NIAMS Clinical Trial Implementation Cooperative Agreement (UG3/UH3 Clinical Trial Required) | PAR 24 208

Opportunity Information: Apply for PAR 24 208

The NIAMS Clinical Trial Implementation Cooperative Agreement (UG3/UH3 Clinical Trial Required), Funding Opportunity Number PAR-24-208, is a National Institutes of Health (NIH) discretionary funding opportunity from the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases (NIAMS). It uses a cooperative agreement mechanism, which generally means NIAMS expects to have substantial scientific or programmatic involvement during the life of the award, rather than acting only as a passive funder. The program is specifically intended to support the implementation of a clinical trial, and the title makes clear that a clinical trial is required to be proposed and carried out under this opportunity.

The award is structured as a UG3/UH3 phased approach. In NIH terminology, this typically reflects a staged project where the UG3 phase supports milestone-driven start-up activities (for example, finalizing key operational plans, site readiness, regulatory steps, and other implementation prerequisites), and the UH3 phase supports the full clinical trial conduct once predefined milestones are met. While the detailed milestones and transition criteria are set in the full funding announcement, the practical takeaway is that applicants should expect to justify readiness to launch, define measurable go/no-go benchmarks, and be prepared for an administrative and scientific review of progress before moving into the later phase.

This opportunity falls under the Health funding activity category and is associated with CFDA (Assistance Listing) number 93.846. The listed award ceiling is $250,000, signaling that NIAMS has defined an upper limit for the amount that can be requested under the terms presented in the source data. The opportunity’s original closing date is March 4, 2027, indicating a multi-year window in which applications may be accepted according to the schedule and receipt dates specified in the full announcement.

Eligibility is broad across public, private, nonprofit, and certain for-profit entities. Eligible applicants include state, county, city or township, and special district governments; independent school districts; public and state-controlled institutions of higher education; private institutions of higher education; federally recognized Native American tribal governments; public housing authorities and Indian housing authorities; Native American tribal organizations that are not federally recognized tribal governments; nonprofits with 501(c)(3) status (and nonprofits without 501(c)(3) status) that are not institutions of higher education; for-profit organizations other than small businesses; small businesses; and other applicants as allowed. The announcement also explicitly highlights additional eligible applicant types 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, Indian/Native American tribal governments that are not federally recognized, and U.S. territories or possessions.

At the same time, the opportunity draws clear lines around foreign involvement. Non-domestic (non-U.S.) entities (foreign organizations) are not eligible to apply, and non-domestic components of U.S. organizations are also not eligible to apply. However, “foreign components,” as defined in the NIH Grants Policy Statement, are allowed. In practice, that typically means a U.S.-based applicant organization can propose certain well-justified international elements or collaborations that meet NIH’s definition and requirements for foreign components, even though a foreign institution cannot serve as the applicant organization and a formal non-U.S. organizational component of the prime applicant is not permitted.

In short, PAR-24-208 is a NIAMS cooperative agreement designed to move a required clinical trial from implementation planning into active execution through a milestone-based UG3/UH3 structure, with a wide set of U.S.-based organizational applicants eligible to apply, a stated budget ceiling in the provided source data, and restrictions that exclude foreign applicants while still permitting NIH-defined foreign components when appropriate.

• The National Institutes of Health in the health sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "NIAMS Clinical Trial Implementation Cooperative Agreement (UG3/UH3 Clinical Trial Required)" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 93.846.
• This funding opportunity was created on 2024-05-23.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2027-03-04.
• Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $250,000.00 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 PAR 24 208

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