Nursing Home EXplanatory Clinical Trials Network (NEXT) (U24 Clinical Trial Required) | RFA AG 24 016

Opportunity Information: Apply for RFA AG 24 016

The Nursing Home EXplanatory Clinical Trials Network (NEXT) (U24 Clinical Trial Required) funding opportunity (RFA-AG-24-016) is a National Institutes of Health (NIH) cooperative agreement designed to create a coordinated, transdisciplinary research network focused on improving health outcomes for people living in nursing homes. The central purpose is not simply to run a single study, but to build the durable infrastructure needed to plan and carry out explanatory randomized clinical trials (RCTs) in the long-term care setting. These trials are intended to test the efficacy of prevention and treatment approaches for selected diseases of aging, with a clear emphasis on Alzheimers disease and Alzheimers disease-related dementias (AD/ADRD). In practical terms, the FOA is aiming to strengthen the field’s ability to conduct rigorous, well-controlled clinical research in nursing homes, where residents often have complex medical needs and are historically underrepresented in traditional clinical trials.

The network envisioned by this announcement would bring together aging researchers and other relevant disciplines to solve the real-world barriers that make high-quality RCTs difficult in nursing homes. That includes establishing shared operational capacity, common methods, and trial-ready systems that can support multiple future studies. The emphasis on “explanatory” trials signals that NIH is looking for trials that can cleanly evaluate whether an intervention works under well-defined conditions, with strong internal validity, rather than primarily testing broad implementation strategies. The ultimate goal is to create a reliable platform for evaluating interventions that could prevent or treat medical conditions in the long-term care population, including interventions that might slow, prevent, or improve outcomes related to AD/ADRD.

This is a discretionary funding opportunity using the cooperative agreement mechanism (U24), which typically means NIH expects substantial scientific and programmatic involvement during the project period, including close coordination with NIH staff and alignment with network goals and milestones. The activity category is health, and the listing is associated with CFDA number 93.866. The opportunity set an award ceiling of $2,300,000, with the original closing date listed as 2023-09-26. The announcement also notes “ExpectedAwards:” but does not provide a number in the source text provided.

Eligibility is broad and spans many organization types that can contribute to a national research infrastructure effort. Eligible applicants include state, county, and city or township governments; special district governments; independent school districts; public and state-controlled institutions of higher education; private institutions of higher education; Native American tribal governments (federally recognized); Native American tribal organizations (other than federally recognized tribal governments); public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities; nonprofits with and without 501(c)(3) status (other than institutions of higher education); for-profit organizations (other than small businesses); and small businesses, among others. The FOA explicitly calls out additional eligible applicant categories such as 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, U.S. territories or possessions, and Indian/Native American tribal governments that are not federally recognized.

At the same time, the FOA draws clear boundaries around foreign participation. Non-domestic (non-U.S.) entities and non-domestic (non-U.S.) institutions are not eligible to apply, and non-domestic components of U.S. organizations are not eligible to apply either. However, “foreign components” as defined in the NIH Grants Policy Statement are allowed, meaning an otherwise eligible U.S.-based applicant may be able to include certain foreign collaborations under NIH’s specific policy definitions and requirements, even though foreign institutions cannot serve as the applicant organization.

Overall, this opportunity is best understood as NIH investing in the backbone needed to run gold-standard clinical trials in nursing homes, particularly for conditions tied to aging and dementia. Rather than funding isolated projects, it prioritizes building a coordinated network that can standardize procedures, support trial operations, and generate credible evidence about what truly works for prevention and treatment in a medically complex, high-need population that has often been left out of traditional clinical research.

• The National Institutes of Health in the health sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Nursing Home EXplanatory Clinical Trials Network (NEXT) (U24 Clinical Trial Required)" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 93.866.
• This funding opportunity was created on 2023-04-27.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2023-09-26. (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 $2,300,000.00 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.

Apply for RFA AG 24 016

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