Core Objective: To support the activities of the National Primate Research Centers (NPRCs) to facilitate the effective use of nonhuman primates (NHPs) in biomedical research aimed at understanding human biology, both in normal and diseased states.
Explicit Identification of Target Recipient: This funding opportunity is limited to existing National Primate Research Centers (NPRCs), specifically those that were previously funded under PAR-17-144 or PAR-20-181.
Geographic Scope: United States (as foreign institutions/components are not eligible); resources are to be available to investigators on a national basis.
Key Filtering Criteria: Must be an already established NPRC that has received prior NIH P51 funding under the specified previous announcements.
Grant Frequency and Program Context: This is a reissue of a previous funding opportunity (PAR-20-181), indicating a recurring program. It offers multiple application due dates annually through May 2026.
Financial Structure
Funding Instrument: Grant.
Application budgets are not limited overall but must reflect the actual needs of the proposed project.
For Renewal (Type 2) or Resubmission applications, the budget may propose no more than a 5 percent (direct cost) increase from the last non-competing year. Budgets exceeding this will not be accepted.
The maximum project period is 5 years.
No cost sharing is required.
Alterations & Renovations (A&R) Unit:
Maximum of $650,000 in total costs per year can be requested across the entire NPRC for A&R funds.
A single A&R project or equipment purchase cannot exceed $550,000 in total costs.
Construction is not allowed.
Pilot Research Program:
An NPRC may budget up to a maximum of $550,000 direct costs per year to support the pilot research program.
The direct cost for a single pilot research project must not exceed $110,000 per year for a maximum of two years of support.
Eligible costs (supported by the P51 base grant) can include, but are not limited to:
Establishment, development, and maintenance of animal colonies (including breeding colonies).
Maintenance, operation, and renovation of NPRC buildings and outdoor facilities (excluding F&A costs).
Central administration of the NPRC (excluding F&A costs).
Pathology services, clinical laboratory services related to colony health, genetic/genomic services.
Bioengineering, imaging, and computation services.
Animal colony records systems and other NPRC-specific IT support services.
Activities and services associated with consortium-based activities.
Outreach activities.
Pilot Research Projects.
Ineligible costs: Projects proposing clinical trials are not allowed.
Core Scientists: May receive up to 100 percent salary support from the P51 base grant with appropriate justification (short-term, interim funding or critical functions). If fully supported, they may devote up to 1.2 person months to scholarly activities outside the grant. They must devote at least 1.2 person months of total professional time to NPRC services and at least 6 person months of research effort to NHP-related research.
Eligibility Requirements
Organizational Type & History
Only grantees previously funded under PAR-17-144 or PAR-20-181 are eligible to apply.
Applicant must be a distinct organizational and structural entity affiliated with a major research institution.
The applicant institution must be the recipient of the P51 base grant funds and assume legal responsibility and accountability for their use.
Geographic Restrictions
Non-domestic (non-U.S.) Entities (Foreign Institutions) are not eligible to apply.
Non-domestic (non-U.S.) components of U.S. Organizations are not eligible to apply.
Foreign components, as defined in the NIH Grants Policy Statement, are not allowed.
Registrations & Certifications
Applicant organizations must complete and maintain active registrations in:
System for Award Management (SAM), requiring annual renewal.
Unique Entity Identifier (UEI), issued as part of SAM.gov registration.
eRA Commons, requiring at least one Signing Official (SO) and one Program Director/Principal Investigator (PD/PI) account.
The NPRC must maintain an exemplary program of animal care and use consistent with current PHS policy.
Basic evidence for animal care quality is accreditation by the Association for Assessment and Accreditation of Laboratory Animal Care (AAALAC) International.
Personnel & Leadership
The PD(s)/PI(s) must occupy a senior level position in the grantee institution (e.g., Vice President for Research, Dean) to assure administrative continuity and cross-organizational authority.
The PD(s)/PI(s) must commit a measurable effort to the P51 base grant (at least 1% effort without salary support under the P51).
The Center Director must be an established scientist with a doctoral degree in a health sciences discipline and have a proven track record of scientific leadership related to NHP research (e.g., PI on peer-reviewed grants, leader of high-impact team science initiatives).
The Center Director must demonstrate expertise in both effective NHP-related administrative oversight and scientific leadership.
The Center Director is expected to devote a significant portion of salary (normally 25% to 75% of FTE) to administrative responsibilities, subject to ORIP approval for exceptions.
Research Scope Restrictions
Clinical Trials Not Allowed: Only applications that do not propose clinical trials will be accepted.
Application Process
Application Process
The application forms package must be accessed through the NIH ASSIST system or an institutional system-to-system (S2S) solution.
Applications must be submitted electronically through Grants.gov to NIH.
Applicants must track the status of their application in the eRA Commons.
It is critical to follow Multi-Project (M) Instructions in the SF424 (R&R) Application Guide, unless explicitly instructed otherwise in this FOA.
Applications are evaluated for completeness and compliance; incomplete or non-compliant applications will not be reviewed.
Applicants are encouraged to submit early to allow time for correcting any errors before the due date.
If the due date falls on a weekend or Federal holiday, the deadline is automatically extended to the next business day.
Key Dates
Open Date (Earliest Submission Date): August 25, 2023.
Application Due Dates (by 5:00 PM local time of applicant organization):
September 25, 2023
January 25, 2024
May 25, 2024
September 25, 2024
January 25, 2025
May 25, 2025
September 25, 2025
January 25, 2026
Latest Application Due Date: May 25, 2026.
Expiration Date: May 26, 2026.
Submission Requirements
Adherence to page limitations described in the SF424 Application Guide is strictly enforced.
The application must be a multi-component submission, including:
Overall: 1 required
Governance Unit: 1 required
Administrative Units: 2-10 required
Colony Management Unit: 1 required
Animal Resources: 2-14 required
Core Services: 0-15 optional
Alterations and Renovations (A&R) Unit: 1 required
Outreach: 1 required
NPRC Consortium: 1 required
Pilot Research: 1 required
Scientific Units: 2-10 required
Required attachments for the Overall component include: Overall Sources of Support, Table of Employees and Employee Effort, List of Affiliate and Visiting Scientists, and Center Bibliography.
Applicants requesting $500,000 or more in direct costs in any single year (excluding consortium F&A) must contact a Scientific/Research Contact at least 6 weeks before submitting.
Post-submission materials must adhere to the NIH policy.
Evaluation & Award Timeline
Scientific Merit Review: Typically occurs approximately 4-5 months after the application due date (e.g., for May 25, 2026 deadline, review is November 2026).
Advisory Council Review: Typically occurs approximately 2-3 months after Scientific Merit Review (e.g., for May 25, 2026 deadline, council review is January 2027).
Earliest Start Date: Approximately 2-3 months after Advisory Council Review (e.g., for May 25, 2026 deadline, earliest start is April 2027).
The PD/PI can access their Summary Statement (written critique) via eRA Commons after peer review.
Appeals of initial peer review will not be accepted.
Funding decisions are based on scientific and technical merit, availability of funds, and relevance to program priorities.
If an application is considered for funding, NIH will request 'just-in-time' information from the applicant.
A formal Notice of Award (NoA) will be provided to successful applicants.
Any costs incurred before receipt of the NoA are at the recipient's risk.
Evaluation Criteria
Overall Impact
Reviewers will assess the likelihood for the center to exert a sustained, powerful influence on the research field(s) involved, considering all review criteria.
Scored Review Criteria
Significance:
Does the proposed Center address the needs of the research community it serves, and is its scope appropriate?
Will the successful completion of aims provide unique advantages or capabilities?
Does it function as a national resource providing expertise, capabilities, animals, and infrastructure for biomedical NHP research?
Does it develop and sustain national resources (normative data, expertise, biological/genetic material, specialized facilities)?
Does it develop and maintain animal colonies suitable for research?
Investigator(s):
Are the PD(s)/PI(s) and other personnel well suited, experienced, and have a demonstrated record of accomplishments in NHP research/management?
Do they demonstrate experience in coordinating collaborative research?
Does the leadership team have complementary and integrated expertise with appropriate leadership/governance?
Is the PD(s)/PI(s) in a senior, cross-organizational position?
Is the Center Director an established scientist with relevant doctoral degree and a proven track record of scientific leadership?
Are core staff at the forefront of NHP research and husbandry and do they provide expertise?
Is the NPRC guided by appropriately constituted advisory committees (NSAB, RAC)?
Innovation:
Does the application propose novel concepts and strategies for coordinating/supporting research initiatives?
Is there refinement, improvement, or new application of NHP research resources and approaches?
Does the NPRC develop/enhance practices for NHP breeding, husbandry, and genetic management to meet research needs?
Does the NPRC study NHP biology to enhance scientific utility, health, and well-being?
Does the NPRC conduct pilot biomedical research projects that aim to solve human health problems and may lead to independent grant support?
Does the NPRC facilitate the use of animal models of human disease?
Approach:
Are the overall strategy, operational plan, and organizational structure well-reasoned and appropriate?
Are strategies in place to ensure a robust and unbiased scientific approach?
Does the NPRC maintain an exemplary animal care and use program consistent with PHS policy, and are standards state-of-the-art?
Does it provide adequate opportunities for primatology research involvement (students, fellows, visiting scientists)?
How effective is the NPRC in developing and maintaining NHP colonies and providing animals for research?
Is the NPRC able to provide sufficient animals upon request while maintaining breeding colonies?
Are resources primarily used for species with major national demand?
Are animal requests prioritized according to ORIP mandate?
Is the computer-based animal tracking system effective?
Are genetics-based services used for colony management and characterization?
Are programs in place for genetic diversity and environmental enrichment?
Does the pilot research program contribute to national goals and lead to recipient success?
Does the NPRC publicize its capabilities nationally and educate the public about NHP research impact?
Does it disseminate findings through peer-reviewed journals?
Does it participate in all relevant NPRC Consortium activities?
Environment:
Will the institutional environment contribute to the success in facilitating research programs?
Are institutional support, equipment, and physical resources adequate and do they benefit from unique features?
Do facilities enable research by core, affiliate, and visiting scientists?
Are maintenance, operation, and renovation of facilities appropriate and necessary?
Do major resources (instrumentation, physical plant) facilitate the objectives of the NPRC?
Protections for Human Subjects: Justification for involvement and proposed protections.
Inclusion of Women, Racial and Ethnic Minorities, and Individuals Across the Lifespan: Evaluation of inclusion/exclusion plans.
Vertebrate Animals: Description of procedures, justifications for species, interventions to minimize discomfort, and euthanasia method justification.
Biohazards: Assessment of potential hazards and proposed protection.
Resubmissions: Evaluation of changes made and responses to previous comments.
Renewals: Consideration of progress made in the last funding period.
Revisions: Appropriateness of the proposed expansion of the project scope.
Additional Review Considerations (not scored, not part of overall impact score)
Select Agent Research: Assessment of information on select agents, registration, monitoring, biosafety, and biocontainment.
Resource Sharing Plans: Reasonableness of sharing plans for resources or rationale for not sharing.
Authentication of Key Biological and/or Chemical Resources: Plans for identifying and ensuring validity.
Budget and Period of Support: Review of whether the budget and requested period are fully justified and reasonable.
Compliance & Special Requirements
Regulatory Compliance
All awards are subject to the terms and conditions, cost principles, and other considerations described in the NIH Grants Policy Statement.
Grantee institutions must ensure that protocols are reviewed by their Institutional Review Board (IRB) or Independent Ethics Committee (IEC).
Recipient-selected projects involving clinical trials or studies with greater than minimal risk to human subjects require prior approval by NIH before initiation.
Recipients must comply with NIH Guidance on Changes That Involve Human Subjects in Active Awards.
Specific plans for data and safety monitoring must be provided, and serious adverse events and unanticipated problems reported to IRB and NIH.
Compliance with federal civil rights laws that prohibit discrimination (race, color, national origin, age, sex, disability) and federal conscience laws (where applicable).
Ensure meaningful access for persons with limited English proficiency and effective communication with persons with disabilities.
Projects involving live vertebrate animals will be evaluated for procedures, justification of species, interventions to minimize discomfort/pain/injury, and euthanasia methods.
Maintenance of an exemplary program of animal care and use consistent with current PHS policy and AAALAC International accreditation.
Data Management and Sharing (DMS)
A Data Management and Sharing Plan is required for all research generating scientific data, regardless of direct costs.
The DMS Plan must specifically address data from the Pilot Research Program, including expected data types, tools, standards, repositories, accessibility, sharing timelines, and factors affecting reuse.
Genomic data sharing for any component must be addressed in the DMS Plan.
Exempt from DMS Policy: Routine NHP clinical care data, animal records, animal husbandry data, and routine NHP model characterization (unless genomic data).
Resource Sharing
A separate Resource Sharing Plan is required for all research resources generated with P51 support (e.g., NHP models, tissues, biofluids, custom reagents, specialized facilities and services).
Technical Specifications / Quality Standards
A computer-based system for tracking animals in research and breeding colonies must be well-established.
Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for animal care must meet federal, state, and local laws and regulations (e.g., Guide for the Care and Use of Laboratory Animals, PHS policy, Animal Welfare Act).
Programs must be in place to maintain the genetic diversity of animal colonies and for environmental enrichment.
Special Considerations
The grant supports National Primate Research Centers (NPRCs) as centralized facilities critical for biomedical research using nonhuman primates.
Emphasis on the NPRCs serving as a national resource and providing resources to investigators nationwide.
Pilot research projects are encouraged to be developmental or high-risk, generating preliminary data to lead to independent grant support (e.g., NIH R01s).
Pilot research must involve NHPs for biomedical research or studies enhancing NHP welfare/husbandry.
At least half of the funded pilot projects over the award period must involve investigators external to the NPRC and grantee institution.
Targeting investigators who have not previously used NHPs is encouraged for pilot projects.
Non-tenured early stage investigators should be given priority in the pilot project selection process.
An expedited review process for pilot projects may be used under ORIP-approved exceptional circumstances (e.g., urgent research on emerging pathogens with significant public health risk).
Requests for NPRC resources must be prioritized: Highest priority for NIH extramural grants, followed by NIH intramural, other Federal/State, nonprofit, and then for-profit funding.
Within priority categories, projects are prioritized on a first-come, first-served basis, with no preference for internal vs. external scientists.
Construction is not allowed for Alterations and Renovations funds.
Grant Details
health
biomedical research
nonhuman primates
animal models
research infrastructure
nih
p51
scientific research
disease models
animal welfare
genetics
genomics
public health
grants
united states
animal care
laboratory animals
research centers
innovation
capacity building
institutional support
research and development
clinical trials not allowed
primate research
life sciences
veterinary science
Limited Competition: National Primate Research Centers (P51) (Clinical Trials Not Allowed)
PAR-23-126
National Institutes of Health (NIH), Office of Research Infrastructure Programs (ORIP)
Grants8