Collaborative Program Grant for Multidisciplinary Teams (RM1 - Clinical Trial Optional)

The Collaborative Program Grant for Multidisciplinary Teams (RM1 - Clinical Trial Optional), issued by the National Institutes of Health (NIH), through the National Institute of General Medical Sciences (NIGMS), is designed to support highly integrated research teams tackling ambitious and complex biomedical questions. The goal is to fund research efforts that cannot be accomplished through individual or loosely coordinated projects. The FOA, reissued as PAR-23-077, updates its priorities as of March 31, 2025, to better align with evolving agency objectives. Applications are evaluated under rigorous review standards with an emphasis on synergy, integration, and significant potential to advance the biomedical field. The funding opportunity supports multidisciplinary teams comprising three to six Program Directors/Principal Investigators (PDs/PIs). It is not intended for projects focused mainly on resource creation, technology development, or infrastructure maintenance. Instead, it emphasizes collaborative science addressing foundational biological processes across multiple levels—from molecules and cells to whole organisms and populations. Projects must align with the NIGMS mission, and applications outside this scope will be rejected without review. Priority areas include, but are not limited to, anesthesiology, clinical pharmacology, sepsis, injury, and critical illness. Mechanistic clinical trials are permitted if they are essential to the research program and fit within the NIGMS clinical areas. Eligible applicants include a wide range of U.S.-based organizations such as higher education institutions, nonprofits, for-profits, and various government entities. Foreign institutions may not apply as primary applicants, but foreign components are allowed. Each application must be submitted as a multiple PI application with a leadership plan and team management structure detailing governance, decision-making processes, and professional credit-sharing. An External Advisory Committee (EAC) is optional unless clinical research is proposed, in which case it is mandatory. The opportunity strongly encourages consultation with NIGMS staff at least 10 weeks prior to submission to ensure alignment with institute priorities. Applicants must follow detailed submission instructions, including adherence to the SF424 (R&R) Application Guide. Applications require a letter of intent due 30 days before the full application due date, though this letter is optional. The next application deadline is May 28, 2025, with additional cycles through January 2026. The earliest application submission date was April 26, 2023, and the opportunity will remain open until January 28, 2026. Applications are not accepted on a rolling basis but recur regularly. Funding is provided via a grant mechanism with total program funding up to $10 million annually. Individual awards may request up to $1.5 million in direct costs per year, with an anticipated award range of $700,000–$900,000. Additional developmental funds of up to $250,000 annually may support Early Stage Investigators (ESIs) in years 2–5. The expected number of awards is between 4 and 6 annually. Evaluation criteria include significance, innovation, investigator qualifications, and approach. The review process also considers the adequacy of team management and the potential for the program to generate impactful scientific advances. Applicants must submit comprehensive team management plans and provide evidence of readiness for multidisciplinary collaboration. Required documents include a Research Strategy, Multiple PD/PI Leadership Plan, Data Management and Sharing Plan, and, if applicable, human subjects and vertebrate animal research documentation. Contact information for inquiries includes RM1mailbox@nigms.nih.gov for scientific/research questions, mackj2@csr.nih.gov for peer review questions, and walkerti@mail.nih.gov for financial or grants management queries. Assistance for technical application submission issues is available through the eRA Service Desk and Grants.gov support. Overall, this funding opportunity aims to foster groundbreaking team science initiatives that align with the core mission of NIGMS and advance the understanding of fundamental biomedical processes.