Fostering Research With Additional Resources and Development (FORWARD) Urology Centers (P20 Clinical Trial Not Allowed) | RFA DK 21 032

Opportunity Information: Apply for RFA DK 21 032

The Fostering Research With Additional Resources and Development (FORWARD) Urology Centers program is an NIH initiative (through NIDDK) built to grow and strengthen the research community focused on benign urologic conditions. The central idea is to create a supportive center-style environment where newer voices in the field can develop strong, fundable research programs. Rather than simply funding an isolated study, this opportunity is structured to help investigators build momentum, generate publishable results, and assemble the kind of preliminary data needed to compete for larger independent awards later on, such as an R01.

At the core of each FORWARD Urology Center is a single, clearly defined Research Project carried out by a collaborative and multidisciplinary team. The program explicitly emphasizes participation by junior investigators and/or researchers who are new to benign urologic research, which signals that the grant is meant to serve as an entry ramp into the field. The expectation is that the funded project will do more than answer one narrow question; it should produce credible, well-organized evidence that naturally leads into subsequent independent grant applications. Importantly, this specific funding announcement is labeled "P20 Clinical Trial Not Allowed," meaning the proposed work must not include clinical trials as defined by NIH. Applicants need to design studies that fit within non-clinical-trial boundaries (for example, mechanistic studies, observational research that does not meet the NIH clinical trial definition, methods development, preclinical work, secondary analyses, or other eligible approaches depending on the final NIH determination).

A major structural feature of the program is the Administrative (Project Support) Core, led by the Center Program Director(s)/Principal Investigator(s) (PD(s)/PI(s)). This core is not just administrative paperwork support; it is intended to provide active guidance and oversight to keep the Research Project on track and to help the research team meet its scientific aims. Just as importantly, it is designed to help the investigators become integrated into the broader benign urologic research community, which can include mentorship, scientific advising, coordination of collaborations, access to shared resources, and strategic planning around next-step funding and career development. The Center is expected to leverage both internal (within the applicant institution) and external (cross-institutional) resources, facilities, and collaborations to maximize the project’s chance of success.

FORWARD Urology Centers are also expected to engage as members of NIDDK’s CAIRIBU program (Collaborating for the Advancement of Interdisciplinary Research in Benign Urology). In practical terms, this requirement underscores that awardees are not operating in isolation; they are expected to connect with a broader network aimed at interdisciplinary progress in benign urology. That networked model is meant to accelerate learning, reduce duplication, and help newer investigators gain visibility and relationships that support future independent funding.

From an eligibility standpoint, the opportunity is broad and includes many common applicant types such as public and private institutions of higher education, nonprofits (including those with and without 501(c)(3) status), for-profit organizations (other than small businesses) and small businesses, and various levels of government (state, county, city/township, special districts), as well as federally recognized tribal governments and certain tribal organizations. The announcement also highlights additional eligible applicant categories that NIH often seeks to encourage, including Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), Hispanic-serving Institutions, Tribally Controlled Colleges and Universities (TCCUs), Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian Serving Institutions, and Asian American Native American Pacific Islander Serving Institutions (AANAPISIs), along with faith-based or community-based organizations, regional organizations, eligible federal agencies, and U.S. territories or possessions. While foreign components are allowed under NIH policy (meaning parts of the work can be performed outside the U.S. when justified and permitted), non-domestic (non-U.S.) entities and foreign institutions themselves are not eligible to apply as the applicant organization. However, non-domestic components of U.S. organizations may participate, and NIH-defined foreign components can be included when appropriate.

Administratively, this is a discretionary grant mechanism with a P20 activity code, associated with CFDA number 93.847, and it was posted under Funding Opportunity Number RFA-DK-21-032. The source information lists an award ceiling of $250,000, indicating an upper limit on the amount that can be awarded (applicants would still need to confirm the exact budget structure and whether that ceiling refers to direct costs, total costs, and/or annual versus project period amounts in the full announcement). The original closing date provided is March 24, 2022, which suggests this particular competition window has passed; however, the description remains useful as a template for understanding what NIDDK sought in this program and what to watch for if a reissue or related opportunity becomes available.

Overall, the FORWARD Urology Centers program is best understood as a capacity-building award for benign urologic research: it funds a focused research project led by a multidisciplinary team anchored by junior or field-new investigators, wraps that project in an organized support and mentorship structure through an administrative core, and ties the center into the larger CAIRIBU collaborative network. The intended endpoint is not just a completed study, but a stronger pipeline of investigators and a set of results robust enough to support competitive follow-on NIH applications.

• The National Institutes of Health in the food and nutrition, health sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Fostering Research With Additional Resources and Development (FORWARD) Urology Centers (P20 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): 93.847.
• This funding opportunity was created on 2021-11-29.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2022-03-24. (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 $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.

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