The National Institutes of Health (NIH), through the National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities (NIMHD), has issued a forecast for an upcoming Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) to establish a Coordinating Center (CC) for the Research Centers in Minority Institutions (RCMI) initiative. The RCMI program was initially created in 1985 in response to Congressional direction to support institutions that are less research-intensive but grant doctoral degrees in health-related fields. This initiative aims to boost their institutional research capacities, develop investigator careers, support community partnerships, and facilitate health disparities research.
The planned Coordinating Center will act as a national resource to support RCMI U54 centers and the Clinical Research Network (CRN). Its key responsibilities will include conducting prospective evaluations of the RCMI program, establishing standardized metrics for effectiveness, analyzing data from the awarded RCMI centers, and generating consistent reports. Additionally, the CC will enhance collaboration across sites by sharing scientific best practices and disseminating research outputs. It will also support the CRN by centralizing operations, aiding study development and implementation, and handling data and statistical analysis.
Eligibility for this NOFO is limited to domestic institutions in the United States and its territories that are current recipients of RCMI awards. These institutions must have received less than $50 million per year or less than $25 million per year in total R01 NIH funding over the past three fiscal years and must offer doctoral degrees in health professions or health-related sciences.
The estimated publication date for this funding opportunity is September 24, 2025, with applications due by November 26, 2025. The estimated award date is March 25, 2026, and projects are expected to start on May 1, 2026. A total of $5 million is anticipated to be available for this opportunity, which will fund one award.
This is a cooperative agreement and falls under the Health funding activity. There is no cost-sharing or matching requirement. Potential applicants are encouraged to use this forecasted period to build strong collaborations and develop comprehensive applications.
For further details or questions, the primary contact is Dr. Rada K. Dagher at the National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities. She can be reached at (301) 451-2187 or via email at rada.dagher@nih.gov.
