Technology Development for Single-Molecule Protein Sequencing (R01 Clinical Trial not allowed) | RFA HG 21 001

Opportunity Information: Apply for RFA HG 21 001

Technology Development for Single-Molecule Protein Sequencing (R01 Clinical Trial not allowed) is a discretionary grant funding opportunity from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) that focuses on accelerating major technology advances in single-molecule protein sequencing. The program is aimed squarely at technology development rather than clinical testing, and it explicitly indicates that clinical trials are not allowed under this announcement. The overarching purpose is to push the field beyond incremental improvements by supporting projects that can meaningfully change what is technically possible in protein sequencing at the single-molecule level.

The central goal of the FOA is to drive progress over a roughly five-year horizon so that single-molecule protein sequencing can produce data at a scale, speed, cost, and accuracy that makes it practical for routine use. In other words, NIH is looking for innovations that move these methods from promising demonstrations into tools that can be used broadly in studies of genome biology and genome function, as well as across biomedical and clinical research more generally. The emphasis on routine usability highlights the expectation that funded technologies should not only work in principle, but also be capable of generating reliable, high-throughput protein sequence information in realistic research settings.

This opportunity is offered as an R01 grant mechanism (Funding Opportunity Number RFA-HG-21-001) under the health-related funding activity category and is associated with CFDA number 93.172. While the specific award ceiling and expected number of awards are not provided in the source excerpt, the structure and intent are consistent with an R01-style research project grant supporting substantial, well-justified development efforts. The announcement was created on 2021-07-09, with an original closing date of 2022-12-01, which places it within a defined solicitation window in that period.

Eligibility is broad and includes a wide range of organization types. 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 that are not federally recognized tribal governments; public housing authorities and Indian housing authorities; nonprofit organizations with or without 501(c)(3) status (outside of higher education); for-profit organizations (other than small businesses); small businesses; and other entities. The FOA also explicitly calls out additional eligible applicant categories such as Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian Serving Institutions, Asian American Native American Pacific Islander Serving Institutions (AANAPISIs), Hispanic-serving Institutions, Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), Tribally Controlled Colleges and Universities (TCCUs), faith-based or community-based organizations, eligible federal agencies, regional organizations, U.S. territories or possessions, and non-U.S. entities (foreign organizations). Taken together, this reflects an intent to attract a diverse applicant pool, including academic groups, nonprofits, companies, and institutions serving underrepresented communities, as long as the proposed work aligns with the technology development mission.

In practical terms, a competitive application under this FOA would be expected to propose a clear plan for overcoming key technical bottlenecks in single-molecule protein sequencing. That could involve new approaches to reading amino acid sequences directly from individual protein molecules, improvements in accuracy and error correction, increases in throughput and speed, reductions in per-sample cost, better sample handling and preparation workflows, stronger instrumentation or detection methods, and computational strategies that turn raw measurements into high-confidence sequence calls. The unifying requirement is that the work should catalyze major advances that help make single-molecule protein sequencing a routine, scalable capability for broad biological and biomedical research use.

• The National Institutes of Health in the health sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Technology Development for Single-Molecule Protein Sequencing (R01 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): 93.172.
• This funding opportunity was created on 2021-07-09.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2022-12-01. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
• 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.

Apply for RFA HG 21 001

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