Opportunity Information: Apply for RFA DK 20 020
The NIDDK Research Education Program Utilizing SPARC-Generated Resources (R25, Clinical Trial Not Allowed) is a National Institutes of Health funding opportunity designed to build a stronger research workforce by supporting structured research education activities that complement traditional training paths. Run by the Department of Health and Human Services through NIH, and aligned with the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK), this program focuses on developing researchers who can meet national biomedical, behavioral, and clinical research needs. Rather than funding a conventional research project, the award supports well-designed educational programs that give trainees targeted research experiences and skills development opportunities tied to NIDDK mission areas.
A central feature of this opportunity is its connection to the NIH Common Fund initiative called Stimulating Peripheral Activity to Relieve Conditions (SPARC). Applicants are expected to create short-term research training experiences that explicitly use SPARC-generated resources as the foundation for the training. These SPARC resources can include datasets, anatomical and functional maps, and computational or experimental models related to peripheral nervous system function and neuromodulation. The overall intent is to leverage the large, shared SPARC resource ecosystem and turn it into hands-on training experiences where participants learn to work with real, high-value community data and tools while contributing analyses, methods, or findings that can be built upon after the training ends.
The supported educational format is described as Research Experiences and Courses for Skills Development, meaning programs should blend didactic instruction with practical work. Depending on the design, the training could incorporate computational projects such as data analysis, modeling, visualization, or integration of SPARC datasets, and it may also include wet lab components when appropriate. Regardless of approach, the expectation is that trainees gain concrete, transferable skills and that the experience is substantive enough to produce new knowledge, new analytical approaches, or other meaningful outputs that could form the basis for future research directions.
The program is aimed at a broad set of participants who are positioned to benefit from focused, mentored neuroscience-related research experiences relevant to NIDDK and SPARC. This includes graduate students, postdoctoral trainees, medical residents, engineers, and clinical fellows. The neuroscience emphasis is tied to peripheral nerve activity and related biological systems, and applicants are expected to build programming that meaningfully connects SPARC resources to questions and methods that fit within NIDDK-relevant domains.
In terms of funding and scale, this opportunity is offered as a discretionary grant under the R25 activity, with an award ceiling of $120,000 and an expectation of about two awards. Clinical trials are not allowed under this announcement, so the proposed activities must avoid designing or conducting clinical trial research; the emphasis is education, training, and research experiences using existing SPARC resources or non-clinical research components aligned with the FOA.
Eligibility is intentionally broad and includes many organization types: public and private institutions of higher education, nonprofits with or without 501(c)(3) status, for-profit organizations (including small businesses), and various government entities (state, county, city/township, special districts), as well as Native American tribal governments and tribal organizations, and public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities. This wide eligibility reflects the program goal of enabling different kinds of institutions and training environments to build specialized research education offerings around SPARC assets.
Administratively, the funding opportunity number is RFA-DK-20-020 under CFDA 93.847, with a creation date of October 19, 2020, and an original closing date of November 9, 2022. The essential takeaway is that NIH and NIDDK are seeking creative, well-structured research education programs that use SPARC datasets, maps, and models as a core training platform, with the longer-term aim of developing participants skills, producing useful scientific outputs, and helping trainees launch or sustain NIDDK-relevant research careers.Apply for RFA DK 20 020
- The Department of Health and Human Services, National Institutes of Health in the food and nutrition, health sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "NIDDK Research Education Program Utilizing Stimulating Peripheral Activity to Relieve Conditions (SPARC) - Generated Resources (R25 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): 93.847.
- This funding opportunity was created on Oct 19, 2020.
- Applicants must submit their applications by Nov 09, 2022. (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 $120,000.00 in funding.
- The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 2 candidate(s).
- 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 (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification).
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FAQs: NIDDK Research Education Program Utilizing SPARC-Generated Resources (R25, Clinical Trial Not Allowed)
What is this funding opportunity?
This is an NIH research education grant opportunity from the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK) that supports structured research education activities. It is designed to strengthen the research workforce by funding well-organized educational programs that complement traditional training, rather than funding a conventional stand-alone research project.
Which NIH activity code is used for this program?
The program uses the R25 activity code, which is intended for research education programs.
What does "Clinical Trial Not Allowed" mean here?
It means the proposed program activities must not include designing or conducting a clinical trial. The focus is on education, training, and research experiences (for example, using SPARC-generated datasets, maps, or models), not on running clinical trial research under this award.
What is SPARC and why is it central to this opportunity?
SPARC stands for Stimulating Peripheral Activity to Relieve Conditions, an NIH Common Fund initiative. This opportunity expects applicants to build short-term research training experiences that explicitly use SPARC-generated resources as the foundation for training.
What types of SPARC-generated resources are expected to be used?
SPARC-generated resources can include datasets, anatomical and functional maps, and computational or experimental models related to peripheral nervous system function and neuromodulation. The training program is expected to leverage these shared resources as hands-on learning materials.
Is this award meant to fund a traditional research project?
No. The intent is to support educational programs that provide structured research education experiences and skills development tied to NIDDK mission areas, using SPARC resources as a core platform for the training.
What kinds of educational activities are supported?
The supported format is described as Research Experiences and Courses for Skills Development. Programs are expected to blend didactic instruction with practical work so participants gain concrete, transferable skills through substantive training experiences.
What kinds of trainee projects could be included?
Based on the description, programs may include computational projects such as data analysis, modeling, visualization, or integration of SPARC datasets. Wet lab components may also be included when appropriate, as long as the overall program remains aligned with the education and training emphasis and does not involve clinical trials.
What outcomes are expected from the training experiences?
The opportunity emphasizes that trainees should gain practical, transferable skills and that the experience should be substantive enough to produce meaningful outputs, such as new knowledge, new analytical approaches, or other results that can be built upon after the training ends.
Who is the program intended to train?
The target participant group is broad and includes graduate students, postdoctoral trainees, medical residents, engineers, and clinical fellows who would benefit from focused, mentored neuroscience-related research experiences relevant to NIDDK and SPARC.
What scientific focus area is emphasized?
The neuroscience emphasis is tied to peripheral nerve activity and related biological systems, including peripheral nervous system function and neuromodulation, with training designed to connect SPARC resources to questions and methods that fit NIDDK-relevant domains.
How does this program connect to NIDDK mission areas?
Applicants are expected to design research education activities that are relevant to NIDDK mission areas while also making meaningful use of SPARC-generated resources as the training foundation.
What is the maximum award amount?
The award ceiling is $120,000.
How many awards are expected to be made?
The announcement indicates an expectation of about two awards.
What type of grant mechanism is this?
This is described as a discretionary grant under the R25 activity.
Which organizations are eligible to apply?
Eligibility is broad and includes public and private institutions of higher education; nonprofits with or without 501(c)(3) status; for-profit organizations (including small businesses); and government entities such as state, county, city/township, and special districts. It also includes Native American tribal governments and tribal organizations, and public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities.
Are for-profit organizations allowed to apply?
Yes. For-profit organizations, including small businesses, are listed as eligible.
Can government entities apply?
Yes. Various government entities are listed as eligible, including state, county, city/township, and special district governments, as well as tribal governments and tribal organizations.
What is the funding opportunity number?
The funding opportunity number is RFA-DK-20-020.
What is the CFDA number listed for this opportunity?
The CFDA number provided is 93.847.
When was this opportunity created and when did it close?
The creation date is October 19, 2020, and the original closing date is November 9, 2022.
What is the main goal of the program overall?
The overarching goal is to develop a stronger research workforce by turning SPARC-generated datasets, maps, and models into well-structured, hands-on research education experiences that build participants skills, generate useful scientific outputs, and support trainees as they launch or sustain NIDDK-relevant research careers.
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