Centers of Biomedical Research Excellence (COBRE) (P20 Clinical Trial Optional) | PAR 18 266

Opportunity Information: Apply for PAR 18 266

The Centers of Biomedical Research Excellence (COBRE) (P20, clinical trial optional) funding opportunity, issued by the National Institute of General Medical Sciences (NIGMS) at the National Institutes of Health (NIH), supports the creation or strengthening of a thematic, multi-disciplinary biomedical research center at an institution located in an IDeA-eligible state. The core purpose is capacity-building: COBRE is designed to improve an institution's biomedical research infrastructure and to help develop investigators so they are better positioned to win independent, competitive NIH research awards (and other strong external, peer-reviewed funding). In practical terms, the program is about moving an institution and its researchers from promising to nationally competitive by building shared research capabilities and a focused scientific identity around a central theme.

COBRE sits within NIH's Institutional Development Award (IDeA) Program, which targets states and regions that have historically received a lower share of NIH funding. The overarching IDeA goal is to broaden the geographic distribution of NIH-funded research by increasing competitiveness in places where investigators and institutions may have had fewer resources, less established infrastructure, or lower prior award success rates. COBRE contributes to that goal by funding centers that create durable research environments, typically involving coordinated leadership, a common scientific theme, and resources that multiple investigators can use to generate strong preliminary data and publishable results that feed into future independent grant applications.

Eligible applicants include biomedical research institutions that grant doctoral degrees in health sciences or related fields, as well as independent biomedical research institutes that already maintain active biomedical research programs supported by NIH or other federal agencies, as long as they are located within IDeA-eligible states. The eligibility language is broad across organization types, reflecting NIH's willingness to support infrastructure and investigator development in a wide range of settings. Examples listed include public and private institutions of higher education, state and local governments, special district governments, independent school districts, federally recognized Native American tribal governments and other tribal organizations, public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities, nonprofit organizations (with or without 501(c)(3) status), for-profit organizations (other than small businesses), and small businesses, along with other organizational categories recognized by federal assistance programs. The announcement also explicitly calls out additional eligible applicant types 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, certain eligible federal agencies, regional organizations, and U.S. territories or possessions, provided they otherwise meet the program's requirements tied to IDeA eligibility.

At the same time, the opportunity places clear limits on foreign involvement. Non-domestic (non-U.S.) entities (foreign institutions/organizations) are not eligible to apply, and non-domestic components of U.S. organizations are not eligible. In addition, foreign components, as defined by the NIH Grants Policy Statement, are not allowed under this funding opportunity. These restrictions reinforce that COBRE is meant to build research capacity within the United States and specifically within the IDeA jurisdictions.

Administratively, this is a discretionary grant opportunity (funding instrument: grant) in the health funding activity category, identified under CFDA number 93.859. The funding opportunity number is PAR-18-266, and the original closing date listed in the source information is January 24, 2019, with a creation date of November 30, 2017. The provided summary does not specify an award ceiling or the expected number of awards, which typically means applicants would need to consult the full announcement for budget limits, project period expectations, and other application details.

Overall, the opportunity is best understood as an institutional and investigator development mechanism rather than a single-project research grant. It funds the structure and environment needed to build a coherent research center, strengthen shared capabilities, and accelerate the transition of investigators toward independent, externally funded research careers, with the larger policy goal of improving NIH competitiveness in historically underfunded states through sustainable research infrastructure and mentorship-driven scientific growth.

• The National Institutes of Health in the health sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Centers of Biomedical Research Excellence (COBRE) (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 2017-11-30.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2019-01-24. (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 PAR 18 266

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