Opportunities for Collaborative Research at the NIH Clinical Center

The "Opportunities for Collaborative Research at the NIH Clinical Center" is a forecasted grant opportunity issued by the National Institutes of Health (NIH), a division of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. This opportunity reflects NIH's continued commitment to advancing translational science through partnerships between intramural and extramural researchers. The NIH Clinical Center is a unique institution that facilitates human clinical studies within the NIH research infrastructure, offering a collaborative platform to support innovative biomedical research initiatives. This grant seeks to encourage high-impact translational research projects that aim to bridge the gap between laboratory discoveries and clinical applications. Specifically, it promotes research that can elucidate critical disease mechanisms, as well as yield potential new diagnostics, therapeutic strategies, or preventive measures. Proposals must align with the research missions of participating NIH Institutes and Centers, including those focusing on cancer, mental health, neuroscience, women’s health, child development, infectious diseases, vision, and more. NIH is looking to fund projects that embody strong scientific merit and the capacity to enhance patient-centered research outcomes. The funding mechanism for this opportunity is a cooperative agreement. This arrangement implies substantial NIH programmatic involvement throughout the duration of the funded project, emphasizing a collaborative approach between the grant recipient and NIH scientific staff. Projects must involve an NIH intramural investigator as a key collaborator, and the proposed research activities must be conducted in whole or in part at the NIH Clinical Center. Eligible applicants for this opportunity include a broad range of entities such as public and state-controlled institutions of higher education, private higher education institutions, state and local governments, tribal governments and organizations, nonprofits, for-profit organizations including small businesses, and independent school districts. This wide eligibility pool reflects NIH’s inclusive strategy to broaden access to its unique clinical research facilities. There is no cost sharing or matching requirement for applicants, further lowering the barrier to entry for interested research teams. Although this is a forecasted opportunity, several important dates have been published to guide potential applicants. The estimated post date is September 1, 2025, with applications due by December 12, 2025. Awards are expected to be made by July 1, 2026, which is also the projected start date for funded projects. As a recurring grant opportunity, applicants should expect annual opportunities thereafter, with the next cycle anticipated in July 2026. For additional guidance or questions about this opportunity, applicants may contact Dr. David J. Eckstein at the NIH Office of Clinical Research Education and Collaboration Outreach. He can be reached via phone at 301-496-4121 or by email at ClinicalCtrPartner@mail.nih.gov.