Limited Competition: Specific Pathogen Free Macaque Colonies (U42 Clinical Trial Not Allowed) | PAR 18 669

Opportunity Information: Apply for PAR 18 669

This funding opportunity, titled "Limited Competition: Specific Pathogen Free Macaque Colonies (U42 Clinical Trial Not Allowed)" (PAR 18 669), is a National Institutes of Health (NIH) discretionary grant program offered as a cooperative agreement under the health funding activity category (CFDA 93.351). Its main goal is to provide continued support for established specific pathogen free (SPF) macaque breeding colonies that were previously supported through the earlier announcement PAR-14-066. In practical terms, this is not a new open competition to build colonies from scratch; it is designed to maintain and sustain colonies that already exist within the defined NIH-supported framework.

The scientific purpose behind the program is tightly tied to HIV/AIDS research needs. Macaques are a critical animal model for studying HIV pathogenesis, immune responses, prevention strategies, and treatment approaches, and maintaining reliable breeding colonies is essential to keep that research moving. The emphasis on "specific pathogen free" animals reflects a major quality and safety requirement: these macaques are screened and maintained to be free of certain viruses that could either skew (confound) HIV/AIDS-related experimental outcomes or pose occupational health risks to the veterinarians, animal care staff, and researchers who work with them. By reducing background infections and unknown variables, SPF colonies help ensure that research findings are interpretable and reproducible across studies and institutions.

A second key feature of the colonies supported under this opportunity is genetic characterization, specifically for major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class I types. MHC class I variation strongly influences immune recognition and antiviral responses, which is a central issue in HIV/AIDS research where host genetics can shape disease course and vaccine or therapeutic outcomes. Having pedigreed macaques with known MHC class I profiles allows investigators to design better-controlled studies, interpret immune response data more accurately, and compare results across experiments where genetic background might otherwise be a hidden source of variability.

From an administrative standpoint, the mechanism is a U42 cooperative agreement, which generally means NIH expects substantial involvement in the funded activity compared with a standard research grant. The announcement explicitly states "Clinical Trial Not Allowed," signaling that the award is intended to support colony operations and related resource activities rather than clinical trial work. The original closing date listed for the opportunity was January 7, 2021, and the opportunity was created on February 21, 2018.

Eligibility is limited and notably excludes foreign participation. Public and state-controlled institutions of higher education are listed as eligible applicants, and the announcement makes clear that non-U.S. entities (foreign institutions) cannot apply. It also bars non-domestic components of U.S. organizations, and it does not allow foreign components as defined by the NIH Grants Policy Statement. In other words, the supported colony activities must be fully domestic with no foreign components embedded in the proposed work. The announcement also references the FOA for full eligibility details, which is important because limited-competition announcements often include additional restrictions, such as prior funding history or specific colony qualification requirements tied to the earlier PAR-14-066 program.

Overall, the opportunity is best understood as NIH maintaining a specialized national research resource: well-characterized, pedigreed SPF macaque colonies that are essential infrastructure for HIV/AIDS research. The intent is to protect the integrity of AIDS-related studies, reduce biosafety and occupational risks, and ensure the continued availability of animals with defined health and immunogenetic status for the research community.

• The National Institutes of Health in the health sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Limited Competition: Specific Pathogen Free Macaque Colonies (U42 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): 93.351.
• This funding opportunity was created on 2018-02-21.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2021-01-07. (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.

Apply for PAR 18 669

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