Bioengineering Research Grants (BRG) (R01 Clinical Trial Not Allowed)

The Bioengineering Research Grants (BRG) program, administered by the National Institutes of Health (NIH), encourages interdisciplinary collaborations between life sciences and quantitative physical sciences. This funding opportunity, reissued as PAR-22-242, supports the development, optimization, and integration of innovative tools, methods, and techniques with the potential to significantly enhance biomedical research and clinical practice. It explicitly excludes clinical trials and is appropriate for small research teams engaged in multidisciplinary approaches to solve biomedical problems. The FOA emphasizes projects that address unmet needs in human health, reduce health disparities, or improve accessibility and effectiveness of healthcare technologies. The participating NIH institutes include the National Cancer Institute (NCI), National Eye Institute (NEI), National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases (NIAMS), National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD), National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (NIDCD), National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research (NIDCR), and National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS). Each institute has outlined specific areas of interest, such as regenerative dental technologies (NIDCR), complex in vitro tissue models (NIAMS), vision-related diagnostics (NEI), and advanced biosensors and diagnostic tools for cancer and neurological disorders (NCI, NINDS). Applications must reflect an integrative approach rooted in quantitative sciences, such as physics, chemistry, computer science, and engineering. Projects may span basic, translational, or clinical research and must propose novel or significantly improved technologies or combinations thereof. Proposals must address how the technology will solve a specific biomedical problem, offer a strategic implementation plan, and include quantitative benchmarks and anticipated risks. Eligibility for this funding includes a broad spectrum of organizations such as public and private institutions of higher education, nonprofits, for-profit organizations including small businesses, local and state governments, federally recognized tribal governments, independent school districts, public housing authorities, and foreign institutions. Each applicant must meet several registration requirements, including SAM, eRA Commons, and Grants.gov, and submit through designated portals like ASSIST or Grants.gov Workspace. Applications follow standard NIH due dates and undergo a rigorous peer review process based on criteria like significance, innovation, approach, environment, and investigator qualifications. Proposals must comply with all instructions in the SF424 (R&R) Application Guide and include elements like a Data Management and Sharing Plan, budget details, and any necessary human subjects or vertebrate animal protocols. Projects requesting $500,000 or more in direct costs in any year must contact the relevant institute at least six weeks prior to submission. Contact information is provided for each participating institute’s scientific and financial officers. These include specialists like Rao Divi at NCI, Orlando Lopez at NIDCR, and Tony Douglas Gover at NEI, among others. The program does not require cost sharing, and applications are due by 5:00 PM local time on the specified standard due dates. The funding opportunity is currently active with an expiration date of May 24, 2025.