Limited Competition: Specific Pathogen Free Macaque Colonies (U42 Clinical Trial Not Allowed) | PAR 21 089

Opportunity Information: Apply for PAR 21 089

The NIH funding opportunity PAR-21-089, titled "Limited Competition: Specific Pathogen Free Macaque Colonies (U42 Clinical Trial Not Allowed)," is a discretionary health research support program issued as a cooperative agreement (U42). Its main aim is to provide continued funding for a small, defined set of existing specific pathogen-free (SPF) macaque breeding colonies that were previously supported under earlier NIH announcements (PAR-18-669 and PAR-14-066). In practice, this is a continuation-focused, limited-competition mechanism meant to maintain and stabilize an established national resource rather than start brand-new colonies from scratch.

The scientific and programmatic purpose centers on sustaining reliable supplies of macaques used in HIV/AIDS-related research, including studies that use Simian Immunodeficiency Virus (SIV) in nonhuman primates as an AIDS model. These breeding colonies are described as essential because consistent access to appropriately characterized animals is a bottleneck for many kinds of HIV/AIDS investigations, particularly those that depend on controlled animal histories, known genetics, and minimized infectious confounders. The SPF designation is important because these macaques are bred and maintained to be free of particular viruses that could either distort study findings (by altering immune responses and disease progression in ways unrelated to the experimental question) or pose occupational health risks to animal care staff and research personnel.

A major emphasis of the resource supported through this FOA is the genetic characterization of animals for major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class I types. This matters because MHC class I variation strongly influences immune responses in macaque SIV studies and, by analogy, helps inform understanding of immune responses relevant to HIV in humans. By maintaining pedigree SPF colonies with known MHC class I genotypes, the program supports more reproducible and interpretable experiments, enables better matching or stratification of animals in study designs, and strengthens the ability of the research community to compare outcomes across studies and over time.

From an administrative standpoint, the award uses the cooperative agreement model, which generally means NIH expects substantial involvement with awardees compared with a standard grant. While the specific operational details would be in the full announcement text, the broad implication is that colony management, characterization standards, and distribution or access policies may be coordinated closely with NIH program goals to ensure the colonies function as a shared research infrastructure serving HIV/AIDS research needs.

Eligibility is restricted. The opportunity is explicitly closed to non-U.S. (foreign) institutions, non-U.S. components of U.S. organizations, and any foreign components as defined by the NIH Grants Policy Statement. The listed eligible applicant type in the provided source data includes public and state-controlled institutions of higher education, and the announcement notes that applicants must meet the FOA's eligibility criteria, reinforcing that this is not an open, global competition but a targeted continuation program for qualified U.S.-based entities.

Key identifiers and logistics from the source data include: Funding Opportunity Number PAR-21-089; agency National Institutes of Health; instrument type cooperative agreement; activity category health; CFDA number 93.351; creation date January 8, 2021; and an original closing date of January 7, 2024. The award ceiling and expected number of awards are not specified in the provided extract, which is consistent with some NIH postings where final budgets and award counts depend on appropriations, program priorities, and the number of meritorious applications within the limited eligible pool.

Overall, the opportunity is best understood as NIH support for maintaining a specialized, high-value research resource: U.S.-based, pedigree SPF macaque colonies with defined pathogen status and MHC class I genetic characterization, ensuring the HIV/AIDS research community has ongoing access to animals that reduce confounding infections, protect personnel, and improve the rigor and comparability of SIV/HIV-related immunology and pathogenesis studies.

• The National Institutes of Health in the health sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Limited Competition: Specific Pathogen Free Macaque Colonies (U42 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): 93.351.
• This funding opportunity was created on 2021-01-08.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2024-01-07. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
• Eligible applicants include: Public and State controlled institutions of higher education.

Apply for PAR 21 089

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