Pilot Projects Enhancing Utility and Usage of Common Fund Data Sets (R03 Clinical Trial Not Allowed) | RFA RM 23 015

Opportunity Information: Apply for RFA RM 23 015

The Pilot Projects Enhancing Utility and Usage of Common Fund Data Sets (R03 Clinical Trial Not Allowed) funding opportunity (RFA-RM-23-015) is an NIH discretionary grant program designed to help researchers get more value out of existing, widely available data sets produced through NIH Common Fund programs. Rather than primarily funding new data generation or clinical trials, this call focuses on short, targeted pilot projects that show how selected Common Fund data resources can be used in practical, discovery-oriented ways. The overall intent is to support projects that demonstrate real-world utility, generate testable hypotheses, and spark new scientific insights by creatively reusing and analyzing these shared data sets.

A key feature of this opportunity is its emphasis on “enhancing utility,” meaning applicants are expected not only to use Common Fund data, but also to help make those data more useful to the broader community. That could include developing or demonstrating analytic approaches, integrating data types in a way that reveals new biological or health-relevant patterns, clarifying limitations or best practices for interpretation, or producing examples that lower the barrier for other researchers to work with the same resources. In parallel, awardees are expected to provide feedback to NIH on the strengths, gaps, and usability of the Common Fund data resources they used, which helps improve these community assets over time.

The award mechanism is an R03, which typically supports smaller, time-limited pilot studies aimed at generating early results or proof-of-concept findings. The notice explicitly states “Clinical Trial Not Allowed,” so proposed work must stay outside the scope of NIH-defined clinical trials. Projects should instead be oriented around secondary analysis, methods development, data integration, hypothesis generation, or other non-trial activities that leverage existing Common Fund data sets to catalyze downstream research.

Eligibility is broad and includes many types of U.S.-based organizations: state, county, city, 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; tribal organizations that are not federally recognized; public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities; nonprofits with or without 501(c)(3) status (excluding institutions of higher education in those nonprofit categories); for-profit organizations (other than small businesses); and small businesses. The announcement also highlights additional eligible applicants such as Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian Serving Institutions, Asian American Native American Pacific Islander Serving Institutions (AANAPISISs), 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, and U.S. territories or possessions. At the same time, it draws clear lines around foreign participation: non-domestic (non-U.S.) entities (foreign organizations and foreign institutions) are not eligible to apply, and non-domestic components of U.S. organizations are not eligible to apply. However, “foreign components,” as defined in the NIH Grants Policy Statement, are allowed, meaning certain collaborations or project elements outside the U.S. may be permissible if they meet NIH’s definition and policy requirements, even though a foreign institution cannot be the applicant organization.

Administratively, the opportunity is offered by the National Institutes of Health under CFDA 93.310, categorized under health, and uses a grant funding instrument. The original closing date listed for this specific posting was 2023-11-17, and it was created on 2023-07-26. The source details do not provide an award ceiling or the expected number of awards in the information shown, so applicants would normally confirm budget limits, project period, and award count in the full NOFO text and any linked NIH budget guidance for the R03 mechanism.

In practical terms, this NOFO is aimed at investigators and teams who can quickly produce a compelling demonstration that Common Fund data sets can answer important questions, reveal new connections, or support novel analytical approaches. The expected outputs are not only scientific findings or hypotheses, but also concrete lessons that help NIH and the research community understand how to use these Common Fund data resources more effectively, what obstacles exist, and what improvements would make them easier to find, access, interpret, and reuse.

• The National Institutes of Health in the health sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Pilot Projects Enhancing Utility and Usage of Common Fund Data Sets (R03 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 2023-07-26.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2023-11-17. (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 23 015

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