Pediatric Centers of Excellence in Nephrology (P50 Clinical Trial Optional) | RFA DK 21 024

Opportunity Information: Apply for RFA DK 21 024

The Pediatric Centers of Excellence in Nephrology (PCEN) funding opportunity (RFA-DK-21-024) is an NIH discretionary grant program that uses the P50 center mechanism and supports basic, translational, and clinical research focused specifically on kidney development, pediatric renal physiology, and kidney diseases affecting children. The announcement is designed to build strong, coordinated research centers that can push the field forward by bringing together complementary expertise, infrastructure, and patient-oriented resources under a unified program, with clinical trials allowed but not required (clinical trial optional). In practice, this means a proposed center can be built around laboratory discovery, translational studies that move findings toward clinical relevance, and/or clinical research involving children, as long as the overall program is coherent and clearly advances pediatric nephrology.

A core purpose of the program is to pull new scientific talent and new ideas into pediatric kidney research. The FOA emphasizes attracting researchers who may not traditionally work in pediatric nephrology but whose skills can accelerate progress, such as developmental biologists, geneticists, bioengineers, computational scientists, immunologists, or experts in novel imaging and omics platforms. Alongside that recruitment goal is a strong push for multidisciplinary team science. The centers are expected to create an environment where different specialties can collaborate effectively on shared pediatric kidney problems, rather than operating as isolated projects. This multidisciplinary approach is meant to improve how kidney disease in children is studied and ultimately how it is diagnosed, prevented, and treated.

Another major pillar of PCEN is community-building through a national Pilot and Feasibility (P and F) program. The idea is that each funded center helps run a structured pipeline of smaller, early-stage awards that let investigators test innovative concepts, generate preliminary data, and de-risk high-impact ideas. The FOA frames these pilot projects as a way to strengthen the pediatric nephrology research community nationwide, not only within the funded institution, by enabling creative new directions and by positioning investigators to later submit larger, competitive investigator-initiated applications (for example, R01-level proposals). In other words, the P and F program is not just a side feature; it is a key strategy for expanding the field and seeding future discoveries.

PCEN is also positioned as a complement to the OBrien Kidney and Urological Research Centers rather than a replacement or duplicate. The centers are expected to add pediatric-focused capability and perspective while leveraging and integrating with existing institutional and national resources. The FOA explicitly anticipates that applicants will draw on infrastructure already supported at their institutions, such as Clinical and Translational Science Awards (CTSAs), training-related programs like the Institutional Network Awards for Promoting Kidney, Urologic, and Hematologic Research Training (U2C/TL1), and other NIDDK Division of Kidney, Urologic and Hematologic Diseases (KUH)-funded consortia. This emphasis on leveraging suggests NIH is looking for proposals that can demonstrate readiness: access to relevant cores, clinical research support, collaborative networks, and an established environment that allows the center to become productive quickly and to amplify existing investments.

From an applicant eligibility standpoint, the announcement is broad and includes many organization types beyond the typical research university. Eligible applicants listed include state, county, and local 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 and other tribal organizations; public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities; nonprofits with and without 501(c)(3) status; for-profit organizations (other than small businesses) and small businesses; and other 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, US territories or possessions, and even non-domestic (non-US) entities (foreign organizations). Taken together, the eligibility language signals an intent to broaden participation and potentially expand pediatric kidney research capacity across diverse institutional settings and communities.

Administratively, the opportunity is run by the National Institutes of Health and is associated with CFDA (now Assistance Listing) number 93.847. The original closing date listed for this FOA was 2021-11-18, and the posted award ceiling was $500,000. While the source text does not provide complete details on the number of awards expected, the overall structure indicates NIH intended to create a set of centers that can serve as hubs for pediatric nephrology research, training, collaboration, and pilot project support, with the longer-term objective of generating impactful science and a stronger national pipeline of pediatric kidney investigators.

• The National Institutes of Health in the food and nutrition, health sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Pediatric Centers of Excellence in Nephrology (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): 93.847.
• This funding opportunity was created on 2021-08-31.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2021-11-18. (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 $500,000.00 in funding.
• 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 DK 21 024

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