Limited Competition for the Continuation of the Scientific Data Research Center (SDRC) for the NIDDK Gastroparesis Consortium (U24 Clinical Trial Optional) | RFA DK 20 505

Opportunity Information: Apply for RFA DK 20 505

This grant opportunity, RFA-DK-20-505, is a limited-competition NIH cooperative agreement (U24, clinical trial optional) to support the continuation of the Scientific Data Research Center (SDRC) for the NIDDK Gastroparesis Clinical Research Consortium (GpCRC). In practical terms, NIDDK is looking for a single, specialized center that can serve as the consortiums operational hub, coordinating and strengthening the research activities conducted across multiple participating clinical sites. A companion funding announcement, RFA-DK-20-504, supports the continuation of the consortiums Clinical Centers (CCs), and this SDRC award is meant to work hand-in-hand with those CCs rather than operate as a standalone project.

The overarching scientific purpose of the consortium is to build a comprehensive clinical, epidemiologic, and biologic picture of gastroparesis in both adults and children, including diabetic and non-diabetic populations. The goal is not just to describe symptoms, but to deepen understanding of the diseases underlying mechanisms (pathophysiology) and its common and serious downstream effects, such as chronic abdominal pain, persistent nausea and vomiting, impaired metabolic control (especially relevant to diabetes), and reduced quality of life. By combining multidisciplinary expertise across the clinical sites and the data center, the consortium aims to generate more reliable, comparable, and broadly usable insights than any single site could produce alone.

Within that structure, the SDRC is positioned as the administrative and scientific backbone for consortium research. The SDRC is expected to take on the central responsibilities for study coordination and governance support, data collection systems, data management, quality control, and statistical analysis. It is also responsible for supporting the conduct of ongoing studies already underway within the consortium, as well as future studies that the Clinical Centers may initiate during the project period. Because this is a cooperative agreement, the SDRC will not simply receive funds and work independently; it will operate in close coordination with NIDDK and the CCs, with substantial programmatic involvement typical of NIH U-series mechanisms.

A major collaborative component highlighted in the announcement is creation and maintenance of an annotated biospecimen repository. The repository is expected to include samples such as blood and stool, and when feasible, gastric tissue. The intent is to pair biospecimens with high-quality, well-curated clinical and phenotypic data so that investigators can identify and validate biomarkers. Those biomarkers could potentially be used for risk stratification, earlier detection, or improved characterization of disease subtypes, supporting more targeted research and, eventually, better clinical decision-making. The FOA also notes that the repository and data resources should build on and extend prior consortium work, including the ongoing Pathological Basis of Gastroparesis study, which aims to improve understanding of the diseases tissue-level and cellular pathology.

Eligibility is restricted in key ways. Non-U.S. (foreign) institutions are not eligible to apply as the applicant organization, and non-domestic components of U.S. organizations are also not eligible. At the same time, foreign components (as defined in the NIH Grants Policy Statement) are allowed, meaning the funded U.S.-based applicant may include certain foreign collaborations or elements if they meet NIH policy definitions and are well-justified. The FOA also indicates that eligible applicants include certain U.S. government entities and U.S. territories or possessions, alongside other eligible applicant types captured under NIH rules.

Administratively, the opportunity is listed as discretionary funding and uses the cooperative agreement funding instrument. It is associated with CFDA 93.847 and falls under health-related program categories (including food and nutrition, health). The original application due date was December 16, 2020, and the listed award ceiling is $1,000,000. Overall, the award is designed to keep the consortiums data and coordinating infrastructure strong, consistent, and scientifically productive, ensuring that multicenter gastroparesis research can be executed with rigorous data standards, shared resources, and integrated analysis across sites and studies.

• The National Institutes of Health in the food and nutrition, health sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Limited Competition for the Continuation of the Scientific Data Research Center (SDRC) for the NIDDK Gastroparesis Consortium (U24 Clinical Trial Optional)" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 93.847.
• This funding opportunity was created on 2020-09-24.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2020-12-16. (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 $1,000,000.00 in funding.
• Eligible applicants include: Others.

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