Optimal Treatment Strategies for use of Anti-Obesity Medications (AOMs) in Children and Adolescents Research Coordinating Center (U24 Clinical Trial Not Allowed)

The National Institutes of Health (NIH), within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, is offering a cooperative agreement funding opportunity to establish a Research Coordinating Center (RCC) focused on optimizing treatment strategies for anti-obesity medications (AOMs) in children and adolescents. NIH, a leading federal biomedical research agency, supports scientific studies that improve public health outcomes. Through this initiative, NIH aims to address the growing concern of pediatric obesity by supporting coordinated, evidence-based research that evaluates both the effectiveness and safety of AOM interventions in youth populations. The purpose of this funding opportunity is to support a centralized coordinating entity that will collaborate with multiple clinical research centers. These centers will test treatment strategies involving AOMs in children and adolescents with obesity. The RCC is expected to lead efforts that maximize therapeutic benefits while minimizing potential risks associated with medication use. Research supported under this program will prioritize healthy growth and development, adequate nutrition, physical activity, and psychological well-being, including considerations such as body image, mood, and quality of life. Funding will support a wide range of coordination and research support activities rather than direct clinical trials. The RCC will provide administrative leadership, statistical expertise, and centralized data management across the consortium. Responsibilities include harmonizing data collection methods, establishing common data elements, coordinating with a central laboratory, managing biospecimen collection procedures, and supporting data analysis and dissemination. The program emphasizes collaboration across independent and multicenter clinical trials, ensuring consistency and rigor in study design and execution. Eligible applicants include a broad array of U.S.-based organizations such as small businesses, for-profit and nonprofit entities, institutions of higher education, government entities at various levels, and tribal organizations. However, foreign organizations and non-U.S. components of domestic organizations are explicitly excluded. Applicants must demonstrate the capacity to coordinate complex, multi-site research efforts and provide the necessary infrastructure for data and operational management. Applications must be submitted through the appropriate federal grant submission systems by the stated deadline. While no pre-application requirement such as a letter of intent is specified in the summary, applicants are expected to prepare comprehensive submissions detailing their proposed coordination strategies, organizational capabilities, and plans for supporting the consortium’s scientific objectives. Evaluation criteria will likely include scientific merit, organizational capacity, coordination approach, and the ability to support collaborative research efforts effectively. The application period opens upon posting and closes on October 9, 2026. Only one award is expected to be made, with an estimated total program funding of $1,000,000. The cooperative agreement mechanism indicates substantial involvement from NIH program staff in project oversight and execution. Interested applicants may contact the Office of Obesity Research at NIH via the provided email addresses for further information. This funding opportunity does not specify recurring cycles and appears to be a one-time solicitation aligned with a parallel companion funding announcement.