Animal and Biological Material Resource Centers (P40 Clinical Trial Not Allowed)

The Animal and Biological Material Resource Centers grant, offered by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) through the Office of Research Infrastructure Programs (ORIP), supports the development and maintenance of specialized research resources that serve the national biomedical community. This funding opportunity, issued under the activity code P40, is intended to strengthen scientific infrastructure by supporting specialized colonies of laboratory animals, as well as associated resources like informatics tools, cell cultures, reagents, and genetic stocks. The primary objective is to promote scientific rigor, transparency, and reproducibility in biomedical research by making high-quality, well-characterized resources available to a broad spectrum of researchers across multiple NIH Institutes and Centers. Eligible Centers must demonstrate a clear national need, broad research relevance, and alignment with the NIH mission. Centers supported by this grant must serve the national research community by maintaining accessibility, providing resources such as genetically valuable animal colonies or biological materials, and developing infrastructure for data curation and informatics. They are also expected to implement rigorous quality control procedures and promote reproducibility through activities such as standardized tagging of resources and maintenance of a searchable online catalog. A crucial aspect of the program is the integration of new approach methodologies (NAMs)—non-animal alternatives such as organoids, cell cultures, and computational models—designed to reduce animal use while expanding experimental scope and efficiency. The grant supports a multi-component application, including an Overall Component and three specific Components: Resource (major), Curation and Informatics (minor), and Applied Research (minor). The Applied Research Component, which must not exceed 15% of the direct costs, is especially focused on comparative data development to improve NAMs’ applicability and model integration. Importantly, the program discourages projects that focus narrowly on disease-specific models or materials primarily relevant to one NIH Institute or Center. Projects should benefit multiple fields and institutions, avoid duplicative efforts, and provide national reach. Applicants are encouraged to include evidence of demand—such as letters of support (limited to 15)—and institutional commitment to long-term sustainability. A strong emphasis is placed on sustainability and operational growth. The Centers are expected to generate Program Income through their operations and to rely progressively less on P40 funding over time. NIH expects renewal applications to recover a higher percentage of costs from Program Income compared to the previous grant cycle. Furthermore, Centers must maintain disaster preparedness plans, ensure long-term preservation of critical stocks (e.g., via cryopreservation), and use best practices in cybersecurity and data management consistent with the FAIR and TRUST principles. These practices ensure data interoperability and accessibility and align with the NIH’s Strategic Plan for Data Science and its Data Management and Sharing Policy. Applications for this opportunity open on January 18, 2026, with the first submission deadline on February 18, 2026. Additional due dates recur approximately every four months until the program's expiration on January 10, 2029. Reviews and award decisions are made on a cyclical basis following each deadline, with awards typically starting several months later. Only U.S.-based institutions are eligible to apply. Applicants are strongly encouraged to consult NIH Scientific/Research staff before applying to assess program fit and competitiveness. All applications must be submitted electronically via Grants.gov or institutional system-to-system platforms, following the multi-project (M) application guidelines. Clinical trials are not permitted under this funding opportunity.

Prior consultation with ORIP is strongly recommended to ensure alignment with NIH-wide mission and goals.