NIDCD Clinical Research Center Grant (P50 - Clinical Trials Optional) | PAR 18 556

Opportunity Information: Apply for PAR 18 556

The NIDCD Clinical Research Center Grant (P50 - Clinical Trials Optional), funding opportunity number PAR-18-556, is a National Institutes of Health (NIH) discretionary grant program intended to support dedicated clinical research centers focused on human communication disorders. The overall purpose is to accelerate progress in how these disorders are understood and addressed, specifically by advancing diagnosis, prevention, treatment, and strategies that lessen the impact of disease. In this announcement, NIDCD uses a broad definition of "clinical research," meaning projects that directly involve people who have communication disorders and/or research that uses data or tissues obtained from individuals with a communication disorder. The scope is deliberately wide and can include work across hearing and balance disorders as well as conditions affecting smell, taste, voice, speech, and language.

Research supported under this opportunity can span many stages and angles of clinical investigation. Examples named in the notice include studies of prevention, pathogenesis (how a disorder develops), pathophysiology (how it affects normal function), diagnosis, treatment, management, and epidemiology. In practical terms, that means applicants could propose research aimed at improving diagnostic tools or biomarkers, understanding disease mechanisms in patient populations, evaluating interventions, or studying real-world patterns of disease and outcomes. Importantly, proposing a clinical trial is allowed but not required, meaning applications may include a trial component when it is scientifically appropriate, but centers can also be built around other forms of clinical research without running trials.

A key feature of the announcement is its broad eligibility across many organization types typically permitted under NIH grant policies. Eligible applicants include a wide range of government entities (state, county, city/township, and special district governments), independent school districts, and public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities. It also includes public and state-controlled institutions of higher education, private institutions of higher education, nonprofit organizations with or without 501(c)(3) status, for-profit organizations other than small businesses, and small businesses. Federally recognized Native American tribal governments are eligible, and the announcement also lists Native American tribal organizations and Indian/Native American tribal governments that are not federally recognized among other eligible applicant categories.

The opportunity also explicitly highlights several categories of institutions and organizations as "other eligible applicants," reinforcing NIDCD's openness to a diverse set of applicants and research environments. These include Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian Serving Institutions, Asian American Native American Pacific Islander Serving Institutions (AANAPISIs), Hispanic-serving Institutions, Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), Tribally Controlled Colleges and Universities (TCCUs), faith-based or community-based organizations, regional organizations, eligible federal agencies, and U.S. territories or possessions. This emphasis signals that NIDCD expects and welcomes applications from institutions serving diverse populations and from community-anchored organizations that may be well positioned to recruit participants, address health disparities, or deliver clinically grounded research.

There are also clear restrictions related to foreign involvement. Non-domestic (non-U.S.) entities (foreign institutions) are not eligible to apply, and non-domestic components of U.S. organizations are not eligible to apply. At the same time, "foreign components" as defined by the NIH Grants Policy Statement are allowed, which typically means a U.S.-based applicant organization can include certain types of international collaboration or activities as a component of the overall project when justified, even though the applicant institution itself must be domestic.

From an administrative standpoint, the opportunity is categorized under Health, uses the grant funding instrument, and is associated with CFDA number 93.173. The NIH is the sponsoring agency, with NIDCD as the institute issuing the announcement. The source record lists an original closing date of 2018-12-26 and a creation date of 2018-01-02. The listing does not provide a stated award ceiling or expected number of awards in the provided excerpt, so applicants would typically need to consult the full funding opportunity announcement and NIH budget guidance to understand allowable budget structures, center components, and expectations for scope and resources.

Overall, this P50 center grant opportunity is designed for organizations capable of building an integrated clinical research center program in NIDCD mission areas, with flexibility to include clinical trials but not be limited to them. The program is meant to support coordinated, patient-oriented research efforts that can move the field forward across multiple communication disorders and across the full spectrum of clinical research activities, from understanding causes and mechanisms to improving care and outcomes.

• The National Institutes of Health in the health sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "NIDCD Clinical Research Center Grant (P50 - Clinical Trials Optional)" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 93.173.
• This funding opportunity was created on 2018-01-02.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2018-12-26. (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 18 556

[Watch] Creating a grant proposal using the step-by-step wizard inside the applicant portal: