Opportunity Information: Apply for PAR 19 253
Focused Technology Research and Development (PAR 19-253) is an NIH R01 funding opportunity aimed at projects that concentrate strictly on building and advancing new research technologies that could open up or significantly improve the ability to generate basic biomedical knowledge. The core expectation is that the work is technology-driven rather than question-driven: the proposal should convincingly argue that the technology is technically innovative, addresses meaningful limitations in current capabilities, and is likely to have clear future value for biomedical research once it is ready for others to apply. Importantly, the program does not support using the technology to answer specific biological or clinical questions as part of the grant. Any proposed biological discovery or disease-focused application is considered outside the scope and should not be included as an aim, because it would not be funded under this announcement.
The intended outputs are tangible, working research-enabling products such as prototype instruments, experimental or computational methods, synthetic or fabrication approaches, and biological products or toolkits. By the end of the project, these deliverables should be sufficiently developed and characterized to be ready for first use in the category of biomedical research problems that motivated the technology in the first place. In other words, applicants are expected to push beyond early concept demonstrations and deliver a functional prototype with credible performance characterization, validation of key specifications, and enough documentation or demonstration to show that the tool is ready to be deployed in real research settings. The program is positioned for technologies that have already shown proof of principle, but still face significant fundamental engineering or methodological hurdles that must be solved before the tool becomes broadly usable.
Applications are expected to include preliminary data. NIH is signaling that this mechanism is not for purely speculative ideas without evidence; reviewers will look for feasibility indicators that the technical approach can work, even if major challenges remain. The announcement also recognizes that technology projects vary widely in maturity and risk. If a project still has substantial risk but is supported by early feasibility studies, an investigator may propose a more contained, three-year R01 with a reduced budget as a way to manage uncertainty and align investment with the remaining risk. On the other hand, projects that are already strongly supported by feasibility studies and are positioned to produce fully functional prototypes may justify higher budgets and longer timelines, typically four years, with up to five years for early stage investigators.
Competitiveness is tied to genuine innovation and the presence of real technical barriers. Projects that mainly involve incremental refinement, routine optimization, hardening, or straightforward extensions of established technologies are flagged as potentially less competitive, since they may not represent the kind of fundamental technology advancement the program is designed to catalyze. In practice, strong applications typically make a clear case for what is technically new, why existing solutions fall short, what the remaining hard problems are, and how the proposed work will overcome them with measurable milestones and rigorous performance evaluation.
This is an R01 grant mechanism and is labeled "Clinical Trial Not Allowed," meaning the supported work must not include clinical trials. The opportunity falls under NIH and is associated with CFDA numbers 93.213 and 93.859, reflecting its placement within NIH research support programs.
Eligibility is broad across many U.S.-based organization types. Eligible applicants include state, county, and local governments; special district governments; independent school districts; public housing authorities; public and private institutions of higher education; federally recognized Native American tribal governments; tribal organizations that are not federally recognized; nonprofits with or without 501(c)(3) status (excluding higher education institutions when specified in those categories); for-profit organizations other than small businesses; and small businesses. The announcement also explicitly highlights additional eligible applicant categories such as Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian Serving Institutions, Asian American Native American Pacific Islander Serving Institutions, Hispanic-serving Institutions, Historically Black Colleges and Universities, Tribally Controlled Colleges and Universities, faith-based or community-based organizations, eligible federal agencies, regional organizations, and U.S. territories or possessions.
Foreign eligibility is restricted in a specific way. Non-domestic (non-U.S.) entities and non-domestic foreign institutions are not eligible to apply as the applicant organization, and non-domestic components of U.S. organizations are not eligible to apply. However, foreign components are allowed as defined in the NIH Grants Policy Statement, which generally means a U.S. applicant can include certain foreign collaborations or foreign work elements when they are well-justified and meet NIH policy requirements.
Key identifying details included in the source information are the title Focused Technology Research and Development (R01 - Clinical Trial Not Allowed), funding opportunity number PAR 19-253, agency National Institutes of Health, funding instrument type Grant, and activity category Health. The original closing date listed in the provided record is 2022-03-21, and the record creation date is 2019-04-12.Apply for PAR 19 253
- The National Institutes of Health in the health sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Focused Technology Research and Development (R01 - 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): 93.213, 93.859.
- This funding opportunity was created on 2019-04-12.
- Applicants must submit their applications by 2022-03-21. (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.
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FAQs: Focused Technology Research and Development (PAR 19-253)
What is the Focused Technology Research and Development opportunity (PAR 19-253)?
Focused Technology Research and Development (PAR 19-253) is an NIH R01 funding opportunity that supports projects focused strictly on building and advancing new research technologies that can open up, or significantly improve, the ability to generate basic biomedical knowledge.
Who is the funding agency and what mechanism is used?
The funding agency is the National Institutes of Health (NIH). The mechanism is an R01 grant, and the funding instrument type is listed as a Grant.
What is the main goal NIH expects from projects under this announcement?
The core expectation is that the work is technology-driven rather than question-driven. Applicants are expected to convincingly argue that the proposed technology is technically innovative, addresses meaningful limitations in current capabilities, and will have clear future value for biomedical research once it is ready for others to apply.
Does this program fund using the technology to answer specific biological or clinical questions?
No. This program does not support using the technology to answer specific biological or clinical questions as part of the grant. Any proposed biological discovery or disease-focused application is outside the scope and should not be included as an aim because it would not be funded under this announcement.
What types of deliverables or outputs are expected?
The intended outputs are tangible, working research-enabling products, such as prototype instruments, experimental or computational methods, synthetic or fabrication approaches, and biological products or toolkits.
How mature does the technology need to be by the end of the project?
By the end of the project, deliverables are expected to be sufficiently developed and characterized to be ready for first use in the category of biomedical research problems that motivated the technology. This implies pushing beyond early concept demonstrations to a functional prototype with credible performance characterization, validation of key specifications, and enough documentation or demonstration to show readiness for deployment in real research settings.
Is this opportunity intended for very early, purely conceptual ideas?
No. Applications are expected to include preliminary data. NIH indicates this mechanism is not for purely speculative ideas without evidence; reviewers will look for feasibility indicators that the technical approach can work, even if major challenges remain.
What is meant by "technology-driven rather than question-driven"?
It means the proposal should focus on advancing the technology itself (its innovation, capabilities, and overcoming technical barriers) rather than organizing the project around answering a particular biological or clinical research question.
What makes a project competitive under this program?
Competitiveness is tied to genuine innovation and the presence of real technical barriers. Strong applications typically explain what is technically new, why existing solutions fall short, what the remaining hard problems are, and how the proposed work will overcome them using measurable milestones and rigorous performance evaluation.
Are incremental improvements or routine optimizations a good fit?
Projects that mainly involve incremental refinement, routine optimization, hardening, or straightforward extensions of established technologies are flagged as potentially less competitive, because they may not represent the kind of fundamental technology advancement this program is designed to catalyze.
Does the program allow clinical trials?
No. The announcement is labeled "Clinical Trial Not Allowed," which means the supported work must not include clinical trials.
What are the expected project lengths and budgets?
The announcement recognizes that technology projects vary in maturity and risk. For projects with substantial risk but supported by early feasibility studies, an investigator may propose a more contained three-year R01 with a reduced budget to align investment with remaining uncertainty. Projects strongly supported by feasibility studies and positioned to produce fully functional prototypes may justify higher budgets and longer timelines, typically four years, with up to five years for early stage investigators.
Is proof of principle expected before applying?
Yes, the program is positioned for technologies that have already shown proof of principle but still face significant fundamental engineering or methodological hurdles that must be solved before the tool becomes broadly usable.
What kinds of technical challenges is NIH expecting applicants to address?
NIH expects applicants to tackle significant fundamental engineering or methodological hurdles that currently prevent a proof-of-principle technology from becoming a broadly usable, research-ready tool.
What kinds of organizations are eligible to apply?
Eligibility is broad across many U.S.-based organization types, including state, county, and local governments; special district governments; independent school districts; public housing authorities; public and private institutions of higher education; federally recognized Native American tribal governments; non-federally recognized tribal organizations; nonprofits with or without 501(c)(3) status (as categorized in the announcement); for-profit organizations other than small businesses; and small businesses.
Are specific institution types explicitly highlighted as eligible?
Yes. The announcement explicitly highlights additional eligible categories such as Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian Serving Institutions, Asian American Native American Pacific Islander Serving Institutions, Hispanic-serving Institutions, Historically Black Colleges and Universities, Tribally Controlled Colleges and Universities, faith-based or community-based organizations, eligible federal agencies, regional organizations, and U.S. territories or possessions.
Can a non-U.S. (foreign) organization apply as the applicant?
No. Non-domestic (non-U.S.) entities and non-domestic foreign institutions are not eligible to apply as the applicant organization. Non-domestic components of U.S. organizations are also not eligible to apply.
Are foreign collaborations allowed in any form?
Yes. Foreign components are allowed as defined in the NIH Grants Policy Statement. This generally means a U.S. applicant can include certain foreign collaborations or foreign work elements when they are well-justified and meet NIH policy requirements.
What is the activity category listed for this opportunity?
The activity category is listed as Health.
What are the CFDA numbers associated with this opportunity?
The opportunity is associated with CFDA numbers 93.213 and 93.859.
What is the funding opportunity number and full title?
The funding opportunity number is PAR 19-253, and the title is Focused Technology Research and Development (R01 - Clinical Trial Not Allowed).
What dates are provided in the record?
The record creation date listed is 2019-04-12, and the original closing date listed in the provided record is 2022-03-21.
What should applicants avoid including in their aims to remain within scope?
Applicants should avoid including biological discovery aims or disease-focused applications as funded aims. The announcement states that using the technology to answer specific biological or clinical questions is out of scope and would not be funded under this program.
What kind of evidence should be included to support feasibility?
Based on the information provided, applications are expected to include preliminary data and feasibility indicators demonstrating that the technical approach can work, even if major challenges remain.
How should performance and readiness be demonstrated by the end of the project?
Applicants are expected to deliver a functional prototype and provide credible performance characterization, validation of key specifications, and enough documentation or demonstration to show that the tool is ready to be deployed in real research settings.
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| Funding Opportunity |
|---|
| Exploratory Research for Technology Development (R21 - Clinical Trial Not Allowed) Apply for PAR 19 254 Funding Number: PAR 19 254 Agency: National Institutes of Health Category: Health Funding Amount: $200,000 |
| Limited Competition: Small Grant Program for NIAMS K08 and K23 Recipients (R03) Apply for PAR 19 257 Funding Number: PAR 19 257 Agency: National Institutes of Health Category: Health Funding Amount: $50,000 |
| Trusted Exchange Framework and Common Agreement - Recognized Coordinating Entity (RCE) Cooperative Agreement Apply for NAP AX 19 001 Funding Number: NAP AX 19 001 Agency: Office of the National Coordinator Category: Health Funding Amount: $900,000 |
| MOMENTUM (Moving Integrated, Quality Maternal, Newborn, and Child Health Services, Voluntary Family Planning, and Reproductive Health Care [MNCH/FP/RH] to Scale) Apply for 7200AA19APS00002 Funding Number: 7200AA19APS00002 Agency: Agency for International Development Category: Health Funding Amount: $500,000,000 |
| NEI Research Grant for Vision-Related Secondary Data Analysis (R21 Clinical Trial Not Allowed) Apply for PAR 19 260 Funding Number: PAR 19 260 Agency: National Institutes of Health Category: Health Funding Amount: $200,000 |
| Mechanistic Ancillary Studies to Ongoing Clinical Projects (R01 Clinical Trial Not Allowed) Apply for RFA AR 20 001 Funding Number: RFA AR 20 001 Agency: National Institutes of Health Category: Health Funding Amount: $300,000 |
| Mechanistic Ancillary Studies to Ongoing Clinical Projects (R21 Clinical Trial Not Allowed) Apply for RFA AR 20 002 Funding Number: RFA AR 20 002 Agency: National Institutes of Health Category: Health Funding Amount: $250,000 |
| Small Business Innovation Research on Rare Musculoskeletal, Rheumatic and Skin Diseases (SBIR) (R43 - Clinical Trial Not Allowed) Apply for RFA AR 20 003 Funding Number: RFA AR 20 003 Agency: National Institutes of Health Category: Health Funding Amount: $250,000 |
| "HEAL Initiative: Limited Competition: Resource Coordinating Center for Pragmatic and Implementation Studies for the Management of Pain (PRISM) to Reduce Opioid Prescribing (U24 Clinical Trial Not Allowed)" Apply for RFA AT 19 011 Funding Number: RFA AT 19 011 Agency: National Institutes of Health Category: Health Funding Amount: Case Dependent |
| HIV/AIDS Clinical Trials Units (UM1 Clinical Trial Required) Apply for RFA AI 19 045 Funding Number: RFA AI 19 045 Agency: National Institutes of Health Category: Health Funding Amount: Case Dependent |
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| Medicare Model Guidelines, Version 8 Apply for CMS 1C0 19 001 Funding Number: CMS 1C0 19 001 Agency: Centers for Medicare Medicaid Services Category: Health Funding Amount: $100,000 |
| HIV/AIDS Scholars Using Nonhuman Primate (NHP) Models Program (K01 Independent Clinical Trial Not Allowed) Apply for PAR 19 267 Funding Number: PAR 19 267 Agency: National Institutes of Health Category: Health Funding Amount: Case Dependent |
| Lucidity in Dementia (R21/R33 Clinical Trial Optional) Apply for RFA AG 20 017 Funding Number: RFA AG 20 017 Agency: National Institutes of Health Category: Health Funding Amount: Case Dependent |
| Lucidity in Dementia (R21 Clinical Trial Optional) Apply for RFA AG 20 016 Funding Number: RFA AG 20 016 Agency: National Institutes of Health Category: Health Funding Amount: $200,000 |
| Cognitive Systems Analysis of Alzheimer's Disease Genetic and Phenotypic Data (U01 Clinical Trial Not Allowed) Apply for PAR 19 269 Funding Number: PAR 19 269 Agency: National Institutes of Health Category: Health Funding Amount: Case Dependent |
| The NIGMS Human Genetic Cell Repository (U42 - Clinical Trial Not Allowed) Apply for RFA GM 19 002 Funding Number: RFA GM 19 002 Agency: National Institutes of Health Category: Health Funding Amount: $2,000,000 |
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