NEI Translational Research Program (TRP) to Develop Novel Therapies and Devices for the Treatment of Visual System Disorders (R24) | PAR 17 099

FAQs: NEI Translational Research Program (TRP) to Develop Novel Therapies and Devices for the Treatment of Visual System Disorders (R24)

What is this funding opportunity?

This is the National Eye Institute (NEI) Translational Research Program (TRP) R24 funding opportunity from the National Institutes of Health (NIH). It is designed to move promising vision research out of the laboratory and toward real-world clinical use by supporting coordinated, multi-disciplinary translational projects.

What is the main goal of the NEI TRP R24 program?

The main goal is to support practical, efficient translation of innovative vision-related discoveries into tangible clinical tools that clinicians can use, such as therapies, medical devices, or other enabling technological, biological, or pharmacological resources that benefit patients with visual system disorders.

What types of outcomes or deliverables does the program emphasize?

The program emphasizes outputs that are closer to clinical readiness, including therapies, medical devices, and enabling resources that reduce bottlenecks and accelerate adoption in patient care settings. The focus is on creating usable clinical tools rather than purely basic discovery findings.

Is this opportunity focused on basic research or translational research?

It is focused on translational research. The program highlights practical translation and coordinated development work needed to bridge gaps between early discovery and downstream clinical application, rather than funding purely basic discovery work.

What kinds of projects fit within the scientific scope?

Projects should be translational and focused on therapeutic or interventional pathways for visual system disorders that can be targeted through biological or engineering approaches. The announcement explicitly highlights gene therapy, cell-based therapy, pharmacological strategies, and medical device development and use.

What are examples of activities that may be supported under this program?

Examples described include optimizing a gene delivery approach, developing or refining a diagnostic or therapeutic device for an eye condition, producing translational-grade biological materials needed for clinical studies, establishing assays or platforms that support therapy development, and creating other resources that remove bottlenecks preventing clinician access to emerging technologies.

What is distinctive about the program structure?

A defining feature is its team-science structure. The program expects an experienced leader to assemble and direct a coordinated, multi-disciplinary team, supported by a clear leadership and management plan, rather than funding a single investigator working in isolation.

Why does the program require a multi-disciplinary team approach?

The program reflects the reality that translating a lab finding into a clinical tool typically requires multiple kinds of expertise. The description references areas such as molecular biology, pharmacology, bioengineering, clinical ophthalmology, regulatory strategy, manufacturing/scale-up considerations, and methods for evaluating safety and performance.

What kinds of clinical tools does the program aim to produce?

The program aims to produce therapies, medical devices, and enabling resources (technological, biological, or pharmacological) that clinicians can use to treat diseases and disorders of the visual system.

Who is the intended end user of the program outputs?

The intended end users are clinicians, with the broader intent that patients benefit through improved treatments and interventions for visual system disorders.

What NIH funding mechanism is used?

The opportunity uses the NIH R24 mechanism, described here as supporting organized translational efforts under a team-based structure with coordinated leadership and management.

What is the Funding Opportunity ID and key dates listed?

The funding opportunity is identified as PAR 17 099, created on 2017-01-05, with an original closing date listed as 2018-03-06.

What is the award ceiling for this opportunity?

The listed award ceiling is $1,500,000.

How many awards are expected to be made?

The provided extract lists "ExpectedAwards:" without a number, indicating the expected number of awards was not specified in the information provided.

What is the CFDA number and funding category?

The opportunity is listed as a discretionary grant under the health funding activity category, with CFDA number 93.867.

Who is eligible to apply?

Eligibility is broad and includes many types of domestic applicants across government, academia, nonprofit, and industry. Eligible applicants include state, county, and city or township governments; special district governments; independent school districts; public and state-controlled institutions of higher education; private institutions of higher education; federally recognized Native American tribal governments; Native American tribal organizations (other than federally recognized tribal governments); public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities; nonprofits with and without 501(c)(3) status (other than institutions of higher education); for-profit organizations other than small businesses; small businesses; and other categories listed in the opportunity description.

Are minority-serving institutions and similar organizations mentioned as eligible?

Yes. The opportunity highlights additional eligible applicant types such as Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian Serving Institutions, Asian American Native American Pacific Islander Serving Institutions (AANAPISI), Hispanic-serving Institutions, Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), Tribally Controlled Colleges and Universities (TCCUs), and U.S. territories or possessions, among others.

Are faith-based, community-based, and regional organizations eligible?

Yes. The description specifically includes faith-based or community-based organizations and regional organizations among highlighted eligible applicant types.

Can federal agencies apply?

Yes. The description includes eligible federal agencies among the highlighted eligible applicant types.

Are non-U.S. (foreign) organizations eligible to apply as the applicant?

No. Non-domestic (non-U.S.) entities and non-domestic (non-U.S.) institutions are not eligible to apply as the applicant organization.

Can a non-domestic component of a U.S. organization apply?

No. Non-domestic components of U.S. organizations are not eligible to apply.

Are any forms of foreign participation allowed at all?

Yes. The program allows "foreign components" as defined in the NIH Grants Policy Statement. This means discrete parts of the project may be conducted outside the U.S. if they meet NIH's definition and justification requirements, even though the applicant organization must be domestic.

What does the program prioritize when evaluating the nature of the work?

Based on the description, the program prioritizes practical translation, coordinated development, and producing clinically relevant interventions and enabling resources that are usable by clinicians and beneficial to patients.

What kinds of translational gaps is this program meant to address?

It is meant to bridge key gaps between early discovery and downstream clinical application, especially in complex translational pathways where coordinated development work is needed to move an intervention toward clinical readiness and adoption.

Is this opportunity specific to visual system disorders?

Yes. The focus is on therapies, devices, and resources intended to treat diseases and disorders of the visual system.