Pilot Projects Investigating Understudied G Protein-Coupled Receptors, Ion Channels, and Protein Kinases (R03 Clinical Trial Not Allowed) | RFA RM 21 012

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

What is this funding opportunity?

This is a National Institutes of Health (NIH) Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) offered through the NIH Common Fund program Illuminating the Druggable Genome (IDG). It supports small pilot projects that generate new functional insights, datasets, and practical tools for a specific set of "understudied" but potentially druggable human proteins.

What is the FOA number and program name?

The FOA is identified as RFA-RM-21-012. It is part of the NIH Common Fund program Illuminating the Druggable Genome (IDG).

What is the main goal of the FOA?

The FOA is designed to do two things at the same time: (1) expand knowledge about specific understudied proteins, and (2) validate and increase the usefulness of resources produced by the IDG program by having external investigators leverage IDG-generated reagents, datasets, and approaches and extend them with new evidence, annotations, or enabling tools.

What types of protein targets are in scope?

The opportunity targets three major protein families that are central to modern therapeutics: non-olfactory G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs), ion channels, and protein kinases. Projects should focus on IDG-eligible targets within these families that have not been deeply characterized in the literature.

What does "understudied" mean in this FOA?

Based on the FOA description provided, "understudied" refers to human proteins (within the specified families) that are potentially druggable but have not been deeply characterized in the scientific literature and are considered "dark" or poorly understood.

What kinds of research activities does NIH want to fund under this FOA?

The FOA supports compact pilot efforts that generate disease-relevant functional insights and tangible outputs other researchers can use. Examples described include generating functional data linking an understudied receptor, channel, or kinase to a disease mechanism; creating or refining assays; producing complementary datasets that strengthen target characterization; delivering new annotations; or developing enabling tools that make targets more experimentally tractable and biologically interpretable.

How should applicants use IDG resources in their proposed project?

Applicants are expected to leverage and showcase IDG-generated reagents, datasets, and approaches, and then extend those resources by producing added experimental evidence, new annotations, complementary datasets, or tools that clarify protein function and disease relevance.

What is the expected deliverable or outcome of a funded project?

The FOA emphasizes generating high-quality, useful outputs for the broader scientific community. Deliverables may include new functional data, improved assays, additional datasets, annotations, or practical tools that help move IDG-prioritized targets from poorly understood to experimentally tractable and biologically interpretable, and that can feed back into the broader IDG ecosystem.

What is the funding mechanism used for this opportunity?

The award mechanism is an NIH R03, which is typically used for short, focused projects intended to produce proof-of-concept results or fill critical knowledge gaps.

Are clinical trials allowed under this FOA?

No. The FOA explicitly states "Clinical Trial Not Allowed," meaning supported work must be non-clinical-trial research rather than testing interventions in humans under a clinical trial framework.

If clinical trials are not allowed, what kind of research is appropriate?

Projects should be oriented toward basic, translational, or preclinical-style investigations that elucidate protein function and disease relevance, rather than human clinical intervention testing.

Who is eligible to apply?

Eligibility is broad and includes many types of U.S.-based organizations and government entities. Eligible applicants include state, county, city, 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; tribal organizations that are not federally recognized; public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities; nonprofits with or without 501(c)(3) status (outside higher education); for-profit organizations (other than small businesses); small businesses; and other categories identified by NIH.

Are specific institution types highlighted as eligible?

Yes. The FOA highlights inclusion of a wide range of institution types, including Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), Hispanic-serving institutions, Tribally Controlled Colleges and Universities (TCCUs), Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian Serving Institutions, and Asian American Native American Pacific Islander Serving Institutions (AANAPISISs). It also notes faith-based or community-based organizations and eligible federal agencies.

Are U.S. territories or possessions eligible?

Yes. U.S. territories or possessions are listed among other eligible applicants.

Can a foreign (non-U.S.) organization apply as the applicant organization?

No. Non-domestic (non-U.S.) entities (foreign organizations and foreign institutions) are not eligible to apply as applicant organizations under this FOA.

Can a non-domestic component of a U.S. organization apply?

No. Non-domestic components of U.S. organizations are not eligible to apply.

Are any foreign collaborations allowed at all?

Yes. The FOA indicates that foreign components (as NIH defines them in its Grants Policy Statement) are allowed. This means a U.S. applicant may include certain foreign collaborations or elements if they meet NIH policy requirements and are justified within the project.

Which NIH program is associated with this FOA?

The FOA is associated with the NIH Common Fund program Illuminating the Druggable Genome (IDG).

What is the CFDA number associated with this opportunity?

The opportunity is associated with CFDA number 93.310.

What type of grant is this categorized as?

The opportunity is categorized as a discretionary grant within the health area.

What are the key dates listed for this FOA?

The listing indicates a creation date of April 1, 2021, and an original closing date of July 15, 2021.

Does the provided listing include an award ceiling or expected number of awards?

No. In the information provided, the listing does not specify an award ceiling or an expected number of awards.

Why is NIH funding external investigators for this topic?

The FOA aims to push beyond what the IDG Centers can do on their own by funding external investigators to generate additional functional insights, datasets, and tools for IDG-eligible understudied targets, and to demonstrate the quality and utility of IDG resources to the broader scientific community.

What is meant by "feeding outputs back into the broader IDG ecosystem"?

Based on the description provided, it means that data, annotations, assays, or tools produced by awardees should be usable by the wider community and help accelerate IDG's overall mission of illuminating understudied targets and supporting downstream therapeutic discovery.

What kinds of targets are considered most relevant to modern therapeutics in this FOA?

The FOA specifically points to non-olfactory GPCRs, ion channels, and protein kinases as major protein families that are central to modern therapeutics.

What is the overall practical intent of the FOA?

To fund compact R03 pilot efforts that generate actionable data and tools around IDG-prioritized understudied GPCRs, ion channels, and kinases, increase awareness and use of IDG resources, and move these targets closer to being experimentally tractable and biologically interpretable for future therapeutic discovery work.