PRIMED-AI: Academic-Industrial Partnerships (UG3/UH3 Clinical Trial Optional)

The National Institutes of Health (NIH), specifically through the NIH Common Fund in collaboration with other NIH Institutes and Centers, plans to release a Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) for the PRIMED-AI: Academic-Industrial Partnerships program. This initiative falls under the broader Precision Medicine with Artificial Intelligence – Integrating Imaging with Multimodal Data (PRIMED-AI) program. It is designed to foster academic and industrial collaborations that develop and test artificial intelligence (AI) tools integrating clinical imaging with other health data types. These tools aim to enhance personalized medicine approaches for patients suffering from chronic illnesses and various health conditions. The funding opportunity will be administered using the UG3/UH3 cooperative agreement activity code, allowing for a phased project approach. The initial UG3 phase will support studies focused on data integration and interoperability among multimodal datasets, including clinical imaging. The subsequent UH3 phase will focus on algorithm development and rigorous performance testing. The purpose of this phased structure is to support early-stage development while allowing promising projects to progress into advanced testing and validation, ensuring the reliability and cost-effectiveness of the proposed AI tools. The forecasted opportunity is expected to open for applications on July 1, 2025, with a final submission deadline set for November 1, 2025. Award decisions are projected to be made by September 1, 2026, with the funded projects beginning on that same date. The total estimated funding available under this NOFO is $2.9 million. Specific award ceilings and floors have not yet been disclosed, nor has the expected number of awards. Notably, there are no cost-sharing or matching requirements for applicants under this opportunity. Eligible applicants include a wide range of organizations, such as state and local governments, tribal organizations and governments (both federally and non-federally recognized), independent school districts, nonprofit organizations with 501(c)(3) status, public and private institutions of higher education, small businesses, and for-profit organizations excluding small businesses. Eligibility is open nationwide, and there are no geographic restrictions beyond U.S. federal eligibility criteria. Though applications are not currently being accepted, the NIH has issued this forecast to allow potential applicants adequate time to form meaningful academic-industrial partnerships and plan responsive proposals. Investigators with relevant expertise in AI tool development, data interoperability, clinical imaging, and cross-sector collaboration are encouraged to consider pursuing this funding opportunity. For further information, interested parties may contact Dr. Sahana N. Kukke at the Office of the Director, NIH Common Fund, via email at ODPRIMED-AI@od.nih.gov or phone at 301-402-3756.

The notice suggests forming meaningful partnerships in advance and preparing responsive projects that align with the dual-phase funding structure.