Cellular Senescence Network: Murine Tissue Mapping Centers (U54 - Clinical Trial Not Allowed) | RFA RM 22 003

Opportunity Information: Apply for RFA RM 22 003

This NIH funding opportunity (RFA-RM-22-003) supports the creation of Murine Tissue Mapping Centers (TMCs) under the Cellular Senescence Network (SenNet) using the U54 cooperative agreement mechanism, with clinical trials not allowed. The central aim is to build a high-resolution atlas of cellular senescence in mice, designed to complement and strengthen the SenNet effort already underway in humans. SenNet as a broader consortium is focused on identifying and functionally characterizing senescent cell populations across tissues at single-cell resolution, with an emphasis on understanding how senescent cells vary by tissue, context, and age across the lifespan.

This FOA was released because a prior solicitation (RFA-RM-21-008) established the human Tissue Mapping Centers to generate comparable data and maps in human tissues. The murine program is meant to run in parallel as a companion resource: it should both inform interpretation of the human atlas and provide a practical blueprint for future translational and preclinical research that relies on mouse studies. In other words, the mouse atlas is not a standalone side project; it is intended to align with the human mapping strategy so that discoveries can be compared across species and used to refine hypotheses and tools that eventually matter for human biology.

Applicants are expected to generate a multimodal, multidimensional map of senescent cells across multiple murine tissues, generally prioritizing tissues that correspond to those already being studied in the human SenNet program. The work is framed around capturing senescence heterogeneity, meaning differences in senescent cell types, states, biomarkers, and functional properties across organs, microenvironments, and time. The FOA emphasizes producing high-content, multiscale outputs, including biomarkers and maps that connect organ-level and tissue-level context down to individual cells. A key deliverable is that data produced across the Network should be aggregated into a searchable murine cellular senescence atlas, rather than remaining siloed within individual centers.

The murine component is intentionally constrained to healthy tissues across the murine lifespan, and modified disease models are explicitly not allowed. The expectation is that the atlas starts with a strong baseline reference of senescent biology in normal aging and normal physiology, which can later be used to interpret disease, injury, or intervention studies. Mouse sources should include both inbred and outbred strains that are commonly used and well-validated in preclinical research, supporting broader utility and reproducibility across the research community.

From an operational standpoint, the Tissue Mapping Centers are expected to integrate and optimize the full end-to-end pipeline required for reliable atlas generation. That includes tissue collection logistics, standardized preservation and processing, and coordinated analytical workflows spanning organ-, tissue-, and single-cell-scale measurements. The FOA calls out the use of omics, imaging, and other approaches, reflecting an expectation of multimodal profiling (for example, combinations of single-cell or single-nucleus sequencing, spatial or multiplex imaging, and related molecular and computational methods) that can capture both cellular identity and spatial context. Alongside data generation, centers are also expected to develop or advance tools and technologies that improve the identification and characterization of senescent cells, which is a longstanding challenge given that senescence is often defined by patterns of markers and functions rather than a single universal signal.

The award is a cooperative agreement (U54), which typically means NIH anticipates substantial scientific coordination and ongoing collaboration between awardees and program staff, consistent with building a shared consortium atlas with harmonized standards. While specific dollar caps and the number of expected awards are not listed in the provided source, the structure strongly signals that funded centers will be expected to operate as consortium nodes, contribute standardized datasets, and participate in shared governance, data standards, and cross-site integration activities needed to produce a unified atlas rather than disconnected projects.

Eligibility is broad across U.S.-based organizations, including various levels of government (state, county, city/township, special districts), public and private institutions of higher education, nonprofits (with and without 501(c)(3) status), for-profit organizations (other than small businesses) and small businesses, independent school districts, and tribal governments and organizations (including federally recognized tribal governments and other tribal entities). The FOA also explicitly highlights additional eligible applicant categories such as HBCUs, Hispanic-serving institutions, AANAPISI institutions, Tribal Colleges and Universities, Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian Serving Institutions, faith-based or community-based organizations, regional organizations, eligible federal agencies, and U.S. territories or possessions. At the same time, foreign participation is restricted: non-U.S. entities and foreign institutions 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 from the source include the sponsoring agency (National Institutes of Health), the activity focus area (health), the CFDA number (93.310), the original posting timeframe (created 2021-10-27) and the original closing date (2022-01-19). Overall, the opportunity is best understood as an NIH-led consortium buildout to produce a standardized, integrative, mouse-based senescence reference atlas that aligns closely with ongoing human tissue mapping, prioritizes healthy aging biology, and yields broadly usable data resources and measurement tools for the research community.

• The National Institutes of Health in the health sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Cellular Senescence Network: Murine Tissue Mapping Centers (U54 - Clinical Trial Not Allowed)" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 93.310.
• This funding opportunity was created on 2021-10-27.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2022-01-19. (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 RFA RM 22 003

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