Environmental Health Sciences Core Centers (EHS CC) (P30) | RFA ES 17 003

Opportunity Information: Apply for RFA ES 17 003

The Environmental Health Sciences Core Centers (EHS CC) (P30) funding opportunity (RFA-ES-17-003) is a National Institutes of Health (NIH) grant program designed to support institution-based centers that act as major organizing hubs for environmental health sciences research. Rather than funding a single research project, this P30 mechanism focuses on building and sustaining shared research infrastructure that multiple investigators can use. The intent is to make independently funded and collaborative environmental health research faster, more efficient, and more effective by providing centralized facilities, services, and resources that individual labs would struggle to maintain on their own. These centers are positioned as “intellectual hubs,” meaning the sponsoring institution is expected to provide leadership and direction for the field, anticipate new scientific needs, and contribute to shaping environmental health priorities.

A central theme of the opportunity is alignment with the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS) Strategic Plan. Applicants are expected to demonstrate how their center will advance NIEHS goals by supporting high-impact science on how environmental exposures interact with human biology to influence disease. The FOA emphasizes the broad objective of identifying and taking advantage of emerging issues in environmental health, which typically means building capacity to respond to new contaminants, changing exposure patterns, novel methods for exposure assessment, new mechanistic insights (such as omics and systems biology), and evolving public health concerns. In practice, a successful EHS Core Center is usually built around strong existing environmental health research activity and uses core services to elevate the scope and quality of that research across departments, disciplines, and collaborating teams.

The “core center” concept is the heart of this program. These centers provide shared facilities, technical expertise, and operational support that are broadly accessible to a community of environmental health investigators. While the FOA text does not list specific required cores in the excerpt provided, the general expectation for P30 core centers is that they offer centralized capabilities such as specialized laboratory services, data management and biostatistical support, exposure science tools, clinical or translational interfaces when relevant, and other shared platforms that enable multiple research groups to work at a higher level. The value proposition is that a well-run center reduces duplication, standardizes methods, increases rigor and reproducibility, and creates a common environment where researchers can more easily collaborate and innovate.

Another major emphasis is translation and community engagement as key pathways to improving public health. This reflects the idea that environmental health science should not stop at identifying hazards or mechanisms, but should also help move findings toward real-world impact. Community engagement can include bidirectional partnerships with affected communities, local and state health departments, tribal entities, advocacy organizations, clinicians, or other stakeholders who can help guide research questions, improve study relevance, and support ethical and effective communication of results. Translational research in this context often involves moving discoveries into practice, such as informing interventions, exposure reduction strategies, risk communication, clinical awareness, or policy-relevant evidence. The FOA signals that centers should be built not only to generate knowledge, but also to connect that knowledge to tangible health improvements.

Eligibility is broad across organizational types, reflecting the infrastructure-oriented nature of the program. Eligible applicants include public and state-controlled institutions of higher education, private institutions of higher education, nonprofit organizations (both with and without 501(c)(3) status), for-profit organizations (other than small businesses), and small businesses, as well as other entities that meet NIH eligibility rules. The FOA explicitly highlights additional eligible applicant categories that include Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian Serving Institutions, Asian American Native American Pacific Islander Serving Institutions (AANAPISISs), Hispanic-serving Institutions, Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), and Tribally Controlled Colleges and Universities (TCCUs). At the same time, the opportunity clearly restricts foreign participation: non-U.S. (non-domestic) entities are not eligible to apply, non-U.S. components of U.S. organizations are not eligible, and foreign components (as defined by NIH Grants Policy) are not allowed. This makes the program strictly domestic in terms of applicant organization and project components.

Administratively, this is a discretionary grant opportunity under the NIH, categorized under environment and health, with CFDA number 93.113. The original closing date listed is November 7, 2017, and the FOA creation date is February 27, 2017. The excerpt does not provide an award ceiling or expected number of awards, so applicants would normally consult the full FOA and related NIEHS guidance for budget expectations, project period, required components, review criteria, and any special instructions tied to this specific P30 center program.

Overall, the EHS Core Centers (P30) opportunity is aimed at institutions that already have a strong base of environmental health research and want to amplify its impact by investing in shared infrastructure, cross-disciplinary collaboration, and leadership for the field. The strongest applications are typically those that can show a critical mass of active investigators and projects that will use the cores, a clear plan for how shared services will improve scientific productivity and quality, and a credible strategy for community-engaged and translational activities that connect environmental health discoveries to better health outcomes.

• The National Institutes of Health in the environment, health sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Environmental Health Sciences Core Centers (EHS CC) (P30)" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 93.113.
• This funding opportunity was created on 2017-02-27.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2017-11-07. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
• Eligible applicants include: Public and State controlled institutions of higher education, 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 ES 17 003

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