Edward R. Roybal Coordinating Center (R24 - Clinical Trial Not Allowed) | RFA AG 24 008

Opportunity Information: Apply for RFA AG 24 008

The Edward R. Roybal Coordinating Center (R24 - Clinical Trial Not Allowed) funding opportunity (RFA-AG-24-008) is a National Institutes of Health (NIH) grant run through the National Institute on Aging (NIA) that supports the creation of a single Coordinating Center (CC) to act as the central hub for two connected NIA programs: the Roybal Centers for Translational Research on Aging and the Roybal Centers for Translational Research on Dementia Care Provider Support. Rather than funding a site to run its own standalone research center, this award is designed to fund an organization that can coordinate, connect, and amplify the work happening across the existing Roybal Center network, making it easier for the program to function as a cohesive national effort.

At its core, the Roybal program focuses on translational research in the behavioral and social sciences of aging. The Coordinating Center is meant to support that translational mission by helping Roybal sites move ideas and evidence through the NIH Stage Model for behavioral intervention development. In practical terms, Roybal Centers emphasize early, pilot, and preliminary work across Stages 0 through IV, which generally spans from basic discovery and initial intervention conceptualization through early feasibility, refinement, and testing prior to large-scale effectiveness and implementation efforts. The program’s emphasis is on multi-directional translation, meaning knowledge should flow both from research into real-world settings and from real-world needs and constraints back into research design. The ultimate goal is to produce principle-driven interventions that measurably improve the lives of mid-life and older adults and strengthen the ability of institutions and systems to adapt to population aging.

The Coordinating Center’s responsibilities are framed around facilitating and coordinating activities that cut across individual Roybal sites (often described as “trans-Roybal” activities). That includes serving as a communications and operations hub for the Roybal grant program and working closely with the NIA Program Officer. The CC is expected to be responsive to requests and needs coming from several stakeholder groups: key personnel at Roybal sites, NIA and NIH leadership, the broader scientific community, and the general public. In other words, the CC is not just an administrative back office; it is intended to be the organizing structure that helps the Roybal network collaborate, share resources and lessons learned, and present a coherent program identity and output to external audiences.

This opportunity uses the R24 activity code and explicitly states “Clinical Trial Not Allowed,” signaling that the Coordinating Center award itself is not intended to support clinical trials under NIH definitions. The funding instrument is a discretionary grant in the health activity category (CFDA 93.866). While the notice does not provide an award ceiling or expected number of awards in the provided text, it does identify the original application closing date as June 23, 2023, and the posting/creation date as March 3, 2023.

Eligibility is broad and includes many types of U.S.-based applicants that can credibly perform a national coordinating role. Eligible applicants listed include 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; tribal organizations (other than federally recognized 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); small businesses; and other entities. The FOA also highlights additional categories such as Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), Hispanic-serving Institutions, Tribally Controlled Colleges and Universities (TCCUs), Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian Serving Institutions, Asian American Native American Pacific Islander Serving Institutions (AANAPISIs), faith-based or community-based organizations, eligible federal agencies, regional organizations, and U.S. territories or possessions.

Foreign eligibility is limited in a way that is typical for many NIH center-style awards. Non-domestic (non-U.S.) entities and non-domestic components of U.S. organizations are not eligible to apply as the primary applicant or component. However, “foreign components,” as NIH defines them in the NIH Grants Policy Statement, are allowed. This usually means the core applicant organization must remain U.S.-based and eligible, but specific, well-justified foreign collaborations may be permitted if they meaningfully contribute to the project and comply with NIH policy.

Overall, this grant is best understood as infrastructure support for a national research network rather than funding for a single research project. The Coordinating Center is intended to make the Roybal Centers more effective collectively by improving coordination, communication, responsiveness, and shared activity across sites, while keeping the program aligned with NIA priorities in translational behavioral and social science research on aging and dementia care provider support.

• The National Institutes of Health in the health sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Edward R. Roybal Coordinating Center (R24 - Clinical Trial Not Allowed)" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 93.866.
• This funding opportunity was created on 2023-03-03.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2023-06-23. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
• 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.

Apply for RFA AG 24 008

[Watch] Creating a grant proposal using the step-by-step wizard inside the applicant portal: