Tuberculosis Research Units (U19 Clinical Trial Optional) | RFA AI 20 020

Opportunity Information: Apply for RFA AI 20 020

The Tuberculosis Research Units (TBRUs) funding opportunity, titled "Tuberculosis Research Units (U19 Clinical Trial Optional)" (Funding Opportunity Number RFA-AI-20-020), is a National Institutes of Health (NIH) discretionary grant program that uses a cooperative agreement mechanism (U19). Its central aim is to establish multidisciplinary TB Research Units that function together as a coordinated, collaborative network. The overall scientific focus is on improving understanding of how Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) interacts with the human host, with particular emphasis on identifying and characterizing the bacterial and host factors that matter at different stages of infection and active disease, and on studying how variation (heterogeneity) in both the pathogen and the host influences disease trajectories and outcomes.

A key feature of the program is the expectation of team-based, integrated research. Rather than supporting isolated projects, the FOA is designed to build interconnected units that bring together multiple disciplines to tackle complex questions about Mtb-host interactions. The research scope highlighted in the announcement includes careful characterization of determinants on both sides of the interaction: bacterial determinants (for example, strain differences and pathogen biology that shape infection or persistence) and host determinants (such as immune responses and other host traits that influence susceptibility, progression, or treatment response). The FOA also stresses analyses of heterogeneity, meaning applicants are encouraged to address how differences among bacterial populations and differences among hosts can lead to different clinical and biological outcomes. Clinical trials are optional under this announcement, which signals that applicants may propose clinical trial components if scientifically justified, but they are not required to do so.

From an administrative standpoint, this is a health-related funding opportunity under CFDA 93.855. The award ceiling is listed as $1,800,000, indicating the upper limit the agency expects to provide per award according to the posted opportunity details. The opportunity was created on March 30, 2020, with an original closing date of September 28, 2020, and it anticipated making multiple awards (the posted field indicates expected awards, though the precise number is not specified in the provided data). As a cooperative agreement, the U19 mechanism typically implies substantial programmatic involvement by NIH staff compared with a standard research project grant, consistent with the networked, collaborative structure described for the TBRUs.

Eligibility is intentionally broad and includes a wide range of domestic applicants: state, county, city/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; public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities; nonprofits with and without 501(c)(3) status (other than institutions of higher education); for-profit organizations other than small businesses; and small businesses. The FOA also explicitly calls out additional eligible applicant categories, reflecting an emphasis on inclusivity and the ability to engage diverse institutions and communities in TB research. These include Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian Serving Institutions; Asian American, Native American, and Pacific Islander Serving Institutions (AANAPISIs); Hispanic-serving Institutions; Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs); Tribally Controlled Colleges and Universities (TCCUs); Indian/Native American Tribal Governments other than federally recognized entities; faith-based or community-based organizations; eligible federal agencies; regional organizations; U.S. territories or possessions; and non-domestic (non-U.S.) entities (foreign organizations). This breadth supports the idea that the program can incorporate expertise, patient populations, and research settings from many contexts, including international environments where TB burden may be high, while still operating under NIH oversight and the cooperative agreement framework.

In practical terms, applicants to this FOA would be proposing a unit that contributes to a larger network, with a research plan aligned to the program priorities: mechanistic understanding of Mtb-host biology across infection and disease, and rigorous investigation of how pathogen and host variability shapes outcomes. The "Research Units" framing suggests an emphasis on organized, multi-project structures that can sustain collaboration, share approaches and data, and collectively move the field forward rather than producing disconnected findings.

• The National Institutes of Health in the health sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Tuberculosis Research Units (U19 Clinical Trial Optional)" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 93.855.
• This funding opportunity was created on 2020-03-30.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2020-09-28. (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 $1,800,000.00 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.

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