Opportunity Information: Apply for RFA AA 21 015
This grant opportunity, RFA-AA-21-015, is a National Institutes of Health (NIH) cooperative agreement (U54; clinical trial optional) designed to create and carry out formal collaborative partnerships between Research Centers in Minority Institutions (RCMI) and institutions that already have deep experience and robust programs in alcohol research, referred to here as Alcohol Research Centers and consortia (ARC), including those funded by the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA). The basic idea is to pair the strengths of established alcohol research hubs with RCMI institutions that have a strong track record of educating underrepresented students and, in many cases, providing clinical care to medically underserved communities. Through these structured partnerships, the program aims to expand where high-quality alcohol research happens, who gets to lead it, and how effectively it can address alcohol-related health problems that affect diverse populations.
At its core, the FOA focuses on strengthening alcohol research capacity at RCMI institutions. That includes building or improving the research infrastructure needed to compete successfully for alcohol-related biomedical and clinical research funding, developing the expertise of investigators and research teams, and creating sustainable collaborations that last beyond the initial award period. The long-range goal is practical and health-focused: improve the scientific ability to identify, characterize, and ultimately reduce the harmful health effects associated with alcohol use and misuse. Because RCMI institutions often serve communities that are medically underserved and disproportionately affected by health inequities, the partnerships supported under this announcement are positioned to connect advanced alcohol research with real-world clinical and community contexts where findings can make a measurable difference.
This is not just a research project grant; it is a cooperative agreement, which usually means the NIH expects an active partnership and substantial programmatic involvement during the award. The announcement emphasizes both planning and implementation of the partnership, signaling support for building the collaborative structure itself (how the institutions will work together, share resources, mentor investigators, and develop a pipeline of projects) as well as executing activities that directly increase alcohol research capability at the RCMI side. The "clinical trial optional" designation means applicants may include clinical trials if they are appropriate for the proposed program, but clinical trials are not required.
Eligibility is broad and includes many types of U.S.-based institutions and organizations that can serve as applicants or partners, such as public and private institutions of higher education, state and local governments, federally recognized tribal governments, tribal organizations, special district governments, independent school districts, public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities, nonprofits (both 501(c)(3) and non-501(c)(3)), for-profit organizations (other than small businesses), and small businesses. The FOA also explicitly highlights categories of institutions and organizations aligned with the program mission, including Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), Hispanic-serving Institutions, Tribally Controlled Colleges and Universities (TCCUs), Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian Serving Institutions, Asian American Native American Pacific Islander Serving Institutions (AANAPISI), faith-based or community-based organizations, regional organizations, eligible federal agencies, and U.S. territories or possessions. A key restriction is that non-U.S. entities are not eligible to apply, non-domestic components of U.S. organizations are not eligible, and foreign components (as NIH defines them) are not allowed, keeping the program focused on building domestic capacity and workforce diversity within the United States and its territories.
Administratively, the opportunity falls under the NIH funding activity category of Health and is associated with CFDA number 93.273. The original closing date listed is December 15, 2021, and the FOA was created on September 1, 2021. While the notice does not provide an award ceiling or expected number of awards in the excerpted data, the main program purpose is clear: develop durable, high-functioning RCMI-ARC partnerships that expand alcohol research infrastructure and expertise at minority-serving and minority-focused research institutions, while simultaneously strengthening diversity in the biomedical research workforce and improving the field's ability to address alcohol-related health harms across populations.Apply for RFA AA 21 015
- The National Institutes of Health in the health sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Collaborative Partnership between Research Centers in Minority Institutions (RCMI) and Alcohol Research Centers (U54 Clinical Trial Optional)" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 93.273.
- This funding opportunity was created on 2021-09-01.
- Applicants must submit their applications by 2021-12-15. (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) - RFA-AA-21-015
What is the grant opportunity RFA-AA-21-015?
RFA-AA-21-015 is a National Institutes of Health (NIH) funding opportunity for a cooperative agreement (U54; clinical trial optional). It supports formal, structured partnerships between Research Centers in Minority Institutions (RCMI) and established alcohol research hubs, referred to as Alcohol Research Centers and consortia (ARC), including those funded by the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA).
What is the main purpose of this funding opportunity?
The main purpose is to strengthen alcohol research capacity at RCMI institutions by building research infrastructure, developing investigator and team expertise, and creating collaborations that are designed to last beyond the initial award period.
What problem is this program trying to address?
The program aims to improve the scientific ability to identify, characterize, and reduce harmful health effects associated with alcohol use and misuse, especially in diverse populations and communities experiencing health inequities.
What does it mean that this is a cooperative agreement (U54)?
A cooperative agreement typically means NIH expects an active partnership with substantial programmatic involvement during the award. This is different from many standard research grants where the funder is less directly involved in program execution.
What does "clinical trial optional" mean for applicants?
"Clinical trial optional" means an application may include a clinical trial if it fits the proposed program, but a clinical trial is not required to be competitive under this opportunity.
Who are the intended partners in this program?
The program is intended to connect RCMI institutions (often with strong track records in educating underrepresented students and serving medically underserved communities) with ARC institutions/consortia that have deep experience and robust programs in alcohol research.
What types of activities does the FOA emphasize?
The FOA emphasizes both planning and implementation of the partnership. That includes building the collaborative structure (how partners will work together, share resources, mentor investigators, and develop a pipeline of projects) and carrying out activities that increase alcohol research capability at the RCMI institution.
What is meant by "strengthening alcohol research capacity" at RCMI institutions?
In this FOA, strengthening capacity includes building or improving the research infrastructure needed to compete for alcohol-related biomedical and clinical research funding, growing the expertise of investigators and research teams, and developing sustainable collaborative relationships with experienced alcohol research centers.
Why does the FOA focus on RCMI institutions?
RCMI institutions frequently educate underrepresented students and may provide clinical care to medically underserved communities. By expanding alcohol research capacity at these institutions, the program aims to broaden where high-quality alcohol research occurs and who leads it, while improving relevance to populations disproportionately affected by alcohol-related health harms.
How does this program connect research to real-world community and clinical settings?
The FOA highlights that RCMI institutions often serve medically underserved communities. Partnerships under this program are positioned to link advanced alcohol research with clinical and community contexts where research findings can be applied and measured.
What kinds of organizations are eligible to apply?
Eligibility is broad and includes U.S.-based public and private institutions of higher education, state and local governments, federally recognized tribal governments, tribal organizations, special district governments, independent school districts, public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities, nonprofits (501(c)(3) and non-501(c)(3)), for-profit organizations (other than small businesses), and small businesses.
Are minority-serving institutions specifically encouraged or included?
Yes. The FOA explicitly highlights categories aligned with the program mission, 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 (AANAPISI).
Are community-based or faith-based organizations allowed to participate?
Yes. The FOA explicitly includes faith-based or community-based organizations among the highlighted categories aligned with the program mission.
Can U.S. territories or possessions be involved?
Yes. The FOA explicitly includes U.S. territories or possessions among the highlighted eligible categories.
Are non-U.S. (foreign) entities eligible to apply?
No. Non-U.S. entities are not eligible to apply under this opportunity.
Are foreign components or non-domestic components allowed?
No. Non-domestic components of U.S. organizations are not eligible, and foreign components (as NIH defines them) are not allowed.
Which NIH institute is most closely associated with this program?
The opportunity references Alcohol Research Centers and consortia (ARC), including those funded by the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA).
What is the broader long-range goal of the program?
The long-range goal is to improve the ability of the scientific community to reduce alcohol-related health harms by expanding and sustaining high-quality alcohol research capacity at RCMI institutions and strengthening workforce diversity in biomedical research.
What is the CFDA number for this opportunity?
The CFDA number associated with this opportunity is 93.273.
What is the funding activity category?
The funding activity category is Health.
When was the FOA created, and what was the listed closing date?
The FOA was created on September 1, 2021, and the original closing date listed is December 15, 2021.
Does the provided information state an award ceiling or number of expected awards?
No. The provided excerpt does not include an award ceiling or the expected number of awards.
Is this opportunity only about funding a single research project?
No. The description emphasizes that this is not just a research project grant. It supports building and executing a structured partnership designed to expand alcohol research infrastructure, skills, and sustained collaboration capacity at RCMI institutions.
What outcomes is NIH likely expecting from funded partnerships based on this description?
Based on the description, NIH is expecting durable, high-functioning RCMI-ARC partnerships that expand alcohol research infrastructure and expertise at RCMI institutions, strengthen diversity in the biomedical research workforce, and improve the field's ability to address alcohol-related health harms across populations.
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