Deciphering the Molecular Landscape of Lung Aging in Humans (U01 - Clinical Trial Not Allowed) | RFA HL 19 012

Opportunity Information: Apply for RFA HL 19 012

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) announced this discretionary funding opportunity, RFA-HL-19-012, titled "Deciphering the Molecular Landscape of Lung Aging in Humans (U01 - Clinical Trial Not Allowed)." It is offered as a cooperative agreement (U01), which generally means NIH staff will have substantial involvement during the life of the project, beyond the typical oversight seen in standard research grants. The scientific aim is tightly centered on understanding normal, non-disease biological aging in human lungs and producing a resource-like reference that other researchers can use to interpret and study age-related lung disorders. The FOA sits within NIH health research program areas associated with CFDA numbers 93.233 and 93.838.

The research focus has two major parts. First, applicants are expected to characterize how the molecular hallmarks of aging change in human lung tissue over time. In practical terms, this points toward investigating age-linked shifts in biological signals and pathways that mark normal aging, rather than changes caused primarily by acute illness or experimental interventions. Second, the FOA calls for building a dynamic molecular map of lung aging. The intent is to create an integrative, time-sensitive framework describing how molecular features of the lung change across the human lifespan. This kind of map is meant to function as a shared baseline or reference atlas, helping the broader research community distinguish what is "normal aging" from what reflects early disease processes, environmental injury, or other pathological drivers. Ultimately, the deliverable is not just a collection of findings, but a structured molecular landscape that can be used to better define mechanisms underlying age-related lung diseases.

A key boundary condition is that this is a "Clinical Trial Not Allowed" announcement. That indicates projects should not be designed as clinical trials under NIH definitions (for example, prospectively assigning human participants to an intervention to study health-related biomedical outcomes). Instead, the FOA is geared toward observational and molecular characterization work aimed at understanding natural aging biology in humans. Applicants would be expected to align the study design accordingly, focusing on generating and integrating molecular data rather than testing interventions.

Eligibility is broad and includes many types of U.S.-based organizations and governmental units. Eligible applicants include state, county, city or township 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 tribal governments; 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); for-profit organizations other than small businesses; and small businesses. The FOA also explicitly highlights additional eligible applicant categories such as Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian Serving Institutions, Asian American Native American Pacific Islander Serving Institutions (AANAPISI), Hispanic-serving Institutions, Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), Tribally Controlled Colleges and Universities (TCCUs), faith-based or community-based organizations, eligible federal agencies, regional organizations, and U.S. territories or possessions.

On the non-U.S. participation rules, the announcement draws an important distinction. Non-domestic (non-U.S.) entities and foreign institutions are not eligible to apply as the applicant organization, and non-domestic components of U.S. organizations are not eligible to apply. However, foreign components are allowed as defined by the NIH Grants Policy Statement. In other words, while the primary applicant must be an eligible (domestic) organization, certain parts of the work may still be carried out with foreign collaborations or foreign components if they meet NIH policy requirements and are justified within the project.

Administrative details provided in the source information include an original closing date of April 27, 2018, and a creation date for the opportunity record of December 14, 2017. The award ceiling and expected number of awards are not specified in the supplied text.

• The National Institutes of Health in the health sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Deciphering the Molecular Landscape of Lung Aging in Humans (U01 - 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): 93.233, 93.838.
• This funding opportunity was created on 2017-12-14.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2018-04-27. (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 RFA HL 19 012

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