Centers of Biomedical Research Excellence (COBRE) (P20) | PAR 16 415

Opportunity Information: Apply for PAR 16 415

The Centers of Biomedical Research Excellence (COBRE) (P20) grant opportunity, offered by the National Institute of General Medical Sciences (NIGMS) at the National Institutes of Health (NIH), is designed to build and strengthen biomedical research capacity in states and territories that have historically received lower levels of NIH funding. Through the Institutional Development Award (IDeA) program, COBRE supports the creation of a focused, theme-driven, multi-disciplinary research center at an eligible institution. The larger goal is not only to improve institutional research infrastructure, but also to help investigators become more competitive for independent, peer-reviewed research funding, especially NIH individual research grants.

At its core, COBRE is an infrastructure-and-career-development style program. Rather than funding a single research project in isolation, it supports a coordinated center built around a scientific theme that can bring investigators together across departments and disciplines. This typically involves strengthening shared resources, creating or improving core facilities, supporting junior or developing investigators as they build their programs, and providing structured mentorship and research support that helps them reach the point where they can successfully compete for their own major external awards. In practical terms, COBRE is meant to help an institution move from having pockets of research activity to having a sustained, organized research environment that consistently produces fundable ideas, strong preliminary data, and successful grant applicants.

The opportunity is aimed at biomedical research institutions located in IDeA-eligible states. Eligible applicant institutions include those that award doctoral degrees in health sciences or in sciences related to health, as well as independent biomedical research institutes that already maintain ongoing biomedical research programs funded by NIH or other federal agencies. The emphasis on IDeA eligibility reflects the program mission: increasing the competitiveness of investigators and institutions in regions that have traditionally faced structural disadvantages in securing NIH awards, such as smaller research ecosystems, fewer established cores, or limited local access to advanced research infrastructure.

The eligibility landscape described in the notice is broad and includes many types of U.S.-based organizations. In addition to higher education institutions and independent research institutes, eligible applicants can include state, county, city, township, or special district governments; independent school districts; Native American tribal governments (federally recognized) and tribal organizations (including those other than federally recognized governments); public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities; nonprofit organizations with or without 501(c)(3) status (when otherwise eligible under the listing); and certain for-profit organizations (other than small businesses) as well as small businesses. The text also highlights categories of institutions and organizations that may apply when otherwise meeting program rules, including 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), faith-based or community-based organizations, regional organizations, eligible federal agencies, and U.S. territories or possessions.

At the same time, the announcement is clear about restrictions related to foreign involvement. Non-domestic (non-U.S.) entities (foreign organizations and foreign institutions) are not eligible to apply, and non-domestic components of U.S. organizations are not eligible. In addition, foreign components, as defined under the NIH Grants Policy Statement, are not allowed. This means applicants need to plan center activities, cores, leadership, and supported projects so that they are fully domestic and compliant with NIH rules on foreign participation.

Administratively, this opportunity is a discretionary grant mechanism using the P20 activity code, which is commonly associated with exploratory or developmental center grants and capacity-building efforts. It falls under the health funding activity category, with CFDA number 93.859, and is administered by NIH (specifically NIGMS). The funding opportunity number listed is PAR-16-415, with a creation date of August 25, 2016, and an original closing date of January 24, 2018. The provided source excerpt does not specify an award ceiling or the expected number of awards, suggesting that applicants would need to consult the full funding announcement for budget limits, project period structure, and any phase-based expectations that COBRE programs often include.

Overall, the COBRE (P20) opportunity is best understood as an institutional research strengthening program: it helps eligible institutions in IDeA states build a sustainable, theme-focused research center, improve research infrastructure and shared resources, and accelerate investigators toward independent, competitive external funding. The main measure of success is typically a stronger institutional research environment and a clear trajectory of investigators moving from supported development within the center to winning their own NIH and other peer-reviewed research awards.

• The National Institutes of Health in the health sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Centers of Biomedical Research Excellence (COBRE) (P20)" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 93.859.
• This funding opportunity was created on 2016-08-25.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2018-01-24. (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 PAR 16 415

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