Opportunity Information: Apply for RFA AR 21 008
The Senator Paul D. Wellstone Muscular Dystrophy Specialized Research Centers (MDSRC) funding opportunity (RFA-AR-21-008) is a National Institutes of Health (NIH), Department of Health and Human Services grant program that supports the creation or continuation of highly focused research centers dedicated to muscular dystrophy. It uses the NIH P50 Specialized Center grant mechanism, which is designed for multi-project, team-based programs that bring several related research efforts together under one coordinated center. The overall intent is to strengthen collaborative, interdisciplinary research and to accelerate progress in understanding muscular dystrophy and improving prevention, diagnosis, treatment, and care. The announcement is labeled "Clinical Trial Optional," meaning applicants may propose clinical trials if they are appropriate for the center's scientific goals, but a clinical trial is not required to apply.
This opportunity falls under the discretionary grant category and uses the standard grant funding instrument. The primary activity category is Health, Income Security, and Social Services, reflecting NIH's mission-driven health research focus. The program is associated with multiple CFDA numbers (93.846, 93.853, 93.865), which indicate the federal assistance listings under which NIH may account for awards tied to different NIH institutes or disease and research portfolios relevant to arthritis, musculoskeletal and skin diseases, neurological disorders, or related biomedical research areas that commonly intersect with muscular dystrophy research.
The applicant eligibility is broad and includes many types of organizations that can credibly operate a complex research center. 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; other tribal organizations; public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities; nonprofit organizations with or without 501(c)(3) status (as long as they are not institutions of higher education in those categories); for-profit organizations other than small businesses; small businesses; and other entities as further clarified in the full eligibility text of the announcement. In practice, because the mechanism is a P50 specialized center, the most competitive applicants are typically institutions with the infrastructure to manage multiple integrated projects, shared resources, and center-wide administration, although the eligibility list does not restrict applications to universities alone.
Funding details in the source data indicate an award ceiling of $1,000,000, with an expected number of awards of 1. That combination suggests a single center award was anticipated under this particular issuance, with a maximum budget level capped at one million dollars (as reflected in the summarized fields provided). The opportunity was created on July 29, 2020, with an original closing date of October 19, 2020, meaning it was time-limited with a defined submission window typical of NIH Requests for Applications (RFAs). The agency listed is NIH within HHS, which signals that awards would follow NIH peer review standards, NIH grants policy, and the usual expectations for rigor, reproducibility, human subjects protections (if applicable), and data and resource sharing.
At a high level, an MDSRC under the Wellstone program is meant to function as a coordinated hub rather than a collection of unrelated projects. While the short source text provided here does not list the required components, P50 center programs generally emphasize an integrated research theme, multiple interlocking research projects, shared core resources, and a strong administrative structure to ensure coordination, collaboration, and measurable progress. Because the mechanism allows clinical trials but does not require them, applicants could build a center that is primarily preclinical or translational (for example, focusing on disease mechanisms, gene and cell therapies, biomarkers, or model systems), or they could include patient-oriented work such as natural history studies and interventional trials, provided the overall design fits NIH requirements for clinical research oversight.
In summary, this grant opportunity supports a specialized, collaborative muscular dystrophy research center under the NIH P50 framework, with broad organizational eligibility, a stated budget cap of up to $1,000,000, and an expectation of a single award under this specific RFA. The program is designed to concentrate expertise and resources, promote multidisciplinary teamwork, and speed the path from discovery to practical impact for muscular dystrophy, with clinical trials permitted but not mandatory.Apply for RFA AR 21 008
- The Department of Health and Human Services, National Institutes of Health in the health, income security and social services sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Senator Paul D. Wellstone Muscular Dystrophy Specialized Research Centers (MDSRC) (P50 Clinical Trial Optional)" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 93.846, 93.853, 93.865.
- This funding opportunity was created on Jul 29, 2020.
- Applicants must submit their applications by Oct 19, 2020. (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 $1,000,000.00 in funding.
- The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 1 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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