Limited Competition: Social, Behavioral, Economic (SBE) Coordinating Center

The Limited Competition: Social, Behavioral, & Economic (SBE) Coordinating Center funding opportunity is issued by the National Institutes of Health within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. This forecasted notice of funding opportunity represents a continuation and expansion of prior federally supported research coordination efforts focused on pandemic preparedness and response. The initiative aligns with NIH’s broader mission to advance health-related research across diverse populations and disciplines, particularly emphasizing the integration of social, behavioral, and economic research into public health strategies. The coordinating center is expected to serve as a central hub for advancing interdisciplinary collaboration and ensuring that research findings are translated into actionable strategies that benefit all Americans. The primary purpose of this funding opportunity is to support the development and operation of a Social, Behavioral, and Economic Coordinating Center that builds upon previous work funded under earlier NIH announcements. The coordinating center will play a strategic leadership role in shaping future pandemic response frameworks by integrating insights from multiple research domains. Key objectives include developing annual strategic directions for the SBE research community, fostering collaboration and communication across researchers and institutions, and disseminating resources that support ongoing and future research initiatives. These activities are designed to ensure that research outputs are cohesive, scalable, and responsive to emerging public health challenges. Funding under this opportunity is expected to be delivered through cooperative agreements and grants, allowing NIH to maintain substantial involvement in the coordination and execution of funded activities. While specific funding amounts, award ceilings, and total program funding levels have not yet been disclosed in the forecast, the structure suggests a significant investment in long-term coordination infrastructure. There is no cost sharing or matching requirement associated with this opportunity, which lowers the financial barrier to participation for eligible entities. Allowable uses of funds are expected to include administrative coordination, research support activities, collaboration facilitation, and dissemination of findings, though final details will be confirmed in the full notice of funding opportunity. Eligibility for this opportunity is highly restricted and operates under a limited competition model. Only organizations that were previously funded under RFA-AG-21-035 or National Institute on Aging recipients funded under PAR-21-213 are eligible to apply. This restriction ensures continuity of expertise and leverages existing investments in the SBE research infrastructure. As such, the applicant pool is limited to a defined set of institutions with demonstrated experience and prior engagement in NIH-funded SBE initiatives. The opportunity does not broadly open to new applicants, and eligibility must be carefully verified against prior award status. The submission process will follow standard NIH application procedures once the official notice of funding opportunity is released. Applications will undergo NIH’s established peer-review process, where submissions are evaluated based on scientific merit, feasibility, and alignment with program goals. Only those applications deemed meritorious through this competitive review process will be considered for funding. Applicants will likely be required to submit detailed research coordination plans, organizational capacity descriptions, and strategies for fostering collaboration and dissemination, though specific application components will be outlined in the forthcoming NOFO. The timeline for this opportunity indicates that it is currently in a forecast stage, with an estimated posting date of June 20, 2026, and an estimated application due date of August 20, 2026. Awards are anticipated to be made by April 30, 2027, with project activities beginning shortly thereafter on the same date. At present, applications are not being solicited, and interested eligible organizations must wait for the formal release of the NOFO before initiating the application process. Questions and communications are directed to the NIH via the provided email contact, NIA-NOFO-Scientific@nih.gov. This funding opportunity does not explicitly indicate recurrence, suggesting it may be a one-time or episodic initiative tied to specific programmatic needs. However, given its connection to prior funding cycles and ongoing research coordination efforts, it may be part of a broader series of related NIH initiatives. Organizations that meet the eligibility criteria should monitor the official posting closely and prepare to engage promptly once the application window opens.