Pilot Projects Enhancing Utility and Usage of Common Fund Data Sets (R03 Clinical Trial Not Allowed)

The National Institutes of Health (NIH), under the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, has released a Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) entitled "Pilot Projects Enhancing Utility and Usage of Common Fund Data Sets (R03 Clinical Trial Not Allowed)." This initiative is part of the NIH Common Fund, managed through the Office of Strategic Coordination. The program will be administered by the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research (NIDCR). It invites applications for one-year, small-scale research grants (R03), aimed at promoting innovative approaches that demonstrate and enhance the utility of data from selected Common Fund (CF) programs. The program underscores NIH’s broader goal to accelerate biomedical discovery and translation into real-world health solutions. The purpose of this funding opportunity is to leverage valuable, existing datasets produced by Common Fund programs. These datasets, often rich in multi-dimensional molecular and phenotypic data, represent a significant public resource. Applicants are expected to propose projects that substantially use data from at least two Common Fund programs, or, in some cases, solely the Molecular Transducers of Physical Activity in Humans (MoTrPAC) dataset. Projects should aim to stimulate new hypotheses and discoveries, with up to two awards reserved for proposals focused on MoTrPAC. Potential research strategies include integrating multiple datasets, applying advanced data science or machine learning approaches, or creating tools and workflows that enhance data usability and interoperability. This NOFO supports projects that can be completed in one year with limited funding, and explicitly excludes clinical trials. Allowable activities include developing predictive models, anonymizing clinical data, performing replication or validation studies, creating synthetic data, harmonizing metadata, or conducting gene expression analyses across multiple datasets. While new data generation is discouraged, it may be allowed for validation purposes and must not exceed 20% of the total budget. Moreover, applicants proposing tools or websites must include a sustainability plan for at least two years of post-funding utility. All project outputs should be shared via relevant NIH data repositories. Eligibility is broadly defined. U.S.-based institutions including public and private higher education institutions, nonprofits, small businesses, state and local governments, and tribal organizations are eligible to apply. However, non-U.S. institutions and foreign subawards are not eligible. Applicants already involved in managing Common Fund data coordination centers or similar programs are also ineligible. All applicants must be registered with relevant federal systems such as SAM.gov, Grants.gov, and eRA Commons prior to submission. Applications open on May 23, 2026, and are due by June 23, 2026, at 5:00 PM local time of the applicant’s organization. Applications must conform strictly to NIH’s submission guidelines and use one of three systems: NIH ASSIST, institutional S2S, or Grants.gov Workspace. The anticipated timeline includes a scientific merit review in November 2026, advisory council review in January 2027, and the earliest possible award start date is April 2027. This NOFO is a reissue of RFA-RM-24-006 under funding opportunity number RFA-RM-26-017. Review criteria will focus on the significance and innovation of the research, the rigor and feasibility of the proposed methods, and the expertise of the investigators. Successful applicants are required to attend the CFDE Consortium meeting in Bethesda, MD, and at least one additional scientific meeting to present their findings. Feedback on the usability of Common Fund datasets will also be collected to inform NIH’s future data strategies. Total available funding is $4,000,000 for FY 2026, with 10 to 13 awards anticipated.

Clearly justify the selection of data sets; ensure project is feasible within a one-year period; include sustainability plan for any tools or websites created.