Limited Competition: Renewal of Centers of Biomedical Research Excellence (COBRE) (Phase 2) (P20 - Clinical Trial Optional) | PAR 22 163

Opportunity Information: Apply for PAR 22 163

This funding opportunity (PAR-22-163) is a limited competition renewal announcement from the National Institute of General Medical Sciences (NIGMS) under the National Institutes of Health (NIH) for Centers of Biomedical Research Excellence (COBRE) Phase 2 awards using the P20 center grant mechanism, with clinical trials listed as optional. It sits within the Institutional Development Award (IDeA) Program, a long-running NIH effort focused on improving the competitiveness of research institutions in states and jurisdictions that have historically received a smaller share of NIH funding. The overall intent is capacity-building: strengthening an institution's biomedical research infrastructure while helping investigators develop into independently funded researchers who can successfully compete for NIH R-series awards and other external, peer-reviewed research support.

The COBRE program is built around the idea of a thematic, multidisciplinary research center housed at an eligible institution. In practical terms, that means a center organized around a coherent scientific focus area, with shared research resources and an environment designed to accelerate investigator development. This Phase 2 renewal opportunity is specifically aimed at existing COBRE Phase 1 centers that are eligible to renew, with the purpose of deepening and extending the progress made during Phase 1. The emphasis is on further strengthening the research infrastructure that has already been established, sustaining and growing a critical mass of researchers working in the center's scientific area, and continuing structured support for investigators so they can move toward independent funding.

A key feature of the Phase 2 objective is continuity with measurable advancement. Rather than launching a brand-new center, the application is expected to show how the Phase 1 center built momentum and how Phase 2 will consolidate that foundation into a stronger, more durable research enterprise. This generally implies continued development of shared cores or research support capabilities, coordinated mentoring and career development for investigators, and a plan that demonstrates how supported projects and people will transition to independent grants and long-term sustainability. The renewal framing also signals that applicants should be prepared to describe outcomes from the prior phase, how the center's thematic direction has matured, and how the next phase will increase the institution's capacity to compete nationally.

Eligibility is restricted, reflecting the "limited competition" nature of the announcement. The opportunity is intended for renewal of eligible existing COBRE Phase 1 centers rather than open competition for any institution. Foreign participation is explicitly limited: non-U.S. entities (foreign institutions) are not eligible to apply, non-U.S. components of U.S. organizations are not eligible, and foreign components (as defined by NIH policy) are not allowed. The source data also lists "Small businesses" under eligible applicants, but the narrative eligibility language and the nature of COBRE P20 center awards generally point to institution-based center grants tied to IDeA eligibility and to existing Phase 1 COBRE awardees, so applicants would need to rely on the full announcement's eligibility section and the specific renewal requirements to confirm institutional fit.

From an administrative standpoint, the program is categorized as discretionary grant funding in the health area under CFDA 93.859. The award ceiling is listed as $1,500,000, indicating the maximum annual direct cost level or total cost cap as specified by the FOA (the exact interpretation should be confirmed in the full announcement). The original closing date for applications was September 27, 2022, and the opportunity was created on April 19, 2022. Even if the posted dates have passed, the details still capture what the FOA was designed to fund: Phase 2 renewals that reinforce infrastructure, maintain a productive scientific theme, and continue developing investigators into independent, externally funded researchers within IDeA-eligible environments.

• The National Institutes of Health in the health sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Limited Competition: Renewal of Centers of Biomedical Research Excellence (COBRE) (Phase 2) (P20 - Clinical Trial Optional)" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 93.859.
• This funding opportunity was created on 2022-04-19.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2022-09-27. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
• Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $1,500,000.00 in funding.
• Eligible applicants include: Small businesses.

Apply for PAR 22 163

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