Nutrition Obesity Research Centers Research Resource Center (RRC) (P2C- Clinical Trial Optional) | RFA DK 25 011

Opportunity Information: Apply for RFA DK 25 011

The Nutrition Obesity Research Centers Research Resource Center (RRC) funding opportunity (RFA-DK-25-011) is an NIH/NIDDK grant solicitation to create a single coordinating hub that supports the nationwide Nutrition Obesity Research Centers (NORC) Program. The NORC Program is made up of eleven existing centers around the United States that work to advance nutrition and obesity research across basic science, clinical and translational studies, and health disparities. Rather than funding a new stand-alone research center, this award is designed to strengthen and connect the current NORC network by providing shared infrastructure, program-wide coordination, and targeted initiatives that increase collaboration, accelerate progress, and expand the field’s research workforce. The activity is listed under food and nutrition/health (CFDA 93.847), uses the NIH grant mechanism, and is designated “clinical trial optional,” meaning applicants may propose work that includes clinical trials if appropriate, but a clinical trial is not required.

The core purpose of the RRC is to act as the backbone organization for the NORC network. The NOFO lays out five major responsibilities. First, the RRC must provide administrative support for the entire NORC Program, which typically includes organizing cross-center governance and communications, coordinating meetings and working groups, tracking progress on program-wide goals, and serving as a central point of contact for participating centers and NIDDK. Second, the RRC is expected to establish and maintain a NORC Program website along with a centralized repository of research resources. In practice, that means building a well-curated, user-friendly platform that helps investigators and trainees discover shared tools, protocols, datasets or data resources (as permitted), training materials, core capabilities across centers, and other resources that can reduce duplication and make the network’s capabilities easier to access.

Third, the RRC must implement a multipronged strategy to support and expand the early-to-midcareer research workforce, explicitly including researchers from diverse backgrounds, with an emphasis on broad national outreach and measurable impact. This component is not limited to traditional training; it may involve mentorship networks, professional development programming, skills workshops, matchmaking for collaborations, leadership development, and targeted supports that address known barriers in nutrition and obesity research career pathways. Fourth, the RRC will administer and manage a “NORC Opportunity Program” intended to address gaps and promote collaboration across the network. While the NOFO summary does not list every allowable activity, the intent is to create structured opportunities that bring centers together around unmet needs, emerging research priorities, or under-resourced areas, and to catalyze multi-site efforts rather than isolated projects. Fifth, the RRC will manage a Pilot and Feasibility Program, which generally means running a competitive internal funding process that supports early-stage, high-impact, or innovative projects that can generate preliminary data, spark new collaborations, and position investigators for future independent funding.

A notable compliance requirement in this NOFO is the mandatory Plan for Enhancing Diverse Perspectives (PEDP). This plan is not optional and is explicitly scored as part of scientific and technical peer review. If an application does not include a PEDP, NIH will treat the application as incomplete and withdraw it without review. In practical terms, the PEDP should explain concrete, actionable steps the applicant will take to bring diverse perspectives into the RRC’s leadership, activities, and supported programs, such as inclusive recruitment and selection practices for trainees and pilot awardees, equitable access to opportunities across institutions and geographies, stakeholder engagement, and accountability metrics.

Eligibility is broad across domestic organizations, reflecting the coordinating nature of the award. Eligible applicants include various levels of government (state, county, city/township, special districts), public and private institutions of higher education, independent school districts, federally recognized tribal governments, tribal organizations that are not federally recognized governments, public housing/Indian housing authorities, nonprofits (with or without 501(c)(3) status), for-profit organizations (other than small businesses) as well as small businesses, and other organization types. The NOFO also calls out additional eligible categories such as HBCUs, Hispanic-serving institutions, tribally controlled colleges and universities, Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian serving institutions, and AANAPISI institutions, along with faith-based or community-based organizations, eligible federal agencies, regional organizations, and U.S. territories or possessions. At the same time, it clearly restricts foreign involvement: non-U.S. (foreign) organizations are not eligible to apply, non-domestic components of U.S. organizations are not eligible, and foreign components (as defined by NIH policy) are not allowed.

Key administrative details provided in the listing include an original application due date of October 9, 2024, and an award ceiling of $625,000. The overall takeaway is that NIDDK is looking for a capable domestic organization to function as the NORC Program’s central coordinating resource: handling program administration, building and curating shared digital infrastructure, strengthening and diversifying the early-to-midcareer pipeline, and running both a collaboration-focused opportunity program and a pilot/feasibility funding program to stimulate innovative work across the eleven NORC centers.

• The National Institutes of Health in the food and nutrition, health sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Nutrition Obesity Research Centers Research Resource Center (RRC) (P2C- Clinical Trial Optional)" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 93.847.
• This funding opportunity was created on 2024-05-15.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2024-10-09. (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 $625,000.00 in funding.
• 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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