The Role of Epitranscriptomics in Development and Disease (R21 - Clinical Trial Not Allowed) | PAR 18 831

Opportunity Information: Apply for PAR 18 831

The grant opportunity titled "The Role of Epitranscriptomics in Development and Disease (R21 - Clinical Trial Not Allowed)" (Funding Opportunity Number PAR 18 831) is a National Institutes of Health (NIH) discretionary grant designed to spur exploratory, early-stage research on epitranscriptomics, meaning the chemical modifications that occur on RNA molecules. It is anchored in the growing recognition that RNA is not just a passive messenger between DNA and proteins. Instead, chemical marks on RNA can actively influence how RNAs behave, including both protein-coding RNAs (mRNAs) and noncoding RNAs. Because these modifications can change RNA stability, localization, translation, and interactions with proteins and other RNAs, they are increasingly viewed as an important regulatory layer that may shape normal development as well as the onset or progression of disease.

A central motivation behind this funding announcement is that, despite rapid advances, the field still has major knowledge gaps. Many RNA modifications remain incompletely mapped, their distribution across tissues and developmental stages is not fully defined, and the biological consequences of specific marks in particular systems are often unclear. The FOA emphasizes that evidence is accumulating for broad roles of RNA modifications in health and disease, but that key questions remain unanswered about which modifications matter most, when and where they act, and how they contribute mechanistically to developmental processes and disease states. In practical terms, the program is meant to encourage innovative projects that generate new insights into the types, extent, and functional roles of RNA chemical modifications, especially in contexts that align with the mission of the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD). That typically includes research connected to human development across the lifespan, reproduction, pregnancy and perinatal biology, child health, developmental biology, pediatric and maternal conditions, and related disorders that affect growth, development, and function.

This opportunity uses the NIH R21 mechanism, which is commonly used to support high-risk, high-reward, proof-of-concept, or pilot-style studies that can open up new directions rather than completing a fully mature, large-scale research program. Consistent with the title, clinical trials are not allowed under this FOA, so the supported work should be preclinical, mechanistic, discovery-focused, or based on observational or experimental systems that do not meet the NIH definition of a clinical trial. The listing indicates an award ceiling of $200,000, signaling that projects should be scoped appropriately for an exploratory award and designed to produce clear, publishable advances, new datasets, or enabling methods that can set the stage for larger follow-on funding.

The announcement is broadly open in terms of who can apply, reflecting NIH's typical emphasis on inclusive eligibility across institutional types. Eligible applicants include a wide range of U.S. entities such as state, county, and local governments; special district governments; independent school districts; public and state-controlled institutions of higher education; private institutions of higher education; nonprofits with or without 501(c)(3) status (other than institutions of higher education); public housing authorities and Indian housing authorities; federally recognized Native American tribal governments; and Native American tribal organizations that are not federally recognized tribal governments. It also allows applications from for-profit organizations (other than small businesses) and small businesses, as well as other applicant types. The FOA explicitly highlights additional eligible groups such as Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), Hispanic-serving Institutions, Tribal Colleges and Universities (TCCUs), Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian Serving Institutions, and Asian American Native American Pacific Islander Serving Institutions (AANAPISIs), along with faith-based or community-based organizations, eligible federal agencies, regional organizations, U.S. territories or possessions, and non-U.S. (foreign) organizations, underscoring an intent to draw strong ideas from a diverse research community.

Administratively, the opportunity falls under the health-related funding activity category and is associated with CFDA number 93.865. The FOA was created on June 14, 2018, and the provided source data lists an original closing date of June 3, 2021. While the record does not specify the number of expected awards in the excerpt provided, the overall structure and R21 format suggest a competitive program aiming to seed multiple innovative projects rather than fund a small number of large studies.

In essence, this FOA is aimed at moving epitranscriptomics from a rapidly emerging concept to a more mature biological framework by supporting studies that clarify how RNA chemical modifications influence developmental biology and disease processes relevant to NICHD. The emphasis is on uncovering fundamental mechanisms and functional roles for RNA modifications, expanding the catalog of meaningful modifications in specific biological contexts, and building the kind of preliminary evidence that can support later, more definitive research programs.

• The National Institutes of Health in the health, income security and social services sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "The Role of Epitranscriptomics in Development and Disease (R21 - Clinical Trial Not Allowed)" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 93.865.
• This funding opportunity was created on 2018-06-14.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2021-06-03. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
• Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $200,000.00 in funding.
• Eligible applicants include: State governments, County governments, City or township governments, Special district governments, Independent school districts, Public and State controlled institutions of higher education, Native American tribal governments (Federally recognized), Public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities, Native American tribal organizations (other than Federally recognized tribal governments), Nonprofits having a 501 (c) (3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education, Nonprofits that do not have a 501 (c) (3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education, Private institutions of higher education, For-profit organizations other than small businesses, Small businesses, Others.

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