Key Dates

Related Announcements

PAR-22-250 - Centers of Biomedical Research Excellence (COBRE) Phase 1 (P20 - Clinical Trial Optional)

Issued by

National Institute of General Medical Sciences (NIGMS)

Purpose

The purpose of this Notice is to change the institutional eligibility criteria related to the maximum number of COBRE Phase 1 and Phase 2 awards an institution may hold at the time of application submission. Applicant institutions may now hold up to a combined total of three COBRE Phase 1 and 2 awards at the time of application submission, but funding priority will be given to institutions with two or fewer awards.  

The following sections of the Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) are revised accordingly.

Part 2. Section I. Funding Opportunity Description

COBRE Phase 1 Program Description and Requirements

Currently reads: 

Overall Plan (required): A COBRE Phase 1 award supports the establishment of a multi-component center of excellence in an area of biomedical research that aligns with the applicant institution’s strategic priorities for growing its research capacity. The COBRE Phase 1 program aims to develop a critical mass of investigators who can compete effectively for independent, external research funding. To achieve this goal, the COBRE award supports a Center that provides research support and mentoring to faculty investigators and funding for their recruitment. Enhancements to the institution’s research infrastructure that facilitate the proposed research are also supported. The Center’s scientific goals must be aligned with the applicant institution’s strategic priorities and cover a sufficiently broad scientific area to warrant the institution’s sustained support. Applicant institutions should demonstrate their commitment to the COBRE program goals by investing in the recruitment and long-term support of the Center’s investigators and the infrastructure required to carry out the scientific research. An established investigator with scientific expertise in the research area of the Center as well as mentoring and administrative experience is expected to lead the Center as the Program Director/Principal Investigator (PD/PI) of the award. An Advisory Committee (AC) comprised of institutional leadership and external experts in the scientific area should provide advice and oversight on critical scientific activities and administrative decisions. Applications proposing to establish a Center in a scientific area closely related to one previously supported by a COBRE award to the institution or in an area for which the institution already has a critical mass of funded investigators are of low programmatic priority. 

Modified to read (changes noted in italics): 

Overall Plan (required): A COBRE Phase 1 award supports the establishment of a multi-component center of excellence in an area of biomedical research that aligns with the applicant institution's strategic priorities for growing its research capacity. The COBRE Phase 1 program aims to develop a critical mass of investigators who can compete effectively for independent, external research funding. To achieve this goal, the COBRE award supports a Center that provides research support and mentoring to faculty investigators and funding for their recruitment. Enhancements to the institution's research infrastructure that facilitate the proposed research are also supported. The Center's scientific goals must be aligned with the applicant institution's strategic priorities and cover a sufficiently broad scientific area to warrant the institution's sustained support. Applicant institutions should demonstrate their commitment to the COBRE program goals by investing in the recruitment and long-term support of the Center's investigators and the infrastructure required to carry out the scientific research. An established investigator with scientific expertise in the research area of the Center as well as mentoring and administrative experience is expected to lead the Center as the Program Director/Principal Investigator (PD/PI) of the award. An Advisory Committee (AC) comprised of institutional leadership and external experts in the scientific area should provide advice and oversight on critical scientific activities and administrative decisions. Funding priority will be given to meritorious applications from institutions with two or fewer active COBRE Phase 1 and/or Phase 2 awards. Applications proposing to establish a Center in a scientific area closely related to one previously supported by a COBRE award to the institution or in an area for which the institution already has a critical mass of funded investigators are of low programmatic priority. 

Part 2. Section III. Eligibility Information

Eligible Organizations

Currently reads: 

Eligibility is restricted to institutions that meet all of the following criteria:

• Are located in an IDeA-eligible state, commonwealth, or jurisdiction, which are Alaska, Arkansas, Delaware, Hawaii, Idaho, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Mississippi, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Puerto Rico, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Vermont, West Virginia, and Wyoming; and
• Award doctoral degrees in the health-related sciences or are independent biomedical research institutes/medical centers with ongoing biomedical research programs funded by the NIH or other federal agencies; and
• At the time of submission, (1) hold two or fewer active COBRE Phase 1 and/or Phase 2 awards, including those in no-cost extension, and (2) through subcontracts, hold five or fewer COBRE Research Projects and/or Cores from Phase 1 and Phase 2 COBREs awarded to other institutions. Please note that COBRE Phase 3 - Transitional Centers awards and their research cores are not counted for these eligibility requirements and that applications will not be accepted from institutions that hold three active Phase 1 and/or Phase 2 COBRE awards, including those in no-cost extension.

Modified to read (changes noted in italics): 

Eligibility is restricted to institutions that meet all of the following criteria:

• Are located in an IDeA-eligible state, commonwealth, or jurisdiction, which are Alaska, Arkansas, Delaware, Hawaii, Idaho, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Mississippi, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Puerto Rico, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Vermont, West Virginia, and Wyoming; and
• Award doctoral degrees in the health-related sciences or are independent biomedical research institutes/medical centers with ongoing biomedical research programs funded by the NIH or other federal agencies; and
• At the time of submission, (1) hold three or fewer active COBRE Phase 1 and/or Phase 2 awards, including those in no-cost extension, and (2) through subcontracts, hold five or fewer COBRE Research Projects and/or Cores from Phase 1 and Phase 2 COBREs awarded to other institutions. Please note that COBRE Phase 3 - Transitional Centers awards and their research cores are not counted for these eligibility requirements and that applications will not be accepted from institutions that hold four active Phase 1 and/or Phase 2 COBRE awards.

 All other aspects of the NOFO remain the same.

Inquiries

Please direct all inquiries to:

Federico Bernal, PhD
National Institute of General Medical Sciences (NIGMS)
Email: federico.bernal@nih.gov