and the opportunity number is PAR 18 886. The original closing date listed for applications was June 1, 2021, and the announcement was created on August 2, 2018. While the excerpt does not provide an award ceiling or the expected number of awards, the framing makes clear that NIDDK is looking for projects with outsized potential impact on the broader scientific community, consistent with the RC2 programs emphasis on foundational, field-shaping contributions.

Eligibility is broad and spans many organizational types, reflecting NIHs interest in drawing ideas from diverse sectors and institutional settings. 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; tribal organizations that are not federally recognized; public housing authorities and Indian housing authorities; nonprofit organizations with or without 501(c)(3) status (as long as they are not institutions of higher education in that category); for-profit organizations other than small businesses; small businesses; and other entities meeting NIHs general eligibility rules. The announcement explicitly calls out additional eligible applicant categories such as 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, and eligible federal agencies, as well as U.S. territories or possessions.

The foreign eligibility language is specific. Non-domestic (non-U.S.) entities and foreign institutions are not eligible to apply as the applicant organization. However, non-domestic components of U.S. organizations are eligible, and foreign components (as NIH defines them in the NIH Grants Policy Statement) are allowed. In other words, the main applicant must be a qualifying U.S.-based organization, but the research itself can include certain international components when justified and structured according to NIH policy.

Overall, this FOA is designed to spark a step-change in metabolic research by uncovering how organs communicate in ways that matter for diabetes and obesity, and by building interdisciplinary foundations that others can build on. The most competitive projects under this kind of announcement would typically be expected to combine strong biological questions with enabling resources, integrate multiple disciplines (for example, physiology with genomics, imaging, bioengineering, computational modeling, or systems biology), and deliver outputs that meaningfully advance the communitys ability to map, test, and ultimately manipulate metabolic communication pathways.

• The National Institutes of Health in the food and nutrition, health sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "New Paradigms in Tissue Communication-from mediators to metabolic function (RC2 Clinical Trials Optional)" 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 2018-08-02.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2021-06-01. (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 18 886

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