Viral INfections in the Young Lung- The VINYL Clinical Consortium- Data Analytics and Coordinating Center (DACC) (U24 Clinical Trial Optional)

The National Institutes of Health (NIH), through its National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI), is forecasting a new funding opportunity titled "Viral INfections in the Young Lung – The VINYL Clinical Consortium – Data Analytics and Coordinating Center (DACC)" under the opportunity number FOR-HL-25-033. This grant will be issued as a Cooperative Agreement using the U24 activity code, which allows for substantial NIH programmatic involvement in the project. The funding opportunity is discretionary in nature and falls under the health category of funding activity, specifically aligned with lung disease research (Assistance Listing 93.838). The primary objective of the VINYL Consortium initiative is to support a national infrastructure to study young children aged 0–2 years who are affected by severe viral lower respiratory tract infections (LRTI). The consortium will include a Data Analytics and Coordinating Center (DACC) funded through this opportunity, as well as linked UG3/UH3 awards to fund a Clinical Coordinating Center (CCC), a Biorepository, and four Clinical Centers (CCs). The DACC will play a critical role in integrating and analyzing data across the consortium and coordinating the overall initiative. Follow-up of enrolled participants will continue until pre-school age to assess long-term pulmonary outcomes and sequelae. At this stage, applications are not being solicited; the announcement is intended to inform the research community and allow potential applicants sufficient lead time to establish collaborations and prepare responsive proposals. NHLBI encourages early planning and engagement by investigators with relevant expertise in pediatric pulmonary health, viral infections, and data coordination. The opportunity anticipates leveraging the cooperative agreement to support innovative data analysis and systems management to ensure rigorous scientific outcomes. The estimated application submission window is scheduled to open on August 22, 2025, with a closing date of October 22, 2025. Award announcements are expected by May 1, 2026, and funded projects will start around July 1, 2026. There is no cost sharing or matching requirement for this opportunity. As a forecasted notice, the final announcement and application instructions may differ, so applicants are encouraged to monitor Grants.gov for updates. Eligible applicants include a broad range of entities such as state governments, county governments, city or township governments, independent school districts, small businesses, for-profit organizations (excluding small businesses), public and private institutions of higher education, nonprofits with 501(c)(3) status, Native American tribal organizations (both federally recognized and other), and public housing authorities. This broad eligibility supports interdisciplinary and cross-sector collaboration essential for executing the project’s complex objectives. For more information or pre-submission inquiries, applicants may contact the Division of Lung Diseases at NHLBI via the email address nhlbidld_grants@nhlbi.nih.gov. This announcement provides an important advance notice for those in pediatric respiratory research and data sciences to begin assembling their teams and preparing proposals in alignment with NHLBI’s mission to enhance and extend lives through scientific discovery.