The National Institute of General Medical Sciences (NIGMS), part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), has issued a Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) under funding number PAR-25-416 titled “NIGMS National and Regional Resources (R24 - Clinical Trial Not Allowed).” This initiative supports the development and maintenance of biomedical research resources that provide access to cutting-edge technologies, equipment, tools, organisms, software, and services to a wide national or regional user base. The resources must align with the NIGMS mission areas and must not duplicate existing NIH-funded infrastructure or institutional offerings.
This NOFO is intended for both already established resources and new ones formed through the consolidation of existing facilities. Eligible resources should support substantial user bases—typically over 100 investigators—across multiple states or nationwide. Resources can be physical or computational and are expected to provide cost-efficient, reproducible, and impactful services. However, proposals focusing on clinical biospecimen repositories, standalone data repositories, or synchrotron-based resources will not be reviewed.
Applicants must follow all requirements outlined in the NIH’s How to Apply - Application Guide and this NOFO. Required submissions include detailed plans for resource operation, maintenance, training, outreach, evaluation, and sustainability. A unique feature is the requirement for a minimum personnel commitment: the PD/PI must allocate at least 2.4 person-months, and an additional senior scientist must contribute at least 6 person-months. Applicants must also provide a list of publications supported by the resource and a robust online presence for outreach and user access.
Applications are accepted on three annual due dates: September 25, 2025; June 15, 2026; and June 14, 2027, each with a rolling review and award process extending into the following years. The earliest start dates correspond to June 2026, April 2027, and April 2028, respectively. Applications must be submitted through ASSIST, Grants.gov Workspace, or an institutional system-to-system solution. The application package includes the SF424(R&R) forms, budget justifications, a 30-page research strategy, and mandatory attachments.
Eligible applicants include a wide array of U.S.-based entities such as higher education institutions, nonprofits, for-profits, tribal organizations, local and state governments, housing authorities, and other public or private organizations. Foreign institutions are not eligible to apply, nor may they be included as components. No cost-sharing is required, though applications may propose cost-recovery fees for users if they do not limit access for under-resourced investigators.
Evaluation criteria encompass the significance, investigator expertise, innovation, operational approach, and institutional environment. Applications will undergo peer review, and selection is based on scientific merit, program priorities, geographic distribution, and potential to increase access and economies of scale. Contact points for scientific questions and grants management are Han Nguyen, Ph.D. (han.nguyen@nih.gov) and Dina Wilson (dina.wilson@nih.gov).
