Opportunity Information: Apply for PAR 18 800
This funding opportunity, titled "Biomarkers Discovery in Parkinsonism (U01 Clinical Trial Optional)" (PAR-18-800), is an NIH cooperative agreement aimed at supporting hypothesis-driven studies that identify and develop human biomarkers for Parkinson's disease (PD) and related parkinsonian syndromes. It sits within the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) Parkinson's Disease Biomarkers Program (PDBP), meaning projects are expected to align with PDBP priorities and operate in a way that contributes to a broader, coordinated biomarker discovery effort rather than functioning as isolated studies. The "U01" mechanism signals substantial NIH scientific involvement during the project, and "clinical trial optional" indicates applicants may propose studies that include clinical trial elements, but they are not required.
Scientifically, the FOA emphasizes biomarker discovery that can clarify disease biology and improve diagnostic precision across a set of clinically overlapping disorders. It encourages proposals in three main areas. First, it prioritizes genetically causal Parkinson's disease, particularly work that targets specific PD subtypes. This includes studies built around genetic cohorts, biologically defined cohorts of idiopathic PD, and research focused on ethnic subgroups of idiopathic PD, reflecting an interest in stratification and heterogeneity rather than treating PD as a single uniform condition. Second, it supports biomarker approaches that can distinguish synucleinopathies such as PD and multiple system atrophy (MSA) from tauopathies such as progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP) and corticobasal degeneration (CBD). Third, it encourages tools and markers that improve diagnostic differentiation between idiopathic PD (and its subtypes) and these related neurodegenerative conditions, as well as differentiation from essential tremor, which commonly overlaps symptomatically and can complicate early diagnosis.
A central expectation of this announcement is broad sharing of biospecimens and the data linked to them. Because the FOA is part of the PDBP, the ability to contribute samples, datasets, and associated metadata in a way that enables reuse and validation by the wider research community is treated as a core feature rather than an optional add-on. In practice, that means proposals are expected to incorporate plans and infrastructure for managing biospecimens and data so they can be shared responsibly, consistently, and in a form that supports downstream replication and cross-cohort comparisons.
From an application and oversight standpoint, the FOA requires a detailed project timeline with concrete milestones. These milestones matter in two ways: they are used during peer review to judge feasibility and rigor, and they are also used after an award is made to evaluate progress for continued funding in non-competing years. This places a premium on realistic staging of recruitment, specimen acquisition, assay development or validation steps, analysis, and data release, with clear go/no-go or decision points that NIH can use to track whether the project is delivering what it promised.
Eligibility is broad across U.S.-based organizations. Eligible applicants include state, county, and local governments; special district governments; independent school districts; public and private institutions of higher education; federally recognized Native American tribal governments; certain tribal organizations; public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities; nonprofits (with or without 501(c)(3) status); for-profit entities (other than small businesses); and small businesses, among others. The FOA also explicitly calls out additional eligible applicant types such as Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), Hispanic-serving institutions, Tribally Controlled Colleges and Universities (TCCUs), Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian Serving Institutions, and Asian American Native American Pacific Islander Serving Institutions (AANAPISIs), as well as faith-based or community-based organizations and U.S. territories or possessions. At the same time, foreign institutions are not eligible to apply, non-U.S. components of U.S. organizations are not eligible, and foreign components (as defined by NIH policy) are not allowed, keeping the work fully domestic in terms of performance and institutional participation.
Administratively, the opportunity is categorized as discretionary funding using a cooperative agreement (U01) under the health activity area, with CFDA number 93.853 and the sponsoring agency listed as the National Institutes of Health. The original closing date shown for this specific listing is September 6, 2018, and the creation date is May 23, 2018. The listing does not specify an award ceiling or expected number of awards in the provided fields, which typically means applicants would need to consult the full FOA text or NIH guidance for budget expectations and programmatic constraints. Overall, the announcement is designed to accelerate biomarker discovery and disease differentiation in parkinsonism by pushing projects toward well-justified hypotheses, measurable progress milestones, and strong community-oriented sharing of specimens and data through the PDBP framework.Apply for PAR 18 800
- The National Institutes of Health in the health sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Biomarkers Discovery In Parkinsonism (U01 Clinical Trial Optional)" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 93.853.
- This funding opportunity was created on 2018-05-23.
- Applicants must submit their applications by 2018-09-06. (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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| NIOSH Small Research Grant Program Apply for PAR 18 797 Funding Number: PAR 18 797 Agency: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention - ERA Category: Health Funding Amount: $50,000 |
| K01 Mentored Research Scientist Development Award Apply for PAR 18 799 Funding Number: PAR 18 799 Agency: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention - ERA Category: Health Funding Amount: $100,000 |
| NIOSH Exploratory/Developmental Grant Program (R21) Apply for PAR 18 798 Funding Number: PAR 18 798 Agency: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention - ERA Category: Health Funding Amount: $200,000 |
| Occupational Safety and Health Research (R01) Apply for PAR 18 812 Funding Number: PAR 18 812 Agency: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention - ERA Category: Health Funding Amount: $400,000 |
| Yemen Systems, Health and Resiliency Project (SHARP) Apply for 72027918R00001 Funding Number: 72027918R00001 Agency: Agency for International Development Category: Health Funding Amount: Case Dependent |
| Better Defining Growth Medium to Improve Reproducibility of Cell Culture (SBIR) (R43/R44 - Clinical Trial Not Allowed) Apply for PA 18 815 Funding Number: PA 18 815 Agency: National Institutes of Health Category: Health Funding Amount: Case Dependent |
| Better Defining Growth Medium to Improve Reproducibility of Cell Culture (STTR) (R41/R42 - Clinical Trial Not Allowed) Apply for PA 18 816 Funding Number: PA 18 816 Agency: National Institutes of Health Category: Health Funding Amount: Case Dependent |
| Lab to Marketplace: Tools for Brain and Behavioral Research (R43/R44 - Clinical Trial Optional) Apply for PA 18 819 Funding Number: PA 18 819 Agency: National Institutes of Health Category: Health Funding Amount: $450,000 |
| Alzheimer's Drug-Development Program (U01 Clinical Trial Optional) Apply for PAR 18 820 Funding Number: PAR 18 820 Agency: National Institutes of Health Category: Health Funding Amount: $1,000,000 |
| Roybal Centers for Translational Research on Aging (P30 - Clinical Trial Required) Apply for RFA AG 19 006 Funding Number: RFA AG 19 006 Agency: National Institutes of Health Category: Health Funding Amount: $500,000 |
| Roybal Centers for Translational Research on Dementia Care Provider Support (P30 - Clinical Trial Required) Apply for RFA AG 19 007 Funding Number: RFA AG 19 007 Agency: National Institutes of Health Category: Health Funding Amount: $500,000 |
| Collaborative Activities to Promote Cancer Cachexia Research (Admin Supp - Clinical Trial Not Allowed) Apply for PA 18 821 Funding Number: PA 18 821 Agency: National Institutes of Health Category: Health Funding Amount: Case Dependent |
| Approaches for Understanding Disease Mechanisms and Improving Outcomes in TB Meningitis (TBM) (R01 Clinical Trial Not Allowed) Apply for PAR 18 822 Funding Number: PAR 18 822 Agency: National Institutes of Health Category: Health Funding Amount: Case Dependent |
| Exploratory Analyses of CALERIE Data and Biospecimens to Elucidate Mechanisms of Caloric Restriction (CR)-Induced Effects in Humans (R21 - Clinical Trial Not Allowed) Apply for PA 18 824 Funding Number: PA 18 824 Agency: National Institutes of Health Category: Health Funding Amount: $200,000 |
| Paul B. Beeson Emerging Leaders Career Development Award in Aging (K76 Independent Clinical Trial Not Allowed) Apply for RFA AG 19 017 Funding Number: RFA AG 19 017 Agency: National Institutes of Health Category: Health Funding Amount: $225,000 |
| Analyses of Adherence Strategies and Data Sets from CALERIE to Explore Behavioral and Psychosocial Aspects of Sustained Caloric Restriction in Humans (R01 - Clinical Trial Not Allowed) Apply for PA 18 825 Funding Number: PA 18 825 Agency: National Institutes of Health Category: Health Funding Amount: Case Dependent |
| Exploratory Analyses of Adherence Strategies and Data Sets from CALERIE to Investigate Behavioral and Psychosocial Aspects of Sustained Caloric Restriction in Humans (R21 - Clinical Trial Not Allowed) Apply for PA 18 826 Funding Number: PA 18 826 Agency: National Institutes of Health Category: Health Funding Amount: $200,000 |
| Paul B. Beeson Emerging Leaders Career Development Award in Aging (K76 Independent Clinical Trial Required) Apply for RFA AG 19 018 Funding Number: RFA AG 19 018 Agency: National Institutes of Health Category: Health Funding Amount: $225,000 |
| Analyses of CALERIE Data and Biospecimens to Elucidate Mechanisms of Caloric Restriction (CR)-Induced Effects in Humans (R01 - Clinical Trial Not Allowed) Apply for PA 18 823 Funding Number: PA 18 823 Agency: National Institutes of Health Category: Health Funding Amount: Case Dependent |
| Data Management and Coordinating Center (DMCC) for Rare Diseases Clinical Research Network (RDCRN) (U2C Clinical Trial Not Allowed) Apply for RFA TR 18 021 Funding Number: RFA TR 18 021 Agency: National Institutes of Health Category: Health Funding Amount: $3,500,000 |
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