Elucidating the Role of the Autonomic Nervous System in Peripheral Metabolism and Metabolic Disease through the Application of Novel Tools and Methodologies (RC2 Clinical Trial Optional) | PA 18 891

Opportunity Information: Apply for PA 18 891

This funding opportunity is an NIH National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK) High Impact, Interdisciplinary Science award using the RC2 mechanism, titled "Elucidating the Role of the Autonomic Nervous System in Peripheral Metabolism and Metabolic Disease through the Application of Novel Tools and Methodologies (RC2 Clinical Trial Optional)" (Funding Opportunity Number PA 18-891; CFDA 93.847). Its central aim is to catalyze major advances in understanding how the autonomic nervous system (ANS) regulates metabolism in peripheral tissues and how ANS function or dysfunction contributes to diabetes, obesity, and related metabolic diseases. The program is positioned as a foundation-building initiative, meant to open up or accelerate a developing research area by enabling bold, interdisciplinary projects that can produce broadly useful resources, generate discovery-driven results, and create hypotheses that reshape what the wider research community can study next.

A key feature of the FOA is its emphasis on interdisciplinary team science and on outputs that have reach beyond a single lab. Rather than supporting incremental work, the RC2 is intended to produce high-impact deliverables such as novel tools, technologies, or methodologies that make the ANS more measurable, more manipulable, or more interpretable in the context of peripheral metabolism. In practice, this could include new experimental platforms to map or monitor autonomic circuits that innervate metabolic organs, improved approaches to quantify sympathetic and parasympathetic activity in relevant tissues, new strategies to link neural activity to metabolic endpoints, or analytical pipelines and shared resources that other investigators can adopt. The FOA also allows teams to pursue innovative approaches aimed at specific knowledge gaps or compelling scientific questions, so long as the work substantially advances understanding of ANS roles in metabolism and helps speed progress toward better prevention or treatment of metabolic disease.

The opportunity is explicitly "Clinical Trial Optional," meaning applicants may propose studies that include a clinical trial component, but they are not required to do so. This flexibility supports a range of project designs, from preclinical or translational tool development to human-focused studies, as long as the overall thrust remains on novel capabilities or approaches that clarify ANS control of peripheral metabolic biology. The broader scientific goal is to move the field toward clearer mechanistic insight into how autonomic signaling influences organs and pathways relevant to glucose regulation, energy balance, adiposity, and other metabolic processes, and to use that insight to accelerate therapeutic directions.

Eligibility is broad and includes many domestic organization types typically eligible for NIH grants. Eligible applicants include state, county, city or township, and 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 and Indian housing authorities; nonprofits with or without 501(c)(3) status (excluding institutions of higher education under those nonprofit categories); for-profit organizations other than small businesses; small businesses; and other eligible entities. The FOA also highlights 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, and U.S. territories or possessions, reflecting an intent to include a diverse range of institutions and community-linked organizations.

International eligibility is more limited and follows NIH policy distinctions. Non-domestic (non-U.S.) entities and foreign institutions are not eligible to apply directly. However, non-domestic components of U.S. organizations are eligible to apply, and foreign components are allowed as defined in the NIH Grants Policy Statement. This structure permits meaningful international collaboration or inclusion of specialized foreign expertise or resources when justified, while keeping the primary applicant organization domestic.

Administrative details provided in the listing indicate the agency is the National Institutes of Health and the opportunity category is discretionary, with the funding instrument being a grant and the activity categories listed as Food and Nutrition and Health. The original closing date shown is 2018-08-09, and the posting/creation date shown is 2018-08-07. No award ceiling or expected number of awards is specified in the provided source text. Overall, the FOA is best read as a targeted, high-impact NIDDK initiative aimed at giving the research community new ways to interrogate the autonomic nervous system in metabolic regulation, with the expectation that the resulting tools, methods, and findings will unlock faster and more effective progress against diabetes, obesity, and related metabolic disorders.

• The National Institutes of Health in the food and nutrition, health sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Elucidating the Role of the Autonomic Nervous System in Peripheral Metabolism and Metabolic Disease through the Application of Novel Tools and Methodologies (RC2 Clinical Trial Optional)" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 93.847.
• This funding opportunity was created on 2018-08-07.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2018-08-09. (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.

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