Centers of Biomedical Research Excellence: Expansion/Sustainability Phases (COBRE E/S)

The Centers of Biomedical Research Excellence: Expansion and Sustainability Phases program is a forecasted grant opportunity administered by the National Institutes of Health under the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. It is part of the Institutional Development Award (IDeA) program, which was created to build research capacity in states and jurisdictions that historically have received low levels of NIH funding. The program aims to strengthen institutional biomedical research infrastructure through expansion and sustainability phases, supporting institutions in their long-term research growth. The Expansion Phase (COBRE-E) focuses on increasing institutional research capacity by supporting faculty recruitment, providing funding for research projects, and building or enhancing core facilities. Institutions applying for this phase are expected to establish strategies that broaden research in targeted scientific areas of importance. The Sustainability Phase (COBRE-S) is designed to ensure the long-term viability of these centers by maintaining and strengthening faculty research bases, consolidating core resources, and ensuring that the institution can maintain the research capacity developed during earlier phases. Eligibility for this opportunity is limited to higher education institutions and nonprofit research organizations located in IDeA-eligible states, commonwealths, and territories. Eligible jurisdictions include Alaska, Arkansas, Delaware, Hawaii, Idaho, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Mississippi, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Puerto Rico, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Vermont, West Virginia, and Wyoming. Applicants must also either award doctoral degrees in health-related sciences or operate as independent biomedical research institutes or medical centers with active federally funded biomedical research programs. Applications are expected to include a sustainability plan proposed in the Expansion Phase for later implementation in the Sustainability Phase. This forward-looking approach ensures that institutions not only build new research capabilities but also have the capacity to sustain them. The funding announcement does not specify exact spending rules beyond the broad intent to support research cores, faculty development, and related infrastructure necessary to maintain competitive biomedical research environments. This forecasted opportunity is expected to open for applications on March 26, 2026, with a submission deadline of May 26, 2026. Award decisions are anticipated on April 1, 2027, with project start dates also set for April 1, 2027. No pre-application or early screening steps are mentioned in the announcement. Cost sharing or matching is not required. While the expected number of awards and funding amounts are not provided in the forecast, assistance listings place the opportunity under Biomedical Research and Research Training, with the catalog number 93.859. The primary contact for this opportunity is Federico Bernal, Ph.D., who can be reached by phone at 240-271-5059 or by email at federico.bernal@nih.gov. Interested institutions are encouraged to monitor Grants.gov and NIH communications for the release of the full Notice of Funding Opportunity, which will provide detailed application instructions, evaluation criteria, and budgetary requirements once published.